THE NIGHT DIGGER
UK, 1971, 110 minutes, Colour.
Patricia Neal, Pamela Brown, Nicholas Clay, Jean Anderson, Graham Crowden, Yootha Joyce, Peter Sallis.
Directed by Alastair Reid.
The Night Digger was the second film for Patricia Neal after recovering from a near-fatal stroke. The screenplay was written by her then husband of many decades, Roald Dahl, best known for his children’s stories including The Witches and Willy Wonka.
The film is a psychological horror film (rather reminiscent of Night Will Fall by Emlyn Williams). Patricia Neal portrays a lonely woman taking care of her blind mother (Pamela Brown). A young handyman comes to help around the house and is very genial – with the repressed older woman beginning to fall in love with him. However, the handyman has had a traumatised childhood and goes out into the night – with horror results.
The film is interesting psychologically in its portrait of the middle-aged woman and her care for her mother, the mother’s dependence, the role of the young man in the house and the effect on each of the women. It is also interesting in the psychology of the young man – and the consequences of his trauma. The film builds up atmospherically into a heightened crisis.
A little-known film, but with substantial credentials. Directed by Alastair Reid who made a number of films in the early 70s, Baby Love, Straight On Till Morning, but worked mainly in television including some of the Inspector Morse films and Tales from the City.
1. How enjoyable and satisfying a thriller? Drama about human relationships? An enclosed world, madness?
2. The British atmosphere, the atmosphere of the house, the village, the church, local gossips? The atmosphere of the old English world and tradition? and values? The contrast with Billy, his world of the bike, road making? Murders and brutality? The strange comparison of old and new worlds and their intermingling? In affection and love?
3. Patricia Neal's portrayal of Maura? seeing her in the pre-credits doing good works a the hospital? Her relationship with her mother and the gradual revelation of the relationship, illness, Maura's working out her stepmother frightening people? Seeing her as the servant of her mother doing the housework etc? The intrusion of Billy and his taking of Maura's room? His easy talk with her? Her ability to see through him especially in the story about church and his horror of going? His keeping to himself? The provocative nature of his appearing in the towel and the lead up to Maura's response to him? Her reactions to his depressions and understanding? How well did she understand the truth? Her reaction to Mr Bolton and Millicent and the gossip? The confrontation with Millicent about what people would think? Her reaction to her mother's illness? The significance and drama of her telling her off in the hospital? The credibility of her change, getting her money, changing her clothes and style? The proposal to Billy and the cottage in Scotland? The lyrical aspects? her sorrow at his final depression, her shaking her head and reaction to his death? How good a character study? A woman, age, spinster, frustrated?
4. Pamela Brown’s portrayal of mother? her harshness, her blindness and the emphasis on this? Her fixed stare as signifying the manner in which she acted? Her possessiveness as regards Maura, her wanting her own way, acting on her whims especially as regards Billy? Her response to his way of speaking? Her old fashioned values, ways of command, hypochondria and blackmail of Maura? Her summoning everybody? The so-called religious person being strong minded? Going to church? Her gossip for example about the clergyman and his wife and their sex change operation? Her being left with Maura deserting her?
5. How successful were the characterisations of Bo1ton, Millicent, the clergy? Their talk especially about the operation, about Billy, about Maura's behaviour? Old world gossip?
6. The characterisation of Billy? from another world? His sudden arrival, his persistence, personality, his ability to soft talk the two women? His skill in working around the house and impressing them both? Good manners etc? The fear of going to a church and hiding in the closet? By himself in the cemetery? His depression and the playing of the mouth organ? The looking for the girls and the build-up to the killings? How well did the flashbacks with their sexual overtones explain his madness and his motivation for brutality and killing? The importance of showing the murder in detail? The importance of the suggestion of the second murder, his return and his getting into his room before Maura arrived? His story for her and wanting to tell her but not being able to? Her understanding, his response to her and leaving with her? Finding some kind of love with her? The build-up to his depression, audience anticipation that he would kill someone else? The melodrama and the visual Impact of his death?
7. How well did the film portray an enclosed world, the values of this enclosed world? Pressures standards? Good and evil and the need for breaking out from repression?
