A PRIVATE FUNCTION
UK, 1985, 93 minutes, Colour.
Michael Palin, Maggie Smith, Denholm Elliot, Liz Smith, Richard Griffiths, Pete Postlethwaite, Bill Paterson.
Directed by Malcolm Mowbray
A Private Function was written by celebrated playwright and television author, Alan Bennett. The story comes from Alan Bennett and the director Malcolm Mowbray.
The film is a spoof on English society, with its 1947 royal wedding setting and the memories of the war and the experience of food shortages and the black market. The film paints a rather grim, while humorous, picture of the British.
Maggie Smith, Liz Smith, Denholm Elliott all won British film awards for their performances. Michael Palin is also very good as the timid chiropodist. There is an excellent supporting British cast bringing the eccentric characters to life.
The film is rather acerbic in its tone, even though much of the humour is gentle as well as being focused on private functions (and the pig's smelly behaviour). In fact, the focus is on a pig which is destined for the dinner to celebrate the royal wedding and comes by various misadventures.
Amusing and telling British satire.
1.Entertaining comedy? Spoof, satire? The picture of the British?
2.The 1947 setting, the royal wedding, the atmosphere of the royals and British loyalty? Memories of the war and comments on it? The period, rationing, the focus on food? The locations, the British town? Musical score?
3.The title and the royal dinner, private personal functions? The function jokes, smells etc?
4.The setting, the newsreel of 1947? The focus on the need for food, the French black market - and the English and their hunger, looking down on the French?
5.The focus on eating: Mum and her eating, bacon, chocolates, sweets, bananas, the green pig, the butcher's shop, steak? Horse meat? The pig's slops? Ham and afternoon teas? Food and status?
6.The social comment, the division of the classes, snobbery, ambitions, ruthlessness, corruption? Anti-Semitic? prejudice etc?
7.Michael Palin genial as Gilbert: nice, a weak man yet friendly? His relationship with people, his customers? The tension with Joyce, her mother at home? The invitations to the dinner? The new premises, the large foot, the challenge of Dr Swaybey? Going to the tearoom and his scene? The decision to get the pig? Abducting it, bringing it home, the preparations to kill it, its malfunctioning? Not being able to kill it, going to get a drink? Coming home, Joyce and the blackmail of the officials? Going to the dinner - and the prospect of his losing Joyce?
8.Joyce as a provincial Lady Macbeth? Stifled, sitting in the car imagining trips, looking after her mother, going shopping to the butcher's, the ham as a fee? Teaching piano? Envious of people in the town, wanting to show them? Feeling Gilbert letting her down? The showdown in the tearoom? The stealing of the pig, her trying to cope, her trying to kill it? Taking advantage of the blackmail situation, smooth manner? Finally dancing with Dr Swaybey? Her future?
9.Mother, aged 74, always eating, concern about food, worried about going to an institution, her health, the restaurant and the cream cakes, her reaction to the pig and its smells?
10.Dr Swaybey, snob, place in society, his big car, running over Gilbert's bike? The concern about the invitations, anti-Semitic? The illegality of the pig? Concern? Wanting to oust Gilbert? Having to succumb to Joyce's blackmail? Dancing with her at the end?
11.Allardyce and the committee, his eating and size, the scraps for the pig? His wife and the chocolates, getting her feet done? Veronica and the music lessons? The information about the pig?
12.The committee and the various members, their snobbery, the criteria for invitations? Lockwood and his ousting of Gilbert?
13.The police, the cover, the committee and the pig, the raiding of the butcher shops?
14.The butchers, Wormald's raids, the painting of the pork green? The rivalries? Doris and sex with the butcher? Looking after Mr Wormald? Finally with him and making him relent from his Gestapo-like tactics?
15.Wormald, the inspector, not able to smell? His raids? Holding vigil? Getting his feet done? Suspicions but not following them through? With Doris at the end?
16.The Sutcliffes, the pigs, getting her feet done, the kidnapping of the pig?
17.Portrait of a range of British types? Satire? The past? The present?
