INTIMATE RELATIONS
UK, 1995, 95 minutes, Colour.
Julie Walters, Rupert Graves, Matthew Walker, Laura Sadler, Holly Aird.
Directed by Philip Goodhew.
Intimate Relations is set in the 1950s in a small British town. Julie Walters is married to an ex-soldier who has a leg injury and they live separate lives in the one house. She also cares for her daughter, played by Laura Sadler. Into this prim and proper household comes a sailor, an orphan who is looking for family, finding his brother in the town but unable to stay with him. Rupert Graves is very good as the sailor who is drawn into a rather surprising beneath-the-surface lust experience in the household. While Julie Walters maintains a surface respectability and talks in this vein, especially wanting her daughter to be a lady, in the privacy of the house, she begins a sordid and torrid relationship with the sailor.
The film makes allusions to Princess Margaret's renouncing marriage to Peter Townsend as well as the execution of Ruth Ellis for killing her lover. It situates the film in the atmosphere of the 1950s and the questioning of traditional standards. Each of the players gives a very strong performance. Philip Goodhew's screenplay highlights the nature of the intimate relationships and their disastrous consequences, leading to ultimate violence.
1. The title of the film, expectations?
2. The United Kingdom in the '50s, a '90s perspective on standards, surface morality, hypocrisy, sex and violence?
3. The town, the house, the workplaces, the swimming pool? The ordinariness? The musical score?
4. The songs, the focus on "This Old House" and "Come On a My House" and the singing by Rosemary Clooney? Popular at the time?
5. The plot based on a true story, the references to the period, Princess Margaret, Ruth Ellis? Credible behaviour, motivations?
6. The relationship between Marjorie and Stanley, the war and his injuries, the aftermath, separate lives, Marjorie and her obsessive care of Joyce? Her work, managing the household, landlady? Advertising for lodgers, the routines of daily life?
7. Harold, the sailor, the orphanage background, visiting his brother, Maurice and his welcome, his wife and her disdain? Protective of Maurice? Looking for lodgings, answering the advertisement, being welcomed by Marjorie? Being made one of the family, Marjorie wanting him to call her Mum? The friendship with Stanley, going to the pub, enjoying each other's company? Marjorie and the sexual advances, her appeal, Joyce's curiosity? The persistent sexual relationship? In the same room, Joyce and her prurience? Her challenges to her mother? Harold trying to get out of the relationship, Marjorie's emotional blackmail? His going out, seeking Maurice? His going into the army, the letters and his fiancee, the proposal? Marjorie buying him off, his coming back? Trying to cope, Stanley confronting him, the lies? Joyce and her emotional blackmail in forcing Harold to go to the hotel? His reaction to Joyce and her precocious attitudes, his lecturing her on values, his concern and wanting people to talk with her and help her? His being bewildered, the panic at the picnic, the violence? A weak character caught in his own weakness and subject of pressure?
8. Julie Walters' presence as Marjorie, age, experience, relationship with Stanley, her proper way of living, her standards talk, her harshness towards the pregnant girl, her self-deception? Sexual relationship and demands? Her control of Joyce, wanting her to be a lady? The letters to Harold in the army, phoning him, paying for his release? Having him back in the household, the control, going on the picnic, her ladylike behaviour, the relationship, her being killed by her daughter? Her bewilderment?
9. Joyce, her age, preoccupation about sex, her classmate and the games in the room, at the class? In the same room with her mother? The birthday celebration? The night at the hotel, her jealousy of her mother, Harold's talking to her? His concern that she was not developing properly and needed some kind of guidance? The ultimate jealousy and violence and her killing her mother? Harold stabbing her?
10. The sketch of Maurice, his wife, her prim behaviour, warning Harold, hearing of the scandal, going to visit Marjorie in the shop, urging Harold to leave?
11. Stanley, his past, going to the pub, ignoring the reality, believing Harold's lies?
12. The comment on the sedate British past and its surface standards, its hypocrisy, needs? The perspective of the more open period and society?
