THE WICKED LADY
US, 1983, 98 minutes, Colour.
Faye Dunaway, Alan Bates, John Gielgud, Prunella Scales, Denholm Elliott, Oliver Tobias.
Directed by Michael Winner.
The Wicked Lady is a piece of hot-house English melodrama. It is a remake of the 1945 Gainsborough film with Margaret Lockwood and James Mason.
The producers of the film, Menahem Golam and Yoram Globus, had moved into Hollywood and were making pictures all over the world. They were relying on star casts - and they certainly got a star cast for this remake.
The direction is by Michael Winner, an English director who made interesting films like I'll Never Forget Whatsisname, who moved to the United States making fast-paced action films such as Death Wish and other Charles Bronson action features. He takes the original screenplay by Leslie Arliss and adapts it to expected '80s audience styles.
The film is lavishly made, uses beautiful locations. However, it is one of those smouldering melodramas which revel in sex and violence (even if it is not always on the surface). At times it rises to the surface - especially in a-notorious whip-fight. One might be surprised to find John Gielgud and Alan Bates in this kind of film.
Faye Dunaway, after Mommie Dearest, continues her strident characterisations. There is an excellent supporting cast led by Denholm Elliott and Prunella Scales.
1. An entertaining piece of melodramatic hokum? The reason for the remake of a 1945 piece of melodramatic hokum for the '80s?
2. The re-creation of 18th century England? Style, decor, costumes, the highways, mansions, London and its wealth and poverty? The background? Reliance on lavish treatment?
3. The strength of the cast - and their contribution to this kind of melodrama? The work of the director - his enjoyment of fast-paced films with stylised cinematic flourishes? The echoes of the lurid? The high camp of these stories? The tongue-in-cheek humour of such films as Tom Jones? How well do they blend together?
4. The credibility of an aristocratic woman becoming a highwaywoman? How persuasive is Faye Dunaway as Lady Barbara? her friendship with Lady Caroline? Her decision to seduce Sir Ralph? Her marrying him? Her achieving ambitions but becoming bored? The gambling, the friendship with Lady Henrietta, the ruby brooch? Her hearing of Captain Jerry Jackson and his robberies on the highway? Her decision to take to the road? Her disguise, secret exits from her mansion? Her being discovered by Jackson? Their partnership, the robberies, the sexual liaison? The murder of the coachman? Her leaving her scarf? Hogarth and his finding of the scarf, his hold over Barbara? Her attempts to poison him - a long process, her finally suffocating him? Lady Caroline returning to the household? her going to London, finding Jackson with a girl? Betraying? the whip fight? His escape? Her jealousy of Caroline, the encounter with Kit Loxby, her attempt to seduce him? Sir Ralph's exasperation? Barbara going all the way, trying to eliminate all opposition? Jackson seeking revenge - his being shot by Barbara, it wounding her? deathbed realisation of all that she had done!
5. A melodramatic and highly stylised and exaggerated character and performance? The contrast with Alan Bates as Jerry Jackson? The highwayman? His robberies, motivation? The encounter with Lady Barbara, their going into partnership, his using her, her using him? His women friends in London? His being caught by Barbara, the betrayal? The gallows - and the last minute rescue? His enmity towards Barbara, her death?
6. John Gielgud as Hogarth - his presence in this film, his presence in the household, the discovery of the scarf, his hold over Barbara, his wanting her to reform, her poisoning him, his death?
7. Sir Ralph and his preparation for marriage, his being seduced by Barbara - and deserving all that happened to him? The management of his household? Caroline coming from London? His discovery of Barbara's treachery? Harming Caroline and Kit?
8. Their liaison and the addition of sensuality to Caroline and the violence of the film? Kit and the encounter with Barbara? His wounding her?
9. The English cast bringing to life the world of the 17th century - nobility, the poor, the people in London, the doxies? Charles II and Nell Gwynn, the clergy, Tyburn and prisons, the gallows etc.?
10. An entertaining - or objectionable - piece of colourful historical hokum?
