THE DRESSER
UK, 1983, 114 minutes, Colour.
Albert Finney, Tom Courtney, Edward Fox, Zena Walker, Eileen Atkins, Michael Gough.
Directed by Peter Yates.
The Dresser is written by South African playwright Ronald Harwood who experienced this kind of dresser work with actor Sir Donald Wolfit. Harwood had begun writing for theatre and for film and television in 1960 and continued for many decades. In the 1990s he did adaptations of The Browning Version and Cry the Beloved Country. However, from 2001 he became quite prolific for screen films including versions of some of his plays. He wrote Taking Sides, The Pianist for Roman Polanski for which he won an Oscar, The Statement from the novel by Bryan Moore, Being Julia for Istvan Szabo, Oliver Twist for Polanski. He also wrote the screenplay for Baz Luhrmann’s Australia.
The film was directed by Peter Yates who began his career in his native England with light films including some Cliff Richard musicals. However, he went to the United States and had great success with Bullitt and continued a successful career there for several decades.
Albert Finney is magnificent in taking on the Donald Wolfit style as the roaring temperamental actor, to be addressed as Sir. Tom Courtenay is also very good as the meek and mild, iron-willed dresser. It received Oscar nominations for Courtenay and Finney, for Peter Yates and Ronald Harwood and for the film as best picture. It received even more nominations for BAFTA awards including makeup and best supporting actress for Eileen Atkins. It won a Silver Bear acting award for Albert Finney and a special medal at the Berlin film festival.
This is an intriguing look at backstage in British theatre, the personalities, the clashes, the real power battles. And strengthened by the screenplay by Harwood which is full of insight and gossip.
1. The impact of the original play? The transition from play to film? Adaptation for screen by the author of the play? The acclaim and Oscar nominations?
2. The adaptation of the play: the opening out - the information about World War Two by radio, the glimpses of the cities, railway stations, trains, theatres, hospital? The balance with the dramatic scenes inside the theatre? The atmosphere of the period? The subdued musical score - and its classic and choral atmosphere?
3. Oscar nominations for the leading actors? Their particular skills, presence, style, stylisation of character? The external mannerisms, the interior feelings? The performances offering insight into the types of characters? The quality of the supporting cast?
4. The structure of the film: the theatrical setting and World War Two, the falling bombs etc.? The Othello performance and Norman 's routines for Sir? Sir's farewell to his audience. the travel, his going berserk, Norman cajoling him to be ready for the performance, the performance itself and its crises, the finale, his death? The reprisal of the opening sequences at the end? The end throwing light on the beginning? A 24-hour period?
5. The background of World War Two: radio information, references to Churchill and the Nazis. the atmosphere of the bombings? British response to the war effort? Britain, Shakespeare's country and nobility in response to war? Courage, spirit and endurance? England and Europe suffering? Grandeur in suffering? The detail used to convey the atmosphere of war: decor, costumes, trains etc.?
6. The importance of period feel - Sir and Norman as belonging to that period? The streets, the people, the atmosphere of the city, the railway station etc.?
7. The background of the theatre and questions of life and heart? The focus on Shakespeare: Othello and the nature of tragedies, Richard III, the quotations from various plays e.g. Macbeth? The focus on Lear as the greatest of Shakespeare's tragedies? Sir and his devotion to Shakespeare, presenting him rhetorically and dramatically? Insight into Shakespeare? The importance of King Lear's British setting? A king, those who would inherit from him, his age and foolishness, disowning those he loved, madness and storm, death? Sir as Lear and Norman as the fool? (And Sir's disowning Norman - his being then the equivalent of Cordelia (with the homosexual background for this interpretation)?)
8. The importance of The Dresser as a modern-day version of King Lear? Sir as Lear: his age, vanity, performance, foolishness, bequeathing things to those he loved? The use of the performances of Lear to provide parallels for Sir - especially the storm? Sir's madness, making a fool of himself - even to stripping as he raged in the streets? His death? Yet his pettiness, tyranny, fear. lechery? His capacity for appreciation? Yet like Lear, ungrateful, especially to Norman? The role of the fool: jester, carer, cajoler. counsellor? Norman seen as the fool? The final tableau with Norman grieving for Sir and the reprisal of the Fool's Song from the play in the musical score?
9. Theatre and questions of life and art: drama mirroring society, shaping it, commenting on it? People losing themselves in the world of theatre? Fantasy? Masks, performance, make-up? Theatrical presence and impact on audience? Drawing vitality from an audience? The potential for destruction? The contrast with life seen as theatre: Sir performing onstage and off, Norman's performances - weak onstage with the air-raid warning?
10. The picture of the company: acting, ham-acting styles, Sir's rebukes for their performance and overshadowing him. types and stereotypes? The odd group? The emphasis on the camp group and the attitudes towards homosexuals? The men in the dressing rooms, the gossip? The misfits like Oxenby? The women and their gossip? The young girls and their hopes? The vivid portrayal of backstage life and activity? Stage management, special effects - and the effort for the storm. each doing the job, the semblance of a family? The symbol of the troupe following Sir at the railway station? Larger than life yet comic? A film strong on portrayal of theatre behind the scenes? The audience responding to performance of the play in the film? The cinema audience responding to the play and to the reality?
11. The role of the audience in the theatre and responding to the illusion? Appreciation, laughter at improvisation by Oxenby. anxiety waiting for Sir? Tears - of the audience and of the fellow-actors and stagehands? The soldier in the pub grieving about the play? The cinema audience watching the illusions and seeing the manipulation by the actors?
12. The women in the troupe: Sir's lady wife and her devotion to Sir, her anxiety. portrayal of Cordelia - and her weight? The chocolates? Sir's appreciation of her as a good woman? Irene and her devotion to Sir. polishing the crown, coming back for the audition. his lecherous response to her, his carrying her and dropping her? Her hopes for success - being Cordelia (just as his lady wife had before her)? Her missing her opportunity? Her final farewell to Norman?
13. The portrait of Madge: 20 years, the spinster in the corner, her efficiency with her work. her sensitivity. her worrying about Sir's performance and disturbing him, the talk with him and his comment about the ring and offering it to her in appreciation. her coping with Sir's death and ringing his wife? A strong portrait of a devoted woman? Unhappy - yet satisfied with her life?
14. Albert Finney's skill in dramatising Sir: as real. as a symbol? Seeing him as Othello, made up and larger than life? Performance especially his death? His vanity and ticking off his fellow actors, his demands on them? Yet his dependence on Norman? The drink, being prompted, the bath. the chatter and the jokes? His regard for his wife and performing with her? The grandiloquent sequence of the march to the train, his shouting 'Stop that train'? His dreams of being nailed to the stage floor? His going berserk in the street, raging and stripping off his clothes? His loss of control. loss of awareness of where he was? The reliance on Norman's gentleness? The response of the crowd? The hospital and his rejection of the injections? His being a cause of anxiety? The long cajoling by Norman to get him to start the make-up? Moodiness, weakness. inspired by work, gradually coming alive as he donned the character? The detail of his painting his face and the importance of this for understanding Sir and his theatrical life? Becoming Lear forgetting his lines, quoting the wrong plays? His persuading Geoffrey to be the Fool - and his gentle treatment of him? His intolerance of the homosexual actor? The summoning of Oxenby and his refusing to speak to him, relying on Norman. his continuing his gargling? His devotion to Madge and the importance of the talk about the ring? His stage fright and inability to go on on cue? The bombs falling - enlivening him? His going onstage and giving a great performance? The rest period and Norman soothing him., the encounter with Irene and trying her for weight? The success of the storm scene - but his raging that it was not enough? The death scene? The applause? His techniques for slowly going out for applause? His speech and its concentration on the greatness of England, Shakespeare, the war effort? His good humour after the performance? His autobiography? His unmasking? His collapsing and dying quietly? His theatrical presence, rhetorical style, theatrical vanity, selfishness, childishness, spoilt and pampered, ungrateful, cruel and apologetic? A storm scene but no death scene? The Lear parallel?
15. Tom Courtney's presence and style as Norman? The detail of his working for Sir, polishing the plate, packing the make-up, his drinking, fussing, with the drink for Sir, prompting him? In himself, ageless, having pampered Sir for 16 years, his homosexual friend and the memories - and Sir ridiculing them? The importance of working and not despairing? His camp manner yet his prudish and proper behaviour? Bitchy interchanges? His regard for others and scorn for others? His being nanny, servant and fool for Sir? The parallels with King Lear's Fool? His attempt to stop the train and the guard despising him? Getting Sir onto the stage, washing him, playing games, pandering to his vanity? His not having a life of his own? His meaning for life in the theatre and for Sir? His coping with Sir in the street? The decisions about the performance - Madge and the wife, Norman being right? The long process of getting Sir ready for make-up? Pleading, working, pretending, laughing, urging? His covering everything for Sir? His announcement in the theatre - and his nervousness and seeking affirmation from the rest of the cast? His attitude towards Geoffrey and his performance? Towards Oxenby? His energy in the storm scene? Between acts, the hotel and the drink, the soldier in tears? The end and his prompting Sir for his speech? His reaction to being left out of the autobiography? Sir's death and the long rant about the meaninglessness of his life and what was to happen to him? His comparison of his love for Sir with that of Madge? The final grief scene?
16. The sketch of Oxenby and his sardonic attitude, resentful, spurning of Sir, refusing to collaborate, joining in the storm sequence? Geoffrey and his opportunity to play the Fool and Sir's and Norman's affirmation of him?
17. A film of humanity? A modern version of life and theatre? The realities of tragedies and comedy?
