DEAD CERT

UK, 1974, 99 minutes, Colour.
Scott Anthony, Judi Dench, Michael Williams, Julian Glover.
Directed by Tony Richardson.

Dead Cert is an interesting British thriller which was not a commercial success. Based on one of the racing thrillers by Dick Francis, it captures the atmosphere of the racing fraternity, gamblers and bookmakers, violence and the underworld.

The lead is Scott Anthony who played the lead in Ken Russell's Savage Messiah. Other members of the cast are from the British stage, especially Judi Dench. The director is Tony Richardson, one of the outstanding British directors of the early sixties with such films as The Entertainer, Look Back in Anger, Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner and his Oscar-winning Tom Jones. Richardson's career was very varied in the seventies with films like this as well as his excellent American film theatre version of Edward Albee's A Delicate Balance. Entertaining in itself, an example of British cinema of the seventies and an illustration of the work of the director.

1. Meaning of the title, tone, reference to racing? The irony in the reference to dead? How enjoyable a thriller? British atmosphere? Mystery? racing?

2. Colour, British locations, the atmosphere of the race track and behind the race track? Police? The film directed by Tony Richardson? his reputation?

3. The title and the ironies with reference to racing, to violence?

4. How interesting was the mystery, the quality of the plot and its complications? how well was suspense created and sustained, identification with the hero, identification of the murderer? were sufficient clues given, could the audience detect what was happening? Or not?

5. The atmosphere of the races, the showing of the horses, the racing, grooming, the betting? The good and exhilarating aspects of racing? The focus on the Grand National? The balance of the sleazy background, crime, violence, corruption, money?

6. How interesting a hero was Allan? His sullen attitudes, his racing skill? His bonds with David and the effects of his death? The irony of his affair with Laura? Contact with Tudor and what this led to? Penny and his reliance on her? The bonds with Sandy? The confrontation with Lodge? Allan and Lodge as the confrontation of good and evil? The background of low life, the taxes and the discovery of the front? The build up of his discovery, disillusionment, the build up to the final ride, the clash with Sandy? A sufficient hero for this kind of thriller?

7. The portrayal of the women: Laura and her relationships with Davidson, with Allan helping him? Penny and her relationship with Tudor and with Alan? Their roles in the solving of the case?

8. Sandy as a good friend, his being in the background, were sufficient clues given to the fact that he was the villain? The theme of the fickle friend? The violence of his death (its plausibility?)?

9. Lodge as a menacing character, uprightness, police backing, the gradual revelation of his corruption, the corruption behind the facade?

10. The situations and their effect, such as the various races, the bathing in the baths, the phone calls, the final ride?

11. Themes of greed, corruption, betrayal, violence?