THE WOMAN IN QUESTION
UK, 1949, 88 minutes, Black and white.
Jean Kent, Dirk Bogarde, Susan Shaw, John Mc Callum, Hermione Baddeley, Charles Victor, Duncan Macrae, Lana Morris.
Directed by Anthony Asquith.
The Woman in Question is a brief murder mystery. Made in 1949, it came out at the same time as Akira Kurosawa's classic Rashomon. Rashomon showed the same incidents from the differing points of view of the central characters. The Woman in Question shows a murdered woman as she was perceived by a range of people. The device has been used in many films including Les Girls.
The film was directed by Anthony Asquith, a veteran of the film industry from silent times to the '60s (The Winslow Boy, The Browning Version, The Yellow Rolls Royce, The VIPs). The film has a strong cast with Jean Kent in the central role of the murdered woman - who has to vary her performance in the interpretations of the other characters. John Mc Callum is an Irish sailor, Dirk Bogarde (early in his career) attempts an imitation American accent. There is good support from Hermione Baddeley as an inquisitive landlady and Duncan Macrae as a police inspector.
1. An interesting British drama? Murder mystery? Social comment?
2. Black and white photography? Sense of realism? The fairground, the flat, the shops and the street? The musical score?
3. The title and the focus on Astra? The questions raised about her death and about her life by the varying points of view of the characters?
4. Audiences building up their impressions of Astra? The initial presentation by 114rs Finch, the contrasting points of view of Catherine and Baker? The story of the man across the street with a return to the dignified Astra? The point of view of Murray and his love for her? Audience sympathy for her death? The puzzle of her life? Which was the real Astra? Her relationship with Mrs Finch and her ladylike manner, the same with the man across the street? Her sister seeing her as vicious? seeing her as sluttish? Murray's love for her?
5. The inspector and his listening to the various voices, the questions? His resolving the case?
6. Mrs Finch and her son, his information? Her answering questions for him? Her snobbishness? Seeing Astra as ladylike? Not liking Catherine and Baker? Her criticisms of then?
7. The man across the street and his reverence for Astra, putting, her on a pedestal? Helping her with the painting? her going into his shop? his projecting his image on to her? His jealousy?
8. Bob and his roughness, the encounter with Astra at the fair, at home with her, the clashes? His love for her?
9. Catherine and the clashes with her sister, jealousies? Her love for Baker? Further provocations? The differing interpretation of visits, coming to the door, violence and arguments?
10. Baker and his background, accent, origins, meeting Astra, her liking for him, acting, clashes, with Catherine?
11. The build-up of the clues? Audiences assessing the different points of view? Understanding the complexity of characters? Differing perspectives?
