WOMAN OF STRAW
UK, 1964, 114 minutes, Colour.
Gina Lollobrigida, Sean Connery, Ralph Richardson, Johnny Sekka, Laurence Hardy, Alexander Knox.
Directed by Basil Dearden.
Woman of Straw is the kind of crime thriller associated with the name of Alfred Hitchcock. However, this is a British production by the team of Michael Relph and Basil Dearden (dramas like Dead of Night, films of social concern like Sapphire, Victim and popular entertainment like Khartoum).
The film is attractively presented, a world of British affluence. Particularly striking is the cast with Ralph Richardson excellent in the central role of the cantankerous victim. Sean Connery (at the same time as Marnie and The Hill, after the first James Bond films) is suitably suave and sinister as his nephew. Gina Lollobrigida adds glamour to proceedings. There is a strong supporting cast.
The film is enjoyable of its kind, enjoyable while it is screening, though not compelling.
1. The popularity of the popular crime thriller? Murder, wealth, mystery? Clues, police, resolution? Double cross?
2. British production: Majorca, the sea? An affluent world and its style? The classical music background?
3. The mystery and the screenplay: the structure of the film, setting the situation, audience expectations, their being thwarted, ironies and twists?
4. Charles Richmond as the focus? His house, business, fussiness, his playing on his being a cripple? The importance of his health, the possibility of his dying? The dogs and the bite? His power? Tony and the relationship with his wife? Decisions? Servants and leapfrog? Arrogance, a monster? Maria and her presence, attentiveness? Manipulated by Tony? Charles Richmond's attraction to Maria? The yacht? Behaviour, overboard? Coming to plead? Proposal, marriage? His happiness and his dying? Ralph Richardson's 'acting' as the corpse, a sinister presence, the glasses falling and his eyes, his presence days after his death? The irony of the final tape?
5. Maria in herself, chosen for performance, her reactions, meal, leapfrog, overboard, cuisine? Tony and the attraction? Her disgust? The return, the money? The job clash? Leaving, returning, marrying? Happiness? Her changing - the reaction of Thomas? The clues? Plan, growing anxiety, the police, the truth, prison, the court? The strange revelation - her being used, vindicated?
6. Sean Connery's style as Anthony Richmond? suave, behaviour with his uncle, the truth in his villainy, his choice of Maria, using people, smooth manner, the trip, the tricks, the execution of his plan? The getting of the body off the boat? Tense moments? The final clash with Maria, the irony of the revelation, the clash with Thomas, his death?
7. The portrait of the servants - relationship with Charles Richmond, his manner? Maria and her place with them? Her being saved by the tape? The irony of Thomas' place, his taking the tape?
8. The picture of the police and their investigations, discoveries, twists?
9. The crew, their contribution to the events, contribution to the court proceedings?
10. A background of affluence, international journeys, wealth? Madness and cruelty? Love, hatred and betrayal?
