DEAD ON TIME

UK, 1992, 105 minutes, Colour.
John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Joanna David, Samantha Bond, Adrian Dunbar.
Directed by John Madden.

Dead on Time is a very entertaining Inspector Morse case. The film begins with what seems like a suicide - and later emerges as a murder. It focuses on a terminally ill man, his wife who was previously engaged to Morse. Morse becomes more than personally involved in the case, missing the clues that Lewis is able to investigate - but who then decides not to point out to Morse, in sympathy with his grief and involvement. The film also raises the theme of euthanasia, associations for promoting euthanasia, the role of doctors. The film has some nice complications with subplots of fidelity and infidelity. (Adrian Dunbar, the writer and star of Hear My Song, is featured as the doctor sympathetic to euthanasia.) John Madden went on to direct Shakespeare in Love and Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

1. The popularity of Inspector Morse telemovies? The quality of the cases and the police investigation? The personalities of Morse and Lewis, their working together, their clashes?

2. The Oxford settings, the city, the colleges, the surroundings, homes? Morse's atmosphere? The musical score?

3. The title and its ironies? The phone out of order, the absence of possible murderers except for the son-in-law? The arranged suicide? Euthanasia?

4. Henry, the fixing of the phone, his disabilities? Calling his wife? His death? The phone call to his son in-law and his son-in-law's presence? Suspect?

5. The background of Henry, his career, illness, interest in euthanasia? His love for Susan, her career as a lecturer, her absence in London? The background of her relationship with Morse? Meeting him again, sharing experiences with him? The possibility of the relationship being rekindled? The memory of their dead daughter and her child? Their resentment of Peter Rhodes, their son-in-law? Yet Henry setting him up in business, his alcoholism and his reform? The money loans - and the bank's foreclosing?

6. Peter Rhodes, the background of his story, his infidelity to his wife? His drinking? His being the suspect? His declaration about the phone call at 3 o'clock? In prison? His relationship with Helen Marriott? Morse interrogating her - and the flashback, his drinking, the break with his wife, in the car, their fight, the crash, his surviving?

7. Dr Marriott, his suggestion that the death was not suicide? The bequest for his society? Family doctor, his relationship with his wife, tensions? His support of Susan? The revelation of the plan, his trying to persuade Susan not to kill herself? Morse's animosity? His return to the flat to get the answering machine tape?

8. Helen Marriott, tension with her husband, working at the clinic? Her liaison with Peter Rhodes? In the church, her discussion with Morse? Her telling him the truth? Her selfishness, blaming herself?

9. Susan's brother, the exercise horse, the spoof on English pomposity? His helping Morse? Grief at his brother-in-law's death? His contribution to the case? The sadness at his sister's death?

10. Morse and the investigations, the interrogations? The help from Susan? The phone company, the nurse? The open curtains? Lewis and his investigations, clashes with Morse, supporting him? The realisation of the truth, finding the answering machine tape, wanting to explain it to Morse, Morse misunderstanding him? His deciding to throw the tape away?

11. An interesting example of detection, police investigations? Bitterness and revenge in death? Euthanasia? Medical ethics?