DEATH OF THE SELF

UK, 1992, 100 minutes, Colour.
John Thaw, Kevin Whately, Michael Kitchen, Frances Barber, Jane Wenham, Peter Blythe, James Grout, Georges Corraface.
Directed by Colin Gregg.

Death of the Self has minimal action in Oxford itself. rather, it opens with a ritual in the Italian countryside near Vicenza, with a self-proclaimed guru, played by Michael Kitchen, best known for Foyle’s War, urging people to death of the self by burning something from their past. After the ritual, a prominent novelist is found dead, some suspecting murder, others thinking it an accident, including the Italian police led by Georges Corraface, who appeared as Christopher Columbus in the 1992 film with Marlon Brando as Cardinal Torquemada, but Morse is rather relentless in his investigations.

Morse enjoys being in Italy, the beauty, the culture, the music. Lewis is much less at home, begrudging the time, phoning his wife. Frances Barber appears as an operator singer who has lost her career because of stage fright. There is a gallery of characters who could have committed the murder – only it wasn’t, and the crime to be investigated was artistic fraud.

1. Morse and Lewis in Italy? Work? Morse and sightseeing? Lewis not so sightseeing oriented? The beauty of Italy, the city of the chance, the fillers, hotels, police precincts? The scenes in Verona, the city, the amphitheatre?

2. The musical score, classic, opera? Morse and his love for music, tears?

3. The title, the ritual of burning the past? Freedom? A good effect or, as Nicole, said, bullshit?

4. Russell Clark, the leader, assisted by Maureen? The self-proclaimed guru? his performance in conducting the ritual? His record, Morse putting him in jail? His going to Italy, his wealthy clients, the brochure?

5. The irony of the murder? Its being considered in the accident? And the fact that it was? The novelist, her husband and his bookshop, the insult to Baines and his wife? Her reputation as a novelist?

6. Morse, his antipathy towards Clark, relentless? The scenes in Oxford, the court, the threats? The transition to Italy, Morse and his love of Italy, eager to go, Lewis, begrudging the time, not oriented toward sightseeing, his phoning home, his wife giving a clue, back home for his son’s sports day?

7. The Italian police, Battisti as the officer, type, the enquiry, his conviction that it was an accident, the evidence of material that was not completely burnt, the writing, the shawl? Discrepancies of numbers? Deliberate, clerical error? His thinking Morse single-minded? His personality, upset with Morse, continually smoking? His following the author’s husband? Not telling Morse? The link with the library and the parchments?

8. Morse and his interrogations, the husband of the deceased, his bookshop, his interests, suspicious? The professor, his wife having had a stroke, each suspecting the other of having killed the author? The American woman and her loudness? Persuading Lewis to come to the social, drinking and dancing? The missing man, his false name, the affair with the novelist, appearing in Verona, being chased in the street, his false name, his alibi?

9. Nicole, her nerves, her singing career, the story, Verona, marrying Guido, her enjoying talking with Morse, the tour of the grounds, finding the money in the refrigerator? The rehearsals, the night before the performance and her staying in Verona? Not being linked with Guido and his suspicious behaviour? Her singing and the acclaim at the end for her concert?

10. Battisti, his investigations, the arguments with Morse? The final collaboration, the gathering and the arrests, the interrogations?

11. Russell Clark, his attitudes, taunting Morse, seen Morse with Maureen? Maureen and her saying she would turn over a new leaf? The irony of the finale, Clark and his taunts, Morse realising the document was at the back of the mirror, Maureen’s influence? The bookshop owner and his contributing to the
fraud? (The explanations given by the librarian during Morse’s visit?) Guido and his forgery? Morse, the examination, hit on the head – by Maureen?

12. Clark, his visit to Mrs Baines, her delicate state of health, intimidating her, her death?

13. The blend of mystery, sightseeing in Italy, Morse and Lewis in a different context?