AN INSPECTOR CALLS

UK, 2015, 87 minutes, Colour.
David Thewliss, Ken Stott, Miranda Richardson, Sophie Rundle, Chloe Pirrie, Kyle Soller, Finn Cole,
Directed by Aisling Walsh.

An Inspector Calls is a celebrated play by novelist and playwright J. B. Priestley, written in 1945 and a success on the London stage in 1946 as well as being revived to popular success in later decades. There was a film version starring Alastair Sim in 1954.

This BBC television film is one of a series of remakes of classics, including The Go-Between?. It retains the dialogue of the play but opens it out, as did the 1954 version, into a series of flashbacks concerning the interaction of each member of a wealthy family with a girl who has killed herself.

Sophie Rundle appears as the dead girl in a variety of situations. Ken Stott is good as the bluff industrialist and Miranda Richardson is his snobbish and hard-hearted wife. The other characters, confronted by the Inspector of the title, played by David Thewliss, are the son and daughter and a prospective son-in-law.

The film was directed by Aisling Walsh who directed several films including Song For a Raggy Boy and Television Films Including Poet in New York.

1. Version of the celebrated play? The reputation of J. B. Priestley? His social concerns? A 1940s play? Perspective on 1912? A 21st-century perspective?

2. The adaptation of the play? Opened out, the flashbacks? The importance of dialogue and the tension?

3. The interiors of the house, the dining room? The flashbacks of the factory, the dress store, the bar and the flat, the charity work, houses, the beach, hospital, the deckchair and death? The musical score?

4. The title, the tone? The mysterious inspector? Arrival, interrogation? His work, the end and his appearance with the dead girl?

5. The social situation of 1912? Industry and prosperity? Class differences? The working class? The privileges of the upper-class? Knighthood…?

6. Birling, his family, at the meal, the patriarchal father, owning the factory, identifying with the owners, down on the workers, strikers, the ability to fire people, issues of wages? His wanting the knighthood? Magistrate, local connections, building himself up from nothing? The relationship with his wife, his daughter’s engagement, son-in-law, his son? His son working for him? Prosperity and no prospect of war?

7. Sybil, haughty, a snob, class distinctions, treatment of the servants, her relationship with her husband? Dominating her children? Shopping with Sheila, criticisms of the dress and her figure? Eric and his being spoiled, the comments on him drinking? Her son-in-law? Her being on the panel of the charity and dismissing Eva’s request, not believing her?

8. Sheila, the engagement, life, love for Croft? Her reaction to the inspector? The memories of the shop, the jealousy of Eva? Her reaction to her mother? Her complaint to the manager? Her mean behaviour – and her being sorry for it?

9. Croft, his father and his importance, the contacts, his work? The account with Daisy, his going to the bar, drinking, sorry for her, the attraction, her, the flat and his friend, her becoming his mistress, his decision to break the relationship?

10. Sybil, her charity, the photo of the girl, the panel judging her, her plea, turning her down, not believing her? Presuppositions about judging her?

11. Eric, the tensions, not seeing the photo? The memories, meeting the girl, the sexual encounter, his drinking, using her, her pregnancy? She not wanting to destroy his life? His insistence to his mother that she was telling the truth?

12. The character of the inspector, his mysterious arrival, his questions, stern, showing the photo or not, perceiving each of the characters, drawing them out, listening to their reactions?

13. The focus on each of the family, sorry or not? The differing responses?

14. The talk, admitting the truth? The phone call that there was no inspector? That there had been no death? The parents and Croft regressing to their self-acquitting attitudes?

15. Sheila and Eric, a more sincere repentance?

16. Eva, seeing her writing her diary, continuing the diary, in the stories of each of the characters, the strike, speaking plainly to the boss, her being dismissed, in the bar, relating to Croft, the dress shop and her being dismissed, pleading for the charity, the sexual encounter with Eric? Walking on the beach, her neediness, the taking of the photo
and the framing, the deckchair, her suicide? The scene in the hospital, the inspector, her diary?

17. The moralising aspects of the story, moral responsibility, social behaviour?