THE SUSPICIONS OF MR WHICHER: THE MURDER AT ROAD HILL HOUSE

UK, 2011, 95 minutes, Colour.
Paddy Considine, Peter Capaldi, Tom Georgeson, William Beck, Emma Fielding, Tom Piggott- Smith, Kate O' Flynn, Donald Sumpter, Ben Miles, Alexandra Roach, Charlie Hiett.
Directed by James Hawes.

This film is the first in a series of detective films made for television featuring Paddy Considine as a 19th century detective for the London Metropolitan police, seeming to fail in this case and leaving the police and then taking up as a private detective. The scenario is based on a true story and on a book written by Kay Summerscale.

The film takes great pains to recreate the atmosphere of the time, costumes and decor, country estates, parliament, courts, life on the estate and a representation of the affluent as well as of the servant classes.

The film opens with the scenes of John Whicher’s failure and goes to flashback, the murder of a little boy in a country house, suspicions of a break in, then suspects within the household, the introduction to each member of the family, the interrogations, the servants and those doing the laundry. The local policeman, Foley (Tom Georgeson) resents the London detective coming and investigating and, ultimately, mishandles the case.

John Whicher is a character who is more to be admired than to identify with, confident in his detection skills, promising to solve the case quickly, solving it in his mind but unable to produce the key evidence and hindered in the case by a servant contradicting in her testimony what she had told him.

The main suspect is very quickly identified as the stepsister of the child killed and the suspicion is also that she was aided by her brother. There is something of a sordid background where their father was having an affair with their nanny while their mother was still alive, and their being urged to mock and resent their mother. This is the revenge.

Peter Capaldi is effective as the patriarch of the family. Alexandra Roach is also very good as the suspected murderer.

There is an interesting factor in introducing the seal of confession and a priest unwilling to break it in a court case.

After five years, the murderer confessed and Whicher was vindicated. Information is given that the death sentence was commuted and up to 20 years in jail, the murderer migrated to Australia to join her brother and worked as a nurse, dying at the age of a hundred in 1944.

There were three more television movies to follow.

1. Audience interest in detective stories? In 19th century detective stories? The history and origins of police and detective work?

2. The 1860s setting, costumes and decor, atmosphere? The city, the parliament, the courts, the local police? The mansion, the interiors and the grounds? The neighbourhood, servants and their homes, laundry? The musical score?

3. The opening, the crowd happy that Constance had been released, Whicher and his leaving, journalists, riding on the cart, on the train? The flashbacks to two months earlier?

4. The re-creation of the situation, the maid, the empty crib, the presumption of the children or parents taking the child? The servants, the extensive search? Interior and exterior? The two men, going to the privy, suspicions, finding the child, the newspaper, the blood, bringing the child back to the house?

5. The uproar in Parliament, the MPs demanding instant action, the Home Secretary, the choice of Whicher, his commission?

6. Travelling to Wiltshire, the encounter with Foley, his pervading hostility? The local authorities giving Whicher help in his investigations? The time limit?

7. Whicher, his personality, the revelation of the loss of his son, stern, his experience, success? His self-confidence?

8. The theory of someone from outside, the broken window? The Kent family? Suspicions inside the household? The interrogation of the nurse, missing the child, the testimony about Constance not liking the child, her resuming duties? Her later contradicting this testimony in court?

9. Samuel Kent, success and affluence, his second wife? The background of his first wife, alleged madness? The testimony of the doctor, his Darwinian theories, suspicions about Constance? Samuel Kent and his collaboration, revelations about his first marriage, the madness, the affair with the nanny, subsequently marrying her? Her caring for all the children, the birth of Saville? Kent and his love for his child, favouritism?

10. The interrogation of Constance, her shrewd replies, self-confidence, denials? The issue of her mental health? The past, as a child and her stepmother, reliance on William and caring for him, their running away? The growing resentment? The motivation for killing the child? Whicher and his interrogating William, reconstructing what happened, dragging William to the privy?

11. Getting the help of Dolly, their work together, interrogations? The laundry, Constance and the three nightgowns, the missing nightgown, the possibility of blood? The search for the evidence, the time limit? Foley and his lack of cooperation? Later revealing that he had destroyed the gown, his reasons, his later confessing?

12. The court, the hearing, the family having a prosecutor, his harshness? Whicher and his statements, not being listened to? No evidence? Constance being freed?

13. Whicher, his humiliation, five years passing, leaving the force, drinking, Dolly’s visit? The news about Constance’s confession, in the institution, going to confession, the priest and staying with the nuns? Her presence in court? The priest and his appealing to the seal of confession and giving no information? Constance and her firmness, not blaming William?

14. The final information, 20 years in prison, going to Australia, with William, her death?

15. Whicher, illustrating 19th century detective work – and then becoming the private detective?