THE STRANGE AFFAIR
UK, 1968, 113 minutes, Colour.
Michael York, Jeremy Kemp, Susan George, Jack Watson, Nigel Davenport, Madge Ryan.
Directed by David Greene.
The Strange Affair is both entertaining and depressing. It is an interesting story of a young policeman, enthusiastic but lacking in judgment, who is caught in too many moral issues and decisions and cannot handle them, with tragic results for himself. It is also depressing as is any study of police corruption (by the weak as well as the over-zealous getter-of-his-man) and the young falling victim to manipulation.
Michael York is good as P.C. Strange, who foolishly becomes entangled with a mod-girl, only to be bizarrely photographed by the girl's mad aunt and uncle and have the photographs used as a source of blackmail to help the over-dedicated policeman nail an ex-policeman trafficking in drugs. Jeremy Kemp is frighteningly excellent in the role of a man consumed by duty and pride. (He is a very good actor - compare his comedy role in Darling Lili.)
Some of the details of sex and violence are provocative and sadistic, but this is a thoughtful film about the pitfalls awaiting the naive of this world.
1. What impression of English police life did the film give you? Was it just and accurate? Was it pessimistic in highlighting a corrupt official, a paranoiac seeker of justice and a young constable who made mistakes?
2. How real is the possibility of corruption in a police force - officials being paid off and criminals being protected? Do exposures of such dealings frequently get into the papers?
3. What impression of the beat did the film give - ordinary events, bizarre people - for instance, Fred?
4. How well did P.C. Strange handle his relationship with Fred? Was he too lax, careless or naive? What kind of character was Peter Strange - failure at University, desire to do something social, enthusiasm for his work?
5. The paranoiac policeman - should his superiors have noticed his state (did they - warning him off etc.)? Why was he so set on getting the ex-policeman? Why did he hate 'bent' policemen? Would he have thought himself wrong in fabricating evidence and blackmailing Strange into helping him?
6. Did Strange see his alternatives clearly? If he intended leaving the force, wouldn't it have been better to tell the truth and suffer the humiliation of the photos? Why did he consent to fabricate the evidence?
7. Strange seemed young and naive. Could such entanglements and exposure have happened like this?
8. The opening of the film and Strange's conviction would lead us to believe that he had abused his position seriously. By the end of the film how guilty did you judge him, how corrupt, how irresponsible? Was he also guilty because his actions discredit the work of the police? How much sense of responsibility towards his organisation does a policeman have?
9. The 60s atmosphere in London? Police world, criminal world, drug world, pornography world?
10. Peter Strange and his behaviour with Fred? His being used by Pierce? His being the target of the corrupt police? Pierce’s hold over him because of the filmed sexual encounter?
11. Fred and her age, attractiveness, leading Strange on, her uncle and aunt? Their characters and behaviour and using their niece?
12. A satisfying blend of crime thriller, police investigation and London underbelly life?
