A JUDGEMENT IN STONE (THE HOUSEKEEPER)

Canada, 1985, 102 minutes, Colour.
Rita Tushingham, Jackie Burrows.
Directed by Ousama Rawi.

A Judgement in Stone (also known as The Housekeeper) is a screen adaptation of a novel by celebrated crime writer Ruth Rendell. The film is a Canadian production, starring Rita Tushingham who lives in Canada but has a strong background of British filmmaking, especially in the 60s (The Girl with Green Eyes, A Taste of Honey, The Knack).

The initial settings are London, but the film moves to Canadian locations, standing in for the United States. The film creates the atmosphere of potential for horror with the focus on Eunice, a dyslexic woman who has to look after her continually complaining father. There is a flashback (with Rita Tushingham's daughter in the part) indicating how Eunice was persecuted for her inability to read. Her father reinforces this. She suddenly murders him - and is then available for a housekeeping position in the U.S. She excels as the British maid, but her unbalanced behaviour starts to manifest itself and the film ends in mayhem.

Jackie Burrows (from the Andy Warhol studios) plays Joan, a former prostitute who has found God - and who is as mad as the Housekeeper. Together they encourage one another and finally to the destruction of the employing family. The film is interesting as a psychological thriller - especially when it focuses on Rita Tushingham and her performance. Jackie Burrows is somewhat over the top. Which means that the triller works more on the surface rather than in understanding characters -and then erupts into the final bloodbath.

1. Interesting and entertaining thriller? Adaptation of a Ruth Rendell novel for the screen?

2. The London settings, the contrast with the affluence of the U.S. homes? The small town shops? The religious revival halls? An authentic atmosphere for these characters and events? Musical score?

3. The title, the reference to Eunice and her behaviour?

4. The focus on Eunice: the flashback to her childhood, her dyslexia, trying to read, the insistence of the teacher, the mockery of the school children, her wetting the floor, the criticisms and games as she walked home, her bitterness? Eunice remembering her past? Its effect on her psyche? Her looking after her father? His continued complaints, making her clean, criticising her cooking, his statements about his ulcers, threatening to send her to a reading school? The effect on her, her diligent cooking and caring, her suddenly murdering her father?

5. The funeral, the discussion with the relative? Her not being able to do many jobs because of the reading? Her being trained as a maid, the overseas applications? Her going to America? Her taking the woman's money - and blackmailing her in the car? The arrival in the U.S.? Her British manner, calling people Sir and Madam? Her suspicions, wanting to keep to herself? The house? The possibility of a new beginning? The luxury? The friendship with Melinda, suspicions of Bobby? Her keeping to herself? The excellent meals, breakfast in bed, the visitors, the praise of Eunice? The possibility of settling –but Bobby's hostility, Melinda and Eunice threatening to reveal what she though was incestuous behaviour? The beginnings of hostilities? Her coping with not being able to read? Pretending that she needed glasses? The compulsive eating of chocolate? The visits to Joan and her hostility? The family going away, her trying to cope, the destruction of the Orchids? The television braking down, going into town, Joan's pressure - the lift, inviting in to fix things up? The beginning of the friendship? The discussions about God and the invitation to church?

6. The family's return, George's anger about the Orchids, Jackie continually supporting Eunice? Eunice and her spying on Bobby and Melinda and eventually telling George? Things collapsing at home? Her going to the religious revival sessions? Her being fascinated by the manifestations of sinfulness? Joan's charismatic performance and confession? Hearing the truth about Joan - and Joan's honesty in telling her that everybody knew about her background? Her being a messenger from God? The conflict at Christmas, her standing up to Jackie and refusing to serve the Christmas dinner? Her being fired? Her going with Joan, the religious experiences, the party? Her looking for another job and Joan getting her the interview time? The decision to return home on New Years Eve? Going to the house with the gun? The destruction of George and Jackie's photos, clothes? Joan's hostility towards the wealthy? Their trying to get out of the house, George's confrontation - the beginning of the shootings, all the family killed? Joan killed by Bobby? Eunice and her shrewdness in wiping off the prints, hitting her head, making it appear that Joan was the killer? In hospital, Joan's husband visit, his suspicions? The transition to her new position and the elderly couple appreciating her housekeeping? The husbands arrival -and the freeze frame with Eunice planning his death?

7. The credibility of Eunice as a person, her background and its effect on her, her killing her father? The dyslexia and her shrewdness, even to buying antique glasses as a pretence? Her quality of service and cooking? Her fascination by evil? Using information for blackmail? Her growing hallucinations, her father condemning her, the hand grabbing her in the room? Melinda and Bobby discovering her secret and her imagining her father? Her murderous outburst? The religious mania?

8. The portrait of the family: affluent, trendy? The marital background and separations? The two children and their proximity, falling in love? Style, the wealthy house, having the maid? Friends and their appreciation of Eunice's work? George and his work as a doctor, patients? Jackie and her style? Melinda and the fascination with Bobby, her decision to go to boarding school? Bobby and his computers, the fascination with Melinda? Tension in the household? The attitudes towards Eunice and their changing? The holiday together? George and the destruction of his Orchids? Melinda and Bobby finding out the truth? Jackie and her liking Eunice, accommodating her, even on Christmas Day? The final party - and the horror of the deaths? Bobby survival to shoot Joan?

9. Joan and her husband, the reformed prostitute, religion and its mania? Her husband and the disagreements and his going to the bar? Joan giving Eunice the lift, looking over the house, criticising the dresses and the wealthy? Her helping Eunice to get the new job? Going back to the house, the destructiveness and glee? Egging Eunice on to kill the family? Her own death? The husband and his bewilderment - and his pursuing Eunice?

10. The transition to the final bloodbath and its dramatic impact? The irony of Eunice going to a new family - and all starting again? How plausible a psychological study of a disturbed woman?