We have Rex Harrison as Vivian Kenway, from a well-to-do family, booted out of Oxford, not really caring much that he was, and zipping around, driving as though he were playing a video game, wasting money, drinking too much champagne, stiffing bills when they come due, and lying prodigiously. It's the kind of life everyone wishes he could lead.
Of course we all can't, because we are not all that free of our conscience and the anxiety it causes us when we do damage to others. We're bound by our ugly tendency to think of others, not just ourselves. In psychological terms, Harrison is a Jungian sensation type -- hungry for stimulus, easily bored, living in the unfolding moment. His plans for the future don't extend much beyond tomorrow. Michael Caine in "Alfie" had a similar personality, although the actions were couched in working-class terms.
Harrison is wised up when he drunkenly smashes his car up and manages to kill his father and eliminate his bride. A period of brooding follows. Then he joins the Army and is killed during a heroic act. His devoted but not-too-bright friend stands over the body, smiling, and gives him a thumbs up.
The movie would be something of a bore if it weren't done right, and Rex Harrison does it right. He's off hand, charming in his recklessness, until the results turn from comic to dramatic. His performance saves a film that would otherwise leave us completely alienated from the protagonist. He's unflappable and very quick on his mental feet. Lilli Palmer, with her wide eyes and mellow voice, is so pure that it's a little troublesome to see her undone by Harrison.
In the end, though, he redeems himself in the way that mattered most in Britain in 1945.
Of course we all can't, because we are not all that free of our conscience and the anxiety it causes us when we do damage to others. We're bound by our ugly tendency to think of others, not just ourselves. In psychological terms, Harrison is a Jungian sensation type -- hungry for stimulus, easily bored, living in the unfolding moment. His plans for the future don't extend much beyond tomorrow. Michael Caine in "Alfie" had a similar personality, although the actions were couched in working-class terms.
Harrison is wised up when he drunkenly smashes his car up and manages to kill his father and eliminate his bride. A period of brooding follows. Then he joins the Army and is killed during a heroic act. His devoted but not-too-bright friend stands over the body, smiling, and gives him a thumbs up.
The movie would be something of a bore if it weren't done right, and Rex Harrison does it right. He's off hand, charming in his recklessness, until the results turn from comic to dramatic. His performance saves a film that would otherwise leave us completely alienated from the protagonist. He's unflappable and very quick on his mental feet. Lilli Palmer, with her wide eyes and mellow voice, is so pure that it's a little troublesome to see her undone by Harrison.
In the end, though, he redeems himself in the way that mattered most in Britain in 1945.