The performances by future legendary director Richard Attenborough and character actor Alastair Sim makes this British drama stand out in a slow moving but often intriguing story of accidental death which leads to a murder trial. Young Attenborough is the accused, having unintentionally killed the troublesome Eleanor Summerfield whom he claims struck him while he was driving at a high speed, and his reaction of hitting her back caused her to fall out of the car to her death.
Attenborough lives in the boarding house run by the lonely Joyce Carey with his aging mother (Gladys Benson), and when the odd acting Sims moves in, he has a vision of one of the tenants committing murder. Sims runs into Attenborough among his return home after the killing, has a sense of disaster having occurred, and his strange behavior causes friction between him and Carey whom he has quickly proposed to. Of course when the body is found, Attenborough is put on trial, and this leads to debate between the various tenants in Carey's boarding house, as well as the community.
This film is memorable for its intelligent dialog as well as a dream sequence that Attenborough has while awaiting his trial, harassed by the deceased as well as the police, and waking up in a sweat. The tension grows after the trial is complete with the jury questioning their responsibility before withdrawing. That creates even more conflict among the tenants, particularly with the sudden arrival of a religious extremist (Hugh Griffith) and how the neighborhood sets up camp in front of the house for a march in Attenborough's defense. An interesting British drama with good performances all round aided greatly by excellent direction and photography.
Attenborough lives in the boarding house run by the lonely Joyce Carey with his aging mother (Gladys Benson), and when the odd acting Sims moves in, he has a vision of one of the tenants committing murder. Sims runs into Attenborough among his return home after the killing, has a sense of disaster having occurred, and his strange behavior causes friction between him and Carey whom he has quickly proposed to. Of course when the body is found, Attenborough is put on trial, and this leads to debate between the various tenants in Carey's boarding house, as well as the community.
This film is memorable for its intelligent dialog as well as a dream sequence that Attenborough has while awaiting his trial, harassed by the deceased as well as the police, and waking up in a sweat. The tension grows after the trial is complete with the jury questioning their responsibility before withdrawing. That creates even more conflict among the tenants, particularly with the sudden arrival of a religious extremist (Hugh Griffith) and how the neighborhood sets up camp in front of the house for a march in Attenborough's defense. An interesting British drama with good performances all round aided greatly by excellent direction and photography.