dir. John Schlesinger
writ. Penelope Gilliatt
feat. Peter Finch, Glenda Jackson, Murray Head, Peggy Ashcroft, Tony Britton, Maurice Denham
John Schlesinger's followup to Midnight Cowboy returns to questions of sexual identity and relationships, this time examining an atypical love triangle. Bob Elkin (Head) bounces between his two loves, Alex Greville (Jackson), a business-stressed woman, and Daniel Hirsh (Finch), a patient-weary doctor. Bisexuality and homosexuality are presented without a glint of shock value, permitting the story to lunge directly into the differing ways in which men and women handle love, possessiveness, and jealousy.
Schlesinger utilizes shadow, editing, and sound cues to effectively arouse tension, hinting at a suspense film, encouraging the viewer to look for a gimmick or sudden dark twist. But this technique, while somewhat misleading, serves to illustrate the discomfort Alex and Daniel feel in sharing their lover, each occasionally left jilted as Bob scurries off to see the other or cancels a date at the last minute. By making Alex and Daniel fully aware and vaguely respectful of one another, even sharing a few of the same friends, the film both avoids common scenes of surprise and outrage and plumbs greater depths of feeling, adding a face, personality and details to what Bob experiences when away from home.
As a character, Bob disappoints, too flighty and without the substance to seem worthy of the affection of these educated, critical lovers. But therein lies the message in their messy, imperfect relationships- the joy of love, not matter its faults can be worth the compromise.
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