The Man in the White Suit

Editorial Review:
Product Description
Sir Alec Guinness delivers one of his most beloved performances as Sidney Stratton, an eccentric chemist who one day invents a fiber that never wrinkles, wears out or gets dirty. But when the mill owners and workers both realize that this miracle fabric will destroy their industry, Sidney suddenly becomes the most hunted man in the nation. Can a young idealist trapped between big business and mad unions find safety in science or will the future of Britain become unraveled by one extraordinary white suit? Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (THE LADYKILLERS, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS), THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT received an Oscar ® nomination for Best Screenplay and is considered by fans and critics alike as the definitive Guinness/Ealing comedy. THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION presents this screen legend's classic comedies including KIND HEARTS & CORONETS, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, THE LADYKILLERS and THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE, all still considered to be among the greatest movie comedies ever made. Includes a 4-Page Collector's Booklet

System Requirements:
Starring: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Producer: Michael Balcon
Running Time: 85 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE
Amazon.com
Ealing comedy--cozy, gentle, and whimsical, right? In this case, think again. Alexander Mackendrick was always the most politically aware of the Ealing directors, and in The Man in the White Suit (1952) he takes the studio's favorite theme of the little man up against the system and gives it a sharp satirical twist. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness at his most unworldly), a maverick scientist working in a textile mill, invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. He's hailed as a genius--until management and unions alike realize what his brainwave implies. Mackendrick's humor is exact and pointed, and the satire turns savage as a lynch mob of bosses and workers hunt Sidney down through dark, narrow streets. Mackendrick's disenchanted view of class-ridden British society still rings horribly true, and he draws note-perfect performances from the cream of British character actors: Cecil Parker as the liberal mill owner (based, it's said, on Ealing boss Michael Balcon); Ernest Thesiger as the evil old godfather of the industry; and, wittily sensual as Sidney's confidante, the ever-wonderful Joan Greenwood. Plus, listen out for the "voice" of Sidney's bizarre apparatus, the funniest and most unforgettable sound effect ever devised. --Philip Kemp

Average customer rating: Anyone who appreciates great comedy will treasure these. Simply Superb. bad news for Spanish viewers? Great films, great value A remarkable collection.

The Alec Guinness Collection (Kind Hearts and Coronets / The Lavender Hill Mob / The Ladykillers / The Man in the White Suit / The Captain's Paradise) Starring: Alec Guinness , Joan Greenwood , Cecil Parker , Michael Gough , and Ernest Thesiger Director: Alexander Mackendrick , and Charles Crichton Manufacturer: Starz / Anchor Bay ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video Doonan, Patric | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Gordon, Colin | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Gough, Michael | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Greenwood, Joan | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Guinness, Alec | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Hughes, Roddy | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Lamont, Duncan | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Parker, Cecil | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Thesiger, Ernest | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Crichton, Charles | ( C ) | Directors | Stores | DVD | Video Comedy | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video Drama | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video Classics | Boxed Sets | Stores | DVD | Video ( A ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video Similar Items: Ealing Studios Comedy Collection (The Maggie / A Run for Your Money / Titfield Thunderbolt / Whisky Galore! / Passport to Pimlico) The Horse's Mouth - Criterion Collection Peter Sellers Collection (I'm All Right Jack/Heavens Above!/Hoffman/Two-Way Stretch/The Smallest Show on Earth/Carlton-Browne of the F.O.) Preston Sturges - The Filmmaker Collection (Sullivan's Travels/The Lady Eve/The Palm Beach Story/Hail the Conquering Hero/The Great McGinty/Christmas in July/The Great Moment) British War Collection (The Cruel Sea/The Ship That Died of Shame/Went the Day Well?/The Dam Busters/The Colditz Story) ASIN: B00006FMAX Release Date: 2002-09-10

Product Description

Alec Guinness Bio

System Requirements:
Running Time: 451 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Five of the British film industry's best-loved comedies in one boxed set makes The Alec Guinness Collection absolutely essential for anyone who has any passion at all for movies. It contains Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), The Lavender Hill Mob (1951), The Man in the White Suit (1951), The Captain's Paradise (1953) (only available in this set), and The Ladykillers (1955). The Ealing Studio's greatest comedies captured the essence of post-war Britain, both in their evocation of a land once blighted by war but now rising doggedly and optimistically again from the ashes, and in their mordant yet graceful humor. They portray a country with an antiquated class system whose crumbling conventions are being undermined by a new spirit of individual opportunism. In the delightfully wicked Kind Hearts and Coronets, a serial killer politely murders his way into the peerage; in The Lavender Hill Mob a put-upon bank clerk schemes to rob his employers; The Man in the White Suit is a harshly satirical depiction of idealism crushed by the status quo; in The Captain's Paradise, a ferryboat captain complements his proper British wife with a fiery Spanish wife; while The Ladykillers mocks both the criminals and the authorities with its unlikely octogenarian heroine Mrs. "lop-sided" Wilberforce. Many factors contribute to these films' success--including fine music scores from composers such as Benjamin Frankel (Man in the White Suit), Malcolm Arnold (Captain's Paradise), and Tristram Cary (The Ladykillers); positively symphonic sound effects (White Suit); marvelously evocative locations (the environs of King's Cross in Ladykillers, for example); and writing that always displays Ealing's unique perspective on British social mores ("All the exuberance of Chaucer without, happily, any of the concomitant crudities of his period")--yet arguably their greatest asset is Alec Guinness, whose multifaceted performances are the keystone upon which Ealing built its biting, often macabre, yet always elegant comedy. --Mark Walker

Customer Reviews:

Anyone who appreciates great comedy will treasure these........2007-01-11

No vulgarity, no nudity, just some of the cleverest stories with fine performances from all concerned.

The remakes never work. Hard to improve on perfection.

Simply Superb........2006-07-13

The best British comedy and satire. No slapstick or foul language or artistic nudity. Just great acting and great stories. Comedy mysteries with twisty endings. Example: the very ending of "The Captain's Paradise"; you would never guess.

bad news for Spanish viewers?.......2005-04-15

I know all these films and agree they are wonderful. But, is it possible that this edition have an audio track in French and no Spanish subtitles?

Great films, great value.......2004-07-16

As other reviewers have noted, these superb comedies from the golden age of British cinema showcase Alec Guinness' considerable skills, proving him to be as great an actor in his own way as the late Marlon Brando. And as others have pointed out, the DVD transfers are incredibly good for British films of this vintage. I've never seen Man in the White Suit looking better. Please note that poor sound recording equipment was a particular problem for British filmmakers of this era, so the sound can occasionally seem muted. This is a problem with the source, not the transfer.

The extras are a little disappointing compared to other Anchor Bay releases. (Yes, their Guinness filmography is incomplete.) But the value of this collection can't be beat. It's one of the best buys out there, so do yourself a favor and pick up the whole collection before Anchor Bay lets it go out of print, as other British titles in their catalogue have done.

Random comments to address other reviews:

All the films are presented in their proper aspect ratios. The Ladykillers is the only widescreen film here. (All the others were filmed before 1952, hence before the days of widescreen.)

Captain's Paradise is NOT an Ealing Studios film; it was produced at London International (the same place that oversaw production of The Third Man, so its credentials are good).

In Britain, this collection was partnered with another collection of Ealing comedies (via another distributor). Since Anchor Bay has also released Ealing's horror anthology Dead of Night (also recommended), they may be persuaded to distribute those films too if this collection sells well. Those films (Whiskey Galore, Passport to Pimlico, etc.) are equally superb, so let's keep our fingers crossed!

A remarkable collection........2003-02-19

I am 24 years old so one would not expect me to be a huge fan of these "older" films. On the contrary I am not just a fan I love them. One of my bosses turned me on to them a few years ago and I was always a huge Peter Sellers fan (mostly for his Pink Panther series) but after picking up this collection I found it to be a wonderful addition to my film library. Yesterday during the blizzard I watched four of the five disks. I found Kind Hearts and Coronets to be not only an interesting story but also darkly satiical. Many scenes were so well crafted I could not help to laugh. Alec was remarkable in this film as he played 8 different characters. Quite a feat for that time and a role Mike Meyers would love. Ladykillers was the only film I had seen previous to buying this set and I must say that not only is it an outstanding caper film but the DVD transfer was superb. The image quality really has brightened up fromt he onld VHS I saw. This film also shows some of Sir Alec's truly great acting and was brutally histerical. Peter Sellers yelling at a parrot was funny to see considering he went on to many more scenes involving fowl later on in life. The Lavender Hill Mob was probably the most intriguing of the 4 I have seen. Another crime caper flick Sir Alec really starred and the story was very solid. Also there was a car chase scene in this film that was extremely well done considering the time. The last film I managed to watch was the Man in the White Suit. While this film shows Alec again at his best I found it to be a little weaker than the other three. It was funny at times and an interesting enough plot just not as good if watched in succesion with the others. The final film is the Captain's Paradise but I have yet to view that one and will not review it. All the films look great on DVD and if you are young (like me)and have never seen any of these films you are really missing out on some of the masterpieces of the film industry. The only collection I could possibly recomend more to anyone is the Peter Sellers set. Better yet, buy them both like I did.

Average customer rating: The Man in the White Suit Capital and Labor are together on this one. Comedy, with a very contemporary conundrum embedded Great Ealing black comedy on industry & technology Add-on to review below

The Man in the White Suit Starring: Alec Guinness , Joan Greenwood , Cecil Parker , Michael Gough , and Ernest Thesiger Director: Alexander Mackendrick Manufacturer: Anchor Bay ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD General | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video Classic Comedies | Comedy | Genres | DVD | Video Comedy | British Cinema | By Country | Art House & International | Genres | DVD | Video Doonan, Patric | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Gordon, Colin | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Gough, Michael | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Greenwood, Joan | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Guinness, Alec | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Hughes, Roddy | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Lamont, Duncan | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Parker, Cecil | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Thesiger, Ernest | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Comedy | British Cinema | Foreign & International | Stores | DVD | Video ( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video Similar Items: The Lavender Hill Mob Kind Hearts and Coronets - Criterion Collection The Ladykillers The Horse's Mouth - Criterion Collection I'm All Right Jack ASIN: B00006FMAV Release Date: 2002-09-10

Product Description

Sir Alec Guinness delivers one of his most beloved performances as Sidney Stratton, an eccentric chemist who one day invents a fiber that never wrinkles, wears out or gets dirty. But when the mill owners and workers both realize that this miracle fabric will destroy their industry, Sidney suddenly becomes the most hunted man in the nation. Can a young idealist trapped between big business and mad unions find safety in science or will the future of Britain become unraveled by one extraordinary white suit? Directed by Alexander Mackendrick (THE LADYKILLERS, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS), THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT received an Oscar ® nomination for Best Screenplay and is considered by fans and critics alike as the definitive Guinness/Ealing comedy. THE ALEC GUINNESS COLLECTION presents this screen legend's classic comedies including KIND HEARTS & CORONETS, THE LAVENDER HILL MOB, THE LADYKILLERS and THE CAPTAIN'S PARADISE, all still considered to be among the greatest movie comedies ever made. Includes a 4-Page Collector's Booklet

System Requirements:
Starring: Alec Guinness, Joan Greenwood, Cecil Parker
Director: Alexander Mackendrick
Producer: Michael Balcon
Running Time: 85 Min.

Format: DVD MOVIE

Amazon.com

Ealing comedy--cozy, gentle, and whimsical, right? In this case, think again. Alexander Mackendrick was always the most politically aware of the Ealing directors, and in The Man in the White Suit (1952) he takes the studio's favorite theme of the little man up against the system and gives it a sharp satirical twist. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness at his most unworldly), a maverick scientist working in a textile mill, invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. He's hailed as a genius--until management and unions alike realize what his brainwave implies. Mackendrick's humor is exact and pointed, and the satire turns savage as a lynch mob of bosses and workers hunt Sidney down through dark, narrow streets. Mackendrick's disenchanted view of class-ridden British society still rings horribly true, and he draws note-perfect performances from the cream of British character actors: Cecil Parker as the liberal mill owner (based, it's said, on Ealing boss Michael Balcon); Ernest Thesiger as the evil old godfather of the industry; and, wittily sensual as Sidney's confidante, the ever-wonderful Joan Greenwood. Plus, listen out for the "voice" of Sidney's bizarre apparatus, the funniest and most unforgettable sound effect ever devised. --Philip Kemp

Customer Reviews:

The Man in the White Suit.......2007-06-26

One of the snappier satires to emerge from Britain's Ealing Studios in the 1950s, Mackendrick's wry, wonderful "White Suit" is built around the expressive comic performance of Guinness, playing a dreamy, obsessive chemist without the means (or the elite credentials) to fund his pet project. Greenwood, always a fine mix of dotty and genteel, is a lovely, airy presence as Sidney's champion, and the cast of eccentric Ealing character actors (like wheezing elder Ernest Thesiger) is top notch as well. Mackendrick slyly incorporates a bit of political commentary into this seemingly frivolous farce, poking fun at the machinations of industrial tycoons and union activists alike. Buoyant and funny, this "White Suit" wears exceedingly well.

Capital and Labor are together on this one. .......2006-12-20

This is a fantastic, allegorical Ealing Studios "comedy." I put quotes on comedy because to me this is more of a dramatic film or maybe an ironic comedy, one particularly suspenseful at times.
Alec Guiness is terrific as usual as Sidney Stratton, a rogue scientist who goes from research lab to research lab at local textile mills, building and testing his experiments until he gets found out and fired. Eventually, after a great scene-one of several-in which Stratton's passion and determination prove both volatile and destructive, not to mention frightening (to the genteel prim English manner), he is given a chance.
Though not immediately successful, his chemistry proves exactly what he desired, a fabric that repels water and dirt, and will never wear down. Though it does illuminate at night, a nuclear allusion that elevates the allegorical nature of the film. To read into this a picture of a unconscionable maverick works, especially considering this was made just six years after Horoshima and Nagasaki.
But in this day and age I also sympathized with Stratton's determination to revolutionize. Representing progress his invention is a threat to the status quo, and the elite, whose authority partly rests upon the assumption of a demand for what they produce. But not only does capital fear him, labor worries for their own existence. A fabric that never breaks down means no jobs.
This dynamic is present today in myriad forms. Whether in our own class system, or industry, progress is begrudged even while it is celebrated. A reformation of paraigm means instability. But would we have more electric/alternative fuel cars, greater solar and wind generation, or more advanced medicines if those who rule such fields didn't seek to maintain their own status as much as they support progress?
A rogue throughout, Sidney Stratton is so myopic to his work that it's effects never exist to him. Such tenacity and fire makes for brilliance as well as destruction. Rock musicians who burn bright but flame out early come to mind. The way of the world must be progress, but progress with a conscience.

Comedy, with a very contemporary conundrum embedded.......2005-12-20

Alec Guiness plays a brilliant and idealistic, albeit rogue, chemist, who dreams of, and strives to, create the ultimate fabric, that will be indestructible and unsoilable. He keeps getting jobs in research departments at textile mills, and conducts his experiments in little niches or side-rooms, always moving toward perfecting that perfect fabric. Havoc ensues when he succeeds, as everyone panics over what this synthetic fabric will do to the textile industry. Guiness never considered that aspect, and struggles to grasp the implications and ramifications, as weighed against attaining his dream.

I will give away no more of the plot. Guiness is excellent, and everyone plays their parts very well. The question raised by this film is an intriguing one. What would happen to commerce if the perfect fabric were to be invented? Or a car that doesn't wear out? If healthcare could cure everything? Is there a lot of planned obsolscence in our world, to protect jobs and incomes and free enterprise and capitalism? Hmmmm.

A very enjoyable film, with a thought-provoking aspect.

Great Ealing black comedy on industry & technology.......2005-11-27

Yet another madcap Ealing comedy starring Alec Guinness as a scientist who invents a fabric that won't soil or wear out. Realizing that such a fabric would spell ruin for the whole textile industry, the company wants Guinness to sign over the invention to them so they can suppress it. He, of course, wants it known to the whole world: it's his ticket to fame.

Quite a tug-of-war develops between Guinness and the government henchmen involving chases, bribery, kidnapping, and other lunacies. But it all comes to naught when the lasting qualities of the fabric prove to be defective. Guinness is wonderful and the script is taut and hilarious. It's a neat little black comedy on industrialism vs. the entrepeneur. From that devilish smile on Guinness's face at the end, it looks like the battle goes on. Terrific fun; definitely worth a watch.

Add-on to review below.......2005-09-19

Just a note--I can't find as anyone's caught this. The soundtrack for this film is by Benjamin Frankel, a serious British composer whose symphonies are highly regarded, and is one of the best film scores Ive encountered in some time. In fact I'm surprised it isn't better known as it approaches the quality Sir William Walton reached in his Shakespeare scores for Olivier. I'd buy this DVD just for the music.

Otherwise this is an absolutely wonderful flick and, as an exercise in humorous cynicism about how the modern world operates I'd double-bill it with Wilder's absurdly under-rated "One, Two, Three."

Average customer rating:

60 Minutes - The Man in the White Suit (November 22, 1998) Manufacturer: CBS ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD All | 60 Minutes Store | CBS News Network | Television | Genres | DVD | Video ASIN: B000IY0CEW Release Date: 2006-09-25

Description

Airdate: 11/22/98 Morley Safer profiles the great American author Tom Wolfe, known as much for his white suits and dapper demeanor as he is for his satirical, mega-novels, some of which have been made into major movies such as "The Right Stuff" and "Bonfire of the Vanities."

Average customer rating:

Alec Guinness 4 Pack - Ladykillers/Man in the White Suit/Kind Hearts And Coronets/Lavender Hill Mob ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD General | Drama | Genres | DVD | Video ASIN: B00024855Q

Product Description

Region 1 DVD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - The Ladykillers: -Color,-Widescreen Presentation (1.66:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs, -Theatrical Trailer, -Alec Guinness Bio, -Languages: English; French ------------ The Lavender Hill Mob: -Full Screen, -Black and White,-------- The Man in the White Suit: -Full Screen, -Black and White, -Theatrical Trailer, -Alec Guinness Bio, --------- Kind Hearts And Coronets, Full-Frame Presentation, Black/White, -Theatrical Trailer, - Alec Guinness Bio, - Languages: English; French

Average customer rating:

The Ladykillers / The Man in the White Suit (Alec Guinness 2 Pack) ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD ASIN: B000247XX6

Product Description

The Ladykillers: Color,Widescreen Presentation (1.66:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs, Theatrical Trailer, Alec Guinness Bio, Languages: English; French, The Man in the White Suit: Full Screen, Black and White, Theatrical Trailer, Alec Guinness Bio, .... Sidney Stratton, a humble inventor, develops a fabric which never gets dirty or wears out. This would seem to be a boon for mankind, but the established garment manufacturers don't see it that way; they try to suppress it.

Average customer rating: The Man in the White Suit Capital and Labor are together on this one. Comedy, with a very contemporary conundrum embedded Great Ealing black comedy on industry & technology Add-on to review below

The Man in the White Suit [Region 2] Starring: Alec Guinness , Joan Greenwood , Cecil Parker , Michael Gough , and Ernest Thesiger Director: Alexander Mackendrick ProductGroup: DVD Binding: DVD General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video Doonan, Patric | ( D ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Gordon, Colin | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Gough, Michael | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Greenwood, Joan | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Guinness, Alec | ( G ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Hughes, Roddy | ( H ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Lamont, Duncan | ( L ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Parker, Cecil | ( P ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video Thesiger, Ernest | ( T ) | Actors & Actresses | Stores | DVD | Video ( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video Similar Items: The Lavender Hill Mob Kind Hearts and Coronets - Criterion Collection The Ladykillers The Horse's Mouth - Criterion Collection I'm All Right Jack ASIN: B000260OY4

Amazon.com

Ealing comedy--cozy, gentle, and whimsical, right? In this case, think again. Alexander Mackendrick was always the most politically aware of the Ealing directors, and in The Man in the White Suit (1952) he takes the studio's favorite theme of the little man up against the system and gives it a sharp satirical twist. Sidney Stratton (Alec Guinness at his most unworldly), a maverick scientist working in a textile mill, invents a fabric that never gets dirty and never wears out. He's hailed as a genius--until management and unions alike realize what his brainwave implies. Mackendrick's humor is exact and pointed, and the satire turns savage as a lynch mob of bosses and workers hunt Sidney down through dark, narrow streets. Mackendrick's disenchanted view of class-ridden British society still rings horribly true, and he draws note-perfect performances from the cream of British character actors: Cecil Parker as the liberal mill owner (based, it's said, on Ealing boss Michael Balcon); Ernest Thesiger as the evil old godfather of the industry; and, wittily sensual as Sidney's confidante, the ever-wonderful Joan Greenwood. Plus, listen out for the "voice" of Sidney's bizarre apparatus, the funniest and most unforgettable sound effect ever devised. --Philip Kemp

Customer Reviews:

The Man in the White Suit.......2007-06-26

One of the snappier satires to emerge from Britain's Ealing Studios in the 1950s, Mackendrick's wry, wonderful "White Suit" is built around the expressive comic performance of Guinness, playing a dreamy, obsessive chemist without the means (or the elite credentials) to fund his pet project. Greenwood, always a fine mix of dotty and genteel, is a lovely, airy presence as Sidney's champion, and the cast of eccentric Ealing character actors (like wheezing elder Ernest Thesiger) is top notch as well. Mackendrick slyly incorporates a bit of political commentary into this seemingly frivolous farce, poking fun at the machinations of industrial tycoons and union activists alike. Buoyant and funny, this "White Suit" wears exceedingly well.

Capital and Labor are together on this one. .......2006-12-20

This is a fantastic, allegorical Ealing Studios "comedy." I put quotes on comedy because to me this is more of a dramatic film or maybe an ironic comedy, one particularly suspenseful at times.
Alec Guiness is terrific as usual as Sidney Stratton, a rogue scientist who goes from research lab to research lab at local textile mills, building and testing his experiments until he gets found out and fired. Eventually, after a great scene-one of several-in which Stratton's passion and determination prove both volatile and destructive, not to mention frightening (to the genteel prim English manner), he is given a chance.
Though not immediately successful, his chemistry proves exactly what he desired, a fabric that repels water and dirt, and will never wear down. Though it does illuminate at night, a nuclear allusion that elevates the allegorical nature of the film. To read into this a picture of a unconscionable maverick works, especially considering this was made just six years after Horoshima and Nagasaki.
But in this day and age I also sympathized with Stratton's determination to revolutionize. Representing progress his invention is a threat to the status quo, and the elite, whose authority partly rests upon the assumption of a demand for what they produce. But not only does capital fear him, labor worries for their own existence. A fabric that never breaks down means no jobs.
This dynamic is present today in myriad forms. Whether in our own class system, or industry, progress is begrudged even while it is celebrated. A reformation of paraigm means instability. But would we have more electric/alternative fuel cars, greater solar and wind generation, or more advanced medicines if those who rule such fields didn't seek to maintain their own status as much as they support progress?
A rogue throughout, Sidney Stratton is so myopic to his work that it's effects never exist to him. Such tenacity and fire makes for brilliance as well as destruction. Rock musicians who burn bright but flame out early come to mind. The way of the world must be progress, but progress with a conscience.

Comedy, with a very contemporary conundrum embedded.......2005-12-20

Alec Guiness plays a brilliant and idealistic, albeit rogue, chemist, who dreams of, and strives to, create the ultimate fabric, that will be indestructible and unsoilable. He keeps getting jobs in research departments at textile mills, and conducts his experiments in little niches or side-rooms, always moving toward perfecting that perfect fabric. Havoc ensues when he succeeds, as everyone panics over what this synthetic fabric will do to the textile industry. Guiness never considered that aspect, and struggles to grasp the implications and ramifications, as weighed against attaining his dream.

I will give away no more of the plot. Guiness is excellent, and everyone plays their parts very well. The question raised by this film is an intriguing one. What would happen to commerce if the perfect fabric were to be invented? Or a car that doesn't wear out? If healthcare could cure everything? Is there a lot of planned obsolscence in our world, to protect jobs and incomes and free enterprise and capitalism? Hmmmm.

A very enjoyable film, with a thought-provoking aspect.

Great Ealing black comedy on industry & technology.......2005-11-27

Yet another madcap Ealing comedy starring Alec Guinness as a scientist who invents a fabric that won't soil or wear out. Realizing that such a fabric would spell ruin for the whole textile industry, the company wants Guinness to sign over the invention to them so they can suppress it. He, of course, wants it known to the whole world: it's his ticket to fame.

Quite a tug-of-war develops between Guinness and the government henchmen involving chases, bribery, kidnapping, and other lunacies. But it all comes to naught when the lasting qualities of the fabric prove to be defective. Guinness is wonderful and the script is taut and hilarious. It's a neat little black comedy on industrialism vs. the entrepeneur. From that devilish smile on Guinness's face at the end, it looks like the battle goes on. Terrific fun; definitely worth a watch.

Add-on to review below.......2005-09-19

Just a note--I can't find as anyone's caught this. The soundtrack for this film is by Benjamin Frankel, a serious British composer whose symphonies are highly regarded, and is one of the best film scores Ive encountered in some time. In fact I'm surprised it isn't better known as it approaches the quality Sir William Walton reached in his Shakespeare scores for Olivier. I'd buy this DVD just for the music.

Otherwise this is an absolutely wonderful flick and, as an exercise in humorous cynicism about how the modern world operates I'd double-bill it with Wilder's absurdly under-rated "One, Two, Three."

DVD:

1. Trees Lounge
2. Ready to Wear
3. Get Out Your Handkerchiefs
4. Me Without You
5. George Carlin - Doin' It Again/Jammin' In New York
6. Mumford
7. City Heat
8. Steptoe and Son/Steptoe and Son Ride Again
9. Memoirs of an Invisible Man
10. No Way to Treat a Lady (Ws Sub)

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