← Back to Reviews
in
The Fallen Idol (Carol Reed, 1948)
Classic Carol Reed thriller, made in between Odd Man Out and The Third Man, tells a seemingly-simple yet complex tale of a boy's interpretation of the world around him and how it affects Baines (Ralph Richardson), the butler who works for the boy's ambassador father. Phillipe (Bobby Henrey) is very inquisitive and looks up to Baines to give him advice and be his friend while his parents are away, especially considering that Mrs. Baines (Sonia Dresdel) doesn't like him playing with his "pets" and eating between meals. One day Phillipe follows Baines to a cafe where he meets attractive Julie (Michele Morgan), and although it's obvious that the two are in love, Phillipe doesn't really understand. This, combined with the fact that Baines tells the boy stories about how he used to work in Africa and killed a man, leaves a great impression on Phillipe, especially later when there's a death and the police are called in to investigate if it's a murder.
Reed use many of the same techniques he did in the other two films, especially his deep, shadowed cinematography and the disorienting camera angles. Here they work especially well to show the adult world through a child's eyes and eloquently suggest the gap between innocence and experience. Bobby Henrey is a very naturalistic performer, but it's unclear how much "acting" he's doing and how much he's just being himself. Ralph Richardson is a tower of strength as Baines and offers a sympathetic foil for not only Phillipe but for Bobby himself; they work extremely well together. When the police show up near the end of the film, it's enjoyable to see familiar faces Dennis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins and Bernard Lee (M from the Bond flicks). Carol Reed falls into the same category as visionary British filmmaker as his contemporaries Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Powell and David Lean, yet he's generally resigned to being known for The Third Man. This film, as well as several others, show that is a shortsidedness which needs to be rectified ASAP.
Classic Carol Reed thriller, made in between Odd Man Out and The Third Man, tells a seemingly-simple yet complex tale of a boy's interpretation of the world around him and how it affects Baines (Ralph Richardson), the butler who works for the boy's ambassador father. Phillipe (Bobby Henrey) is very inquisitive and looks up to Baines to give him advice and be his friend while his parents are away, especially considering that Mrs. Baines (Sonia Dresdel) doesn't like him playing with his "pets" and eating between meals. One day Phillipe follows Baines to a cafe where he meets attractive Julie (Michele Morgan), and although it's obvious that the two are in love, Phillipe doesn't really understand. This, combined with the fact that Baines tells the boy stories about how he used to work in Africa and killed a man, leaves a great impression on Phillipe, especially later when there's a death and the police are called in to investigate if it's a murder.
Reed use many of the same techniques he did in the other two films, especially his deep, shadowed cinematography and the disorienting camera angles. Here they work especially well to show the adult world through a child's eyes and eloquently suggest the gap between innocence and experience. Bobby Henrey is a very naturalistic performer, but it's unclear how much "acting" he's doing and how much he's just being himself. Ralph Richardson is a tower of strength as Baines and offers a sympathetic foil for not only Phillipe but for Bobby himself; they work extremely well together. When the police show up near the end of the film, it's enjoyable to see familiar faces Dennis O'Dea, Jack Hawkins and Bernard Lee (M from the Bond flicks). Carol Reed falls into the same category as visionary British filmmaker as his contemporaries Alfred Hitchcock, Michael Powell and David Lean, yet he's generally resigned to being known for The Third Man. This film, as well as several others, show that is a shortsidedness which needs to be rectified ASAP.