The Fallen Idol
1948 Directed by Carol Reed
Synopsis
The film is told through the naive eyes of a diplomat's young son, Phillipe, who idolises his best friend, the diplomat's butler Baines. Baines has constructed a heroic persona, full of exotic adventures, that fascinates the boy.
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Beautiful film. No surprise from the director of The Third Man but the shadow and light work in this is just perfect. It also takes it's time, which is appreciated, the "mystery" part of the film doesn't really start until almost an hour has passed. The majority of the film just introduces us to all the characters, let's us see their dynamics and personalities before blowing shit up. (Nothing actually blows up)
Fine performances all around, especially from Ralph Richardson and whoever plays the lead Inspector. I enjoyed the interrogation scenes, where it became something of a police procedural, where we knew exactly what had happened and almost want to scream at the television "LOOK OVER THERE!".
There is one…
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One of the best depictions of how the truth is sometimes much more tangled and complicated than lies I've ever seen, all wrapped up in a cinematically gorgeous and sometimes unbearably suspenseful package (the business with the paper airplane had me in near hysterics).
The cast is uniformly great, but special mention should go to Bobby Henrey as Phile, who does a great job as a character who discovers how shitty and confusing grown-up world can be over one crazy weekend.
To me this is almost as great as The Third Man!
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"A small boy idolises the butler (Ralph Richardson) who works in the embassy at which his father is ambassador. The butler's wife is an unsympathetic figure, who is not loved by her husband, who has been conducting an unconsummated romance with one of the embassy's typists. We see much of the film through the child's eyes - he doesn't understand the adults' motives in the film and lies to protect his idol after the wife's accidental death. The lies, as lies are wont to do, only complicate matters."
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Flawless thriller. The scene with the dart is one of many suspense highlights. In a highly original way, the perspective of young Phillippe is kept throughout. There's something uncanny about the way Reed manages to tell Greene's story so that we get to share Phillippe's experiences, his new-found understanding of secrets and lies. It, along with his dawning realization that he isn't part of the adult loop, becomes key in a rather simple plot and thus the film becomes more complex and universal.
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A noir film told through the eyes of a child, The Fallen Idol is clever in showing how truths and lies get distorted, how secrets are paper thin, and how adults can easily manipulate children. It's strange how much meaning and subtext can be found in a simple noir tale.
The script was well written but got a bit sloppy at the very end, leaving the audience with a strange unrealistic ending. It wasn't terrible but it just didn't seem to fit. However, the acting was exceptional, especially the little boy that played Phile. Reed's direction was thoughtful and precise, knowing exactly where to ramp up the suspense. And the beautiful black-and-white, almost stylized photography gives the audience tremendous visuals…
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Suspenseful gem from the director of The Third Man. Great use of dramatic irony - you know more than the characters and you pull your hair out hoping that they come to the truth. And which layer of truth do they finally come to? You will be guessing until literally the last 2 minutes of the film.
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Interesting story and solid direction. Ralph Richardson gives a great performance as well.
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[noir] That was a perfectly plotted, edited, framed, and acted movie. The interplay of who is guilty and innocent of of which acts and all of that scene through the eyes of a child who doesn't undertand most of what he is seeing is great. The suspense built out of the audience knowing what happened, but the characters not knowing is riveting.
As someone else mentioned, it is wonderful framing of the scene at the top of the staircase - when the police are questioning the butler - and the open window is in the background for the audience to see all the time.
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In re-watching The Fallen Idol I tended to notice a little more of it's flaws and a little less of it's entertainment.
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Yes, The Fallen Idol delivers more thrills than the average Hitchcock film does. It has a great sense of comical intrigue while combining top notch thrills. I think The Fallen Idol is a very strong film that I could re-watch any day.
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Reed holds his audience by the necks at the end of this film when the young boy almost jeopardises a clean and honest getaway.
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Director Carol Reed and screenwriter Graham Greene absolutely nail the psychology of both adultery and children. It's too bad it takes so long to get the story moving.
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A noir film told through the eyes of a child, The Fallen Idol is clever in showing how truths and lies get distorted, how secrets are paper thin, and how adults can easily manipulate children. It's strange how much meaning and subtext can be found in a simple noir tale.
The script was well written but got a bit sloppy at the very end, leaving the audience with a strange unrealistic ending. It wasn't terrible but it just didn't seem to fit. However, the acting was exceptional, especially the little boy that played Phile. Reed's direction was thoughtful and precise, knowing exactly where to ramp up the suspense. And the beautiful black-and-white, almost stylized photography gives the audience tremendous visuals…
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84/100
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Lost innocence, youthful confusion, shall I tell you a secret? Some good imagery here: Baines stepping directly in the outline, the window in the background while he talks. The interrogation sequence, although, at times very effective, runs on a bit too long.