Customer Reviews

Inspector Morse - Twilight of the Gods [VHS]

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This installment in the Morse series is conventional in the sense that the plot involves homicides, one actual and the other attempted. However, this mystery is unusual in that the viewer is exposed more intimately to the emotional side of Inspector Morse. The mystery begins with the discovery of a dead journalist (Neville Grimshaw) who had been shot to death. At the time of his death, Grimshaw had been gathering information about Andrew Baydon, a wealthy man who claimed to have been a prisoner in a Nazi concentration camp. Baydon is in Oxford to receive an honorary degree, granted to him based upon his offer of an endowment sufficient to create a new college and fund several vacant academic positions. In addition to Baydon, an honorary degree has also been offered to Gwladys Provert, a renowned opera singer and a personal favorite of Morse. When Provert is shot and wounded during the degree conferment processional, Morse initially reacts with stunned paralysis, unable to do much more than watch as Sergeant Lewis secures the crime scene. Morse has an idealized conception of Provert as a brilliant and virtuous artist; therefore, he is unable to comprehend why anyone would choose to deprive the world of her talents. As Morse recovers his professional focus, he has to consider whether the murder of the journalist and the attempted murder of Provert are somehow linked. It is only after Morse concludes that the shooting of Provert was unintentional that the investigation proceeds in the right direction and culminates in identification of the perpetrators and their motives. One of the themes dealt with in this mystery involves the extreme actions some will undertake to preserve a finely cultivated public image. This mystery has its genuinely poignant moments, especially when Morse learns that the image Provert projects to the public is far different from the reality of her private life. Morse experiences a genuine sense of disillusionment as he realizes that while the artistic product may be sublime, the actual artist may be petty and coarse.

A first rate plot that belongs in the top ten of the Morse series. To discuss the plot further would be doing the reader a disservice. Suffice it to say, if you're a Morse fan this one is a must. To add to the enjoyment we have the basic plot augmented by the personal Morse. He has placed one of his favorite divas on a pedestal only to learn during the unfolding of the story that her pedestal is extremely brittle. Morse's appetite for the arts is fed very nicely in this entry, courtesy of Richard Wagner's Die Gotterdammerung and dovetails with the architectural rendering of a new addition to Oxford University which is used symbolically. Adding to all this is the role of the Chancellor played by the late, great Sir John Gielgud. What more could you ask for of a Morse episode? Humor? Uncharacteristically, Morse's dry sense of humor shows more than once - much to the chagrin of Lewis.

The "Gods" in this film are the arts, especially opera, which Chief Inspector Morse loves, but which he sees in a new dark light as he investigates a murder and an apparent attempted murder and learns the truth about the people he admires. Morse is overwhelmed by the singing of a diva and walks around in a daze. A murdered man is found and Morse prefers that Sergeant Lewis do most of the investigation, but this situation changes fast. Morse and Lewis attend a celebration when the diva, who is among the honorees, is shot. Morse takes over this case and wonders if the previous murder is related to this shooting. The drama has many interesting characters, including a wealthy benefactor who has a number on his arm and claims he was a holocaust survivor. He is among the honorees because he is making a generous gift, the building of a new college building. The murdered man was a journalist investigating this business man. The diva enjoys sex with young men and brought her much younger sister to accompany her to attract such men for her. She disappears when her sister is shot. Sir John Gielgud plays the head of the Oxford college as a bigot who despises America and is most likely an anti-Semite.

Morse, as usual, pleases. His craggy demeanor doesn't disappoint. The famous and eminent John Guilgud was well into his twilight when this was filmed. What a wonderful surprise to find him in one of the Morse
episodes.

Not all episodes of a series can be first rate. The plot of this program is at the bottom 10% of the inspector Morse episodes. It is totally unbelievable.

For those Rachel Weisz fans out there, you may not realize that she has a fairly sizable part in this episode. It might be one of the few reasons to watch this.

It was very fuuny and sad. Poor Morse he had to learn the hard way . And I love the music and where the flimed it!