Customer Reviews

TERM OF TRIAL

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the ordinary man. The great Olivier, known for his ability to project dangerous sexuality ('Wuthering Heights," "Rebecca") is staggeringly poignant as a pacifistic, slightly alcoholic, sweet, school teacher. He loves his somewhat overbearing, maturely sexy wife, and he has sympathy and empathy for his students who want to overcome their grindingly depressing working class backgrounds. Olivier must put up with the casual cruelty and imbecility of his supervisors, as well as the contempt of his wife who thinks he should have a bigger, better and more lucrative career.

Hounded by colleagues and ignorant toughs he forces himself to adminster a well-earned corporal punishment to a hulking bully of a student (Terence Stamp in his first movie role). For his trouble he is assaulted by Stamp's father, and unjustly criticised by his headmaster. He voluntarily tutors a vixenish 15 year old student (Sarah Miles in her wonderful debut) who wants to improve her grammar so she can have a secretarial job above her station in life. She can't afford to pay so he teaches her for free. Again, for his trouble she falls in love with him, tries to seduce him, and wrongly accuses him of lechery and seduction. He stands trial, and even though exonerated, his headmaster suggests he leave his job because his unwarranted notoriety is making things hot for said headmaster. In the end, Olivier's teacher has learned something about the wiles of humanity and battles his boss and his wife back into submission.

This grim "kitchen sink" era drama is absorbing. The cinematography is appropriately gritty. Simone Signoret as the disappointed wife is domineering and surprisingly alluring all at the same time. She has contempt for her husband as well as love and desire, but she sees him as ultimately boring and inconsequential. She nor anyone else, except the girl who persecutes him, can see his fineness, refinement, kindness and tenderness. Don't miss this British gem, full of irony, inconsistency, disappointment and wierd triumph.