Customer Reviews

The Whisperers (1966) [VHS]

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Dame Edith is astonishing here. How the Oscar went to Hepburn is one of the greatest travesties in the Academy's history. Never has there been a more heartbreaking, realistic yet unsentimental portrayal of a lonely elderly person. The performance rightly won Best Actress from: The New York Film Critics, The National Board of Review, The Venice Film Festival, The Hollywood Foreign Press (Best Actress, Drama), and the BAFTA. This Bryan Forbes directed film deserves far better than the DVD-R release it gets here, but it is better than nothing. Also notable is the haunting score and bleak b&w cinematography. 4 stars.

Known for her flamboyant Restoration comedy stage (and occasional screen) performances, Edith Evans in this film gives a small, detailed performance of social realism, completely unsentimental and without vanity, that is one of the best 60s 'kitchen sink' dramas on film. It is not a movie about a woman sitting in a room hearing voices all day, as the title and description will usually lead you to believe. It is a moving, lively and sad depiction of old age without money, and the fumbling ineffectiveness of the social welfare system to help; an English equivalent of Gorky's 'The Lower Depths'. It could use a touch of Chechov's compassionate humor. Evans was nominated for an Oscar and lost to Katherine Hepburn for her rather smug performance in 'Guess Who's Coming to Dinner'. Pity. Evans, who could be quite glamorous, is entirely without vanity here. If she were an American, you would hear this performance talked about in hushed tones at the Actor's Studio.

In the late 1960s, I was in the U.S. Navy stationed onboard a submarine tender in Holy Loch, Scotland. One weekend I went down to London and saw "The Whisperers". I was completely engrossed and captivated by Edith Evans' performance. Half way through the film, however, I had to leave the theatre due to a oncoming cold. It was not until more than 40 years later that I was able to see the complete film, and I still consider it to be the best British movie of that era. London may then have been the center of the "Swinging 60s," but it was also drab and cold and at times depressing. "The Whisperers" perfectly captures the "other" side of Mod London. See it.

There is a distinct difference between performing and acting. Edith Evans shows us what a real actress can do! "The Whisperers" gives us a voyeuristic look into the world of a borderline dementia affected elerly woman dependent upon government assistance to meet her day to day needs and dealing with imaginary voices emanating for various corners of her dreary flat. She also copes with abandonment,lonliness, and predators who take advantage of her naivety. Evans' performance is nuanced and with minimal dialog, she is able to draw you into the world of Margaret Ross. You will wind yourself worried about Margaret Ross long after the credits roll. If subtlety is not your cup of tea, you are not likely to enjoy "The Whisperers." However, if a haunting and riveting performance is what you're after, this gem definitely should be in your collection!

"The Whisperers" deserves an astute audio commentary, something that is becoming increasingly rare on the DVDs of bonafide classic films.

Edith Evans' against-type portrayal of the desperately lonely and demented old woman in "The Whisperers" is arguably the single greatest performance by any woman in any movie.

For the first half of "The Whisperers" it's pretty good going. It serves as a great depiction of what it's like to be of advanced age in a slum existence. Edith Evans is a wonder to behold as Margaret Ross, an elderly woman who suffers from dementia and probably Alzheimers. This is a very subtle turn by Evans and she doesn't overplay it in the least. Small touches like looking into a frayed hand mirror to show the ravages of time on her physical and mental being or even the creases on her face to demonstrate her fragility. Director Bryan Forbes frames her situation perfectly with stunning black-and-white photography and evocative slum production design. The film takes a near calamatous turn when Margaret falls into a cache of money. It's at that point where the film doesn't know where to go. We're introduced to Margaret's ne'er-do-well husband Archie(Eric Portman) and then devolves into a ho-hum gangster story. "The Whisperers" is an interesting film that is not as good as it's early going suggests it could have been.

An old lady deals with loneliness in a world that is quite quickly passing her by. Beauty and health have passed with death the only thing to look forward to. Finding comfort in companionship no longer works, and the voices provide some sort of outlet. As she travels through her now mundane life, she explores her life, past and present, and the voices help provide an option previously unknown. Explore old age and insanity, and the comforts of life (material vs. immaterial), with an old lady and The Whisperers.

If you love old black and white "kitchen sink" mystery drama's you will love this. It covers despair, loneliness, and life in such a realistic way that it makes you think, may be, of your own; your values as a person.
Superb all around acting, especially from Dame Edith herself. Definitely worth a place in any classic collection.

Such a nice B/W film with the great British actress. An elderly lady, alone in her small flat. Then taken advantage of by hooligans and then her estranged husband.

A classic of the cinema. A stunning performance from Edith Evans. Just buy it!The Embroidered Corpse