Sun 16 Feb 2020
A British TV Movie Review: THE SCAPEGOAT (2012).
Posted by Steve under Reviews , TV Drama[7] Comments
THE SCAPEGOAT. ITV, UK, 09 September 2012. Made for TV movie. Matthew Rhys, Eileen Atkins, Alice Orr-Ewing, Andrew Scott, heridan Smith, Jodhi May, Eloise Webb, Sylvie Testud, Pip Torrens, Phoebe Nicholls. Based on the novel by Dapne du Maurier. Written and directed by Charles Sturridge. Previous filmed in 1959, starring Alec Guinness.
You have to watch this one with a serious sense of willing disbelief, but if you can, you will enjoy this one as much as I did. Two men, one a schoolmaster who’s just been let go, and another who is outwardly a man of some wealth and power, discover that they are exact lookalikes. So much so, that the latter of the two swaps clothes and belongings, and heads out to parts unknown.
Leaving the former no choice but to take the other’s place, complete withe family mansion, wife and daughter, a bedridden mother, a younger brother and sister, the brother’s wife (who he has been dallying with), a mistress (who he has obviously also been dallying with) and the usual assortment of servants.
Not one of them notices that he is not he, if you see what I mean, even though he is at an obvious disadvantage. He doesn’t know any of them, no the house, the room, his responsibilities as the male head of the family. He catches on very quickly, though, even faster than I would — or in fact, faster than I did.
What’s also remarkable he comes to care, if not love, all of them, and he soon settles in to handle their affairs for them far better than the man he is posing as ever did. Set at the time of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation, this is a film filled with not only fine acting, but charm and heart. (The ending , I am told, differs from that of the book. If so, I think the ending of the movie is better.)
There is a small but crucial bit of a murder plot involved as well. When the absentee owner of the house sneaks back in and sees how well his imposter has worked his way into his home, he decides to take advantage of it in a most deadly fashion, a plot however, that is most capably foiled.
February 16th, 2020 at 12:32 pm
It was also made into a film in 1959, by Robert Hamer, who made Kind Hearts and Coronets, with Alec Guinness, and Bette Davis as the absconder’s mother – which gives him yet more reasons to vanish. Hamer was declining then, so it isn;t very good, unfortunately.
February 16th, 2020 at 1:25 pm
Not only have I not read the book, I have also not seen the earlier film. But have read a synopsis of it on Wikipedia, and based on that only, I like the ending of the later adaptation far better.
February 16th, 2020 at 9:49 pm
The Guiness version goes for more Gothic romance than suspense but peters out on both before the end. It is somewhat truer to the book in detail but less so in atmosphere and style. I rank it still worth it to see Guiness and Davis on screen together though.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:50 am
You ran an excellent review of the book & first film a while back.
https://mysteryfile.com/blog/?p=42263
February 17th, 2020 at 10:45 am
Par excellence, indeed. In the comment I left, I mentioned wanting to look for the book but allowing that I’d likely pass on the movie (the first one). I didn’t, alas, and I did.
February 17th, 2020 at 5:02 pm
Steve,
You mentioned in the comments on the first film you had only read REBECCA by Du Maurier, is that still true?
If so I suggest you might really enjoy this one, MY COUSIN RACHEL, and JAMAICA INN. The short stories are well worth looking up as well. Her historical novels might not be your taste, but she is far more than a modern Gothic writer, and REBECCA just one aspect of her talent.
I would go farther and include HOUSE ON THE STRAND and FLIGHT OF THE FALCON, but RACHEL and INN are both great reads and none of them bloated door-stops.
February 17th, 2020 at 8:15 pm
David
I saw that comment of mine, too, and I said to myself, oops, I did it again. I certainly meant to read more of Daphne du Maurier’s work. but no, it never happened. Having seen the movie version of JAMAICA INN, I might go for that one as a starter, but you’ll know right away if and when I do by keeping on reading this blog.