Leo McKern's performance is way over the top, with steam coming out of his ears virtually every second he's on screen. It confounds me that the police don't suspect this totally unhinged man. What is supposed to be a dark drama is driven to the realm of high comedy by McKern's performance. I'm surprised he ever got an acting job again.
And the viewer is also meant to believe that Redgrave's character - pathetic with a drunken demeanor - has convinced the other characters of his son's innocence? Yeah, right.
The whole movie is driven by "there's something that's been overlooked", when the police should have found the key piece of evidence in the first place.
The ending is just as ridiculous. It easily assumes that if a man kills another man he therefore must have been responsible for the earlier murder too. The phone call is made, the execution is halted - on this assumption.
I guess kudos should be given for the movie's atmosphere, but there are too many holes and silly melodramatics.
Ernest Clark (Loftus from TV's "Doctor In The House") has a cameo appearance.
And the viewer is also meant to believe that Redgrave's character - pathetic with a drunken demeanor - has convinced the other characters of his son's innocence? Yeah, right.
The whole movie is driven by "there's something that's been overlooked", when the police should have found the key piece of evidence in the first place.
The ending is just as ridiculous. It easily assumes that if a man kills another man he therefore must have been responsible for the earlier murder too. The phone call is made, the execution is halted - on this assumption.
I guess kudos should be given for the movie's atmosphere, but there are too many holes and silly melodramatics.
Ernest Clark (Loftus from TV's "Doctor In The House") has a cameo appearance.