Tripwire Reviews An Inspector Calls 4K UHD Edition

Social Responsibility

Tripwire’s editor-in-chief Joel Meadows reviews StudioCanal Vintage Classics’ An Inspector Calls out from 7 October on 4K UHD and Blu-Ray…

An Inspector Calls 4K UHD
Director: Guy Hamilton
Stars: Alastair Sim, Arthur Young, Olga Lindo, Bryan Forbes, Jane Wenham

JB Priestley’s play of the same name has been adapted several times on the big screen, but this celebrated 1954 adaptation is, needless to say, the best version of his satirical commentary on society.

The plot is a simple one: a wealthy family in a fictional northern town in England is visited by police inspector Poole (Sim) who is hellbent on interrogating them about the suicide of a young girl. The girl, Eva Smith (Wenham) is someone who each member of the family has come into contact with and as the film progresses, Poole makes the case that they are all culpable in some way for her eventual tragic fate.

An Inspector Calls is a beautifully shot and classily acted piece with Sim very much on form here as the icily implacable inspector, representing the necessity of justice in a cruel world that places little value on people like Eva Smith. The rest of the cast like Forbes, Young and Lindo offer considerable weight and gravitas to the production.

The movie’s art direction and cinematography gives An Inspector Calls a palpably noir feel, while the way that Poole is lit and the overall manner in which Hamilton and Ted Scaife shot the film strongly evokes post-war claustrophobia and rigidity. It’s an elegant and subtly moody affair which transcends its theatrical origins, yet its message about societal inequities and social issues is crystal clear.

Hamilton went on to work on a number of Bond films as director but this early effort of his shows that he was already highly proficient and professional.

The extras here aren’t much to speak of, but the film is the main event anyway. Clocking in at just 80 minutes, there is no padding to speak of. An Inspector Calls is a powerful reminder of just how effective and important British cinema was at its height, and this restored version offers a quality print that enhances its reputation.

JOEL MEADOWS