There’s a lot to be said about the ending of this film but arguably the most important part is Hargreaves stumbling into the mud. Here’s a man with power, a man rubbing shoulders with the wine drinkers, nay one himself, collapsing into the filth we see those below him shovelling at the beginning. A man who has no business becoming involved but instead falls to dereliction of his own “duty” by virtue of empathy. Hargreaves falls just as Hamp does. Thin out the lines, pull down the barriers. Hargreaves’ eloquence is as damning as Hamp’s “little walk.”
There’s subtlety here. There’s layers here. It’s not just the crime. It’s not just the eventual punishment. Here it’s power structures. Wine against mud. Guilt against complicit guilt.
Dirk Bogarde really was one of the greatest to ever do it.
There’s a lot to be said about the ending of this film but arguably the most important part is Hargreaves stumbling into the mud. Here’s a man with power, a man rubbing shoulders with the wine drinkers, nay one himself, collapsing into the filth we see those below him shovelling at the beginning. A man who has no business becoming involved but instead falls to dereliction of his own “duty” by virtue of empathy. Hargreaves falls just as Hamp does. Thin out the lines, pull down the barriers. Hargreaves’ eloquence is as damning as Hamp’s “little walk.”
There’s subtlety here. There’s layers here. It’s not just the crime. It’s not just the eventual punishment. Here it’s power structures. Wine against mud. Guilt against complicit guilt.
Dirk Bogarde really was one of the greatest to ever do it.
