There is no denying it: Peter Medak's film of Peter Barnes', The Ruling Class was, and still is, as highly unique film in every regard and it never shirks its controversial pathway, all the way to its truly unexpected and mortifying conclusion.
The critic, Ian Christie's concise essay is right on the money about the context of the film: "... beneath the veneer of modernization , very little had changed in Britain." And this is something that I doubt many American critics or audiences of the time - or even now - understood, at least to any deep degree. The so-called, "Swinging Sixties", much like all 'revolutions' didn't alter the political paradigm or power structures in Britain - it was all illusion. Grinding poverty remained throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, in which we saw recession, deunionization, significant unemployment, a meaningless war on an island near the Antarctic and all the while the idols remained strong, nary a crack appearing, whilst the masses diverted their attention to a flimsy pop culture, fashions and New Age gobblydegook and ultimately the atomization of Society, and it was even being articulated bluntly and shockingly by the PM, Margaret Thatcher: "There is no such thing as 'Society'." But all the while, the ruling class has remained, though they have had to camouflage themselves in various colours over the last 40 years - with one of the few unabashed public rituals remaining: the Fox Hunt, which continues to causes hysterical incredulity in an age of terrorism, health service meltdown and possible apartheid between secular anglo-saxons and Muslims. Earlier in the 70s, there was a film called, "The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer" by Peter Cook, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Kevin Billington and the in that film, we have in Peter Cook's Michael Rimmer - Tony Blair, it's uncanny. Normally, socio-political films for before the 90s - British films - date very badly, but there have been a few that haven't and "The Ruling Class" is one of them, but it has such an oddball aesthetic and attitude that it never really remained in peoples' minds as such.
"The Ruling Class" has an energy and personality all of its own and it is a shame that it isn't appreciated as much as it deserves to be. Yes, it is probably too long, but it barrels along beautifully and the second viewing is incredibly satisfying. It was a film that for many, broke too many rules in its day and even now when comparing it to other films of that period, it stands out as a black sheep, though the following year, we saw Lindsay Anderson's, "O, Lucky Man!" and Ken Russell was just getting into his stride. O'Toole's performance is electrifying and truly unforgettable and to think that he wasn't paid a penny for the role. He truly deserved to win the Oscar, but "The Godfather" was a huge smash and Brando was on a comeback, while "The Ruling Class" was for all intents and purposes, an unknown movie to Americans in 1972-73. A shame.
The critic, Ian Christie's concise essay is right on the money about the context of the film: "... beneath the veneer of modernization , very little had changed in Britain." And this is something that I doubt many American critics or audiences of the time - or even now - understood, at least to any deep degree. The so-called, "Swinging Sixties", much like all 'revolutions' didn't alter the political paradigm or power structures in Britain - it was all illusion. Grinding poverty remained throughout the 60s, 70s, 80s, in which we saw recession, deunionization, significant unemployment, a meaningless war on an island near the Antarctic and all the while the idols remained strong, nary a crack appearing, whilst the masses diverted their attention to a flimsy pop culture, fashions and New Age gobblydegook and ultimately the atomization of Society, and it was even being articulated bluntly and shockingly by the PM, Margaret Thatcher: "There is no such thing as 'Society'." But all the while, the ruling class has remained, though they have had to camouflage themselves in various colours over the last 40 years - with one of the few unabashed public rituals remaining: the Fox Hunt, which continues to causes hysterical incredulity in an age of terrorism, health service meltdown and possible apartheid between secular anglo-saxons and Muslims. Earlier in the 70s, there was a film called, "The Rise and Rise of Michael Rimmer" by Peter Cook, John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Kevin Billington and the in that film, we have in Peter Cook's Michael Rimmer - Tony Blair, it's uncanny. Normally, socio-political films for before the 90s - British films - date very badly, but there have been a few that haven't and "The Ruling Class" is one of them, but it has such an oddball aesthetic and attitude that it never really remained in peoples' minds as such.
"The Ruling Class" has an energy and personality all of its own and it is a shame that it isn't appreciated as much as it deserves to be. Yes, it is probably too long, but it barrels along beautifully and the second viewing is incredibly satisfying. It was a film that for many, broke too many rules in its day and even now when comparing it to other films of that period, it stands out as a black sheep, though the following year, we saw Lindsay Anderson's, "O, Lucky Man!" and Ken Russell was just getting into his stride. O'Toole's performance is electrifying and truly unforgettable and to think that he wasn't paid a penny for the role. He truly deserved to win the Oscar, but "The Godfather" was a huge smash and Brando was on a comeback, while "The Ruling Class" was for all intents and purposes, an unknown movie to Americans in 1972-73. A shame.