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Binding: VHS Tape EAN: 9786302969658 Format: Black & White, NTSC ISBN: 6302969654 Label: Homevision Languages: Manufacturer: Homevision Number Of Items: 1 Publisher: Homevision Release Date: November 16, 1999 Running Time: 95 minutes Studio: Homevision Theatrical Release Date: 1948 Editorial Review: Amazon.com: In the impressive filmography of British director Carol Reed, The Fallen Idol is sandwiched between Odd Man Out and The Third Man--the second of three consecutive masterpieces (adapted by Graham Greene from his short story "The Basement Room") by a filmmaker at the peak of his artistic powers. Of those three, The Fallen Idol is the most delicately subdued, but it's a flawlessly plotted thriller that achieves considerable tension through the psychology of its characters. By telling the story through the eyes of a child, the plot gains even greater urgency as a variation on the theme of "the boy who cried wolf," as young Phillipe (Bobby Henrey)--the 8-year-old son of the French ambassador to England--struggles to clear his beloved embassy butler Baines (Ralph Richardson) from being wrongfully accused of murder. Baines is burdened with a shrewish, overbearing wife (Sonia Dresdel) whose rigid, disciplinarian control of Phillipe sets the stage for suspense; when Mrs. Baines dies in a terrible fall on the embassy staircase, her husband (who has been having a secret affair with an embassy typist) is the prime suspect. Phillipe, caught between his love for Baines and his suspicion of the butler's guilt, tries to convince investigators of Baines's innocence. But the boy's pleas are ignored, and The Fallen Idol expertly plays on the child's good but woefully misguided intentions. In Reed's visual strategy, a simple paper airplane can become the focus of almost unbearable suspense, and as incriminating evidence builds a strong case against Baines, Reed maintains that suspense to the final moments of the film. Low-key and yet still highly effective, the film received Oscar nominations for Reed's direction and Greene's adapted screenplay. --Jeff Shannon Description: In this thriller with a twist, the great Ralph Richardson portrays a kindly butler who is falsely accused of murder. The only person who can save him is a small boy in his charge who unwittingly makes the innocent man appear guilty. Graham Greene adapted his own short story into an award-winning screenplay. Average Rating:
 Rating:  - GoodThe Fallen Idol is the third film of British filmmaker Carol Reed's that I've seen. Prior to that I've watched the dreadful Oscar-winning musical Oliver!, the solid Charlton Heston biopic of Michelangelo, The Agony And The Ecstasy, and now this. Yes, I have also watched The Third Man, the 1949 film attributed to Reed, but have always hedged upon taking the Warren Commission-like stance that it was Reed's film alone, and not an Orson Welles film merely bearded by Reed. Well, after watching The ... Read More Rating:  - Clock WatchingCarol Reed's "Fallen Idol," which I first saw as a child, withstands the test of time. Even though I didn't understand the adult implications of the plot then, I have never forgotten the story (still associating it with the little wooden-seated movie house where my father took the family every week to see British films). I was not disappointed; I found it just as absorbing--and even more compelling--half-a-century later. The screenplay is, needless to say, excellent. Working closely ... Read More Rating: - wrong formatunfortunately the video which you sent, would not play on my Australian DVD and I had to watch it on my computer. I have not had this problem before, when ordering from Amazon.com. I can only imagine it was the wrong format. I still enjoyed watching the film and was just as impressed as I was the first time I saw it. I think the child who played phile was quite superb. Rating:  - Mildly Charming British Noir"The Fallen Idol" is a nice little film but anybody expecting director Carol Reed to reach the heights achieved with his masterwork, "The Third Man", may be mildly disappointed. The film is certainly well mounted evoking a noirish feel to it. Ralph Richardson is first rate as Baines, the embassy butler who spins tall tales to impress his young charge, Philipe(Bobby Henrey). Henrey gives a natural performance as the boy who idol worships Baines. The story is a good one. The theme is essentially ... Read More Rating: - A time long agoI first saw this film as a young man and have always considered it one of my all time favorites. I purchased this film as an old man and found the film to be better then I remembered. If you can put yourself in a frame of mind of a youngster who thinks his best friend killed his wife then you have found the key to unlock this marvelous film. I just gave it to my daughter to see with my 16 year old grandson. It knocked the socks off both of them. It is not only the fine story and directing, but the ability ... Read More |
