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Room at the Top (1958)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
1/25
1/25:
I didn't know Laurence Harvey had it in him.
Having seen The Manchurian Candidate many times, I always
thought he was a one-hit wonder. Now, it's clear why he was perfect for the role of Raymond Shaw given the
tailor-made traits he displayed in Room at the Top.
The film is responsible for initiating the British New Wave by blowing up adultery big time, hence the
'X' certificate. So far, I consider
Saturday Night and Sunday Morning the best
of the pack with This Sporting Life in a close second. No matter what,
it's a strong picture because of the Oscar-winning adapted screenplay by Neil Paterson and Freddie Francis'
stunning black-and-white photography. Along the way is a social commentary about class division that's better
handled than Stella Dallas, a film I saw recently which did a very,
very poor job of it.
The performances are impeccable. I know a lot of people were enamored with Simone Signoret who won
the Oscar for Best Actress, but Laurence Harvey impressed me the most by dominating the show. As a
result, he was rewarded with an Oscar nomination. Surprisingly, Hermione Baddeley, as Alice's friend, was
also tabbed for it, making history for the shortest performance ever.
What do I think about the story? For starters, Joe Lampton wasn't familiar with the adage:
"Be careful what you wish for." Eventually, he got what he wanted, but it ended up costing a woman's life. Imagine
the happy outcome if he would focus on just one person. An aspect I've found extremely strange, which occurs several
times, is when Laurence Harvey smoked first before kissing Simone Signoret right away. Unsurprisingly, both passed
away at a young age (45 and 64, respectively) from smoking-related cancer.
All in all, Room at the Top works because of Laurence Harvey.