Little Malcolm (And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs)

Released by: BFI
Released on: October 24, 2011.
Director: Stuart Cooper
Cast: John Hurt, David Warner
Year: 1974
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The Movie:

Based on the stage play of the same name, Stuart Cooper's Little Malcolm (And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs) was produced by George Harrison and features John Hurt in the lead role of one Malcolm Scrawdyke who, when we meet him, has recently been kicked out of art school. Fed up with the status quo, as angry young men are apt to be during their angry young days, he teams up with three similarly minded individuals in the form of Wick Blagdon (John McEnry), Irwin Ingham (Raymond Platt) and Dennis Charles Nipple (David Warner).Together these three would be revolutionaries form The Party of Dynamic Erection and attempt to shake things up using some blatantly phallic symbolism and by self publishing a magazine they title Muckshifter.

Why go to all these efforts? To get through the 'the eunuchs' who are, in this case, those who except the political status quo and feel no need to fight for change - at least according to Malcolm. Unfortunately, the party has no idea what to do in order to get power, let alone what they'd actually do if they got it. They do know, however, that they need to kidnap Allard, an unseen agitator who Malcolm sees as a threat to their cause. This act sets into motion the events that will transpire and become their 'revolution' but it soon becomes readily apparent that Malcolm isn't playing with a full deck of cards. And into all of this comes Ann (Rosalind Ayres), who seems herself unsure as to her place - is she part of this movement or simply another one of Malcolm's would be conquests?

While the film is very 'stagey' and doesn't always translate its content to the big screen quite so perfectly, there's a lot to like about this bizarre and fairly obscure (especially given the talent involved) film. The biggest bright spot here are the performances, with all involved giving their best and the movie all the better for it. David Warner and particularly John Hurt not so surprisingly steal the show, with Hurt's politics quickly turning into madness and becoming more obviously a way for him to deflect whatever blame he should be placing on himself for his own sour lot in life. Warner, on the other hand, has the audacity to question his colleague and eventually his actions are, to Malcolm, tantamount to treason, a crime for which Nipple will absolutely pay a very high price for.

Stemming from the film's theatrical roots is an interesting nonchalant attitude towards reality. The film seems to take place in its own bizarre alternate universe though the locations and backdrops used for the film have an earthiness to them that would otherwise ground the film in the everyday of mid-seventies England. The sound mix, however, makes it clear that this is happening some other way than it would happen in your life or mine. This comes full circle in the film's dark finale, however, where what was once played for comic effect (and no matter how dark it gets at times it certainly is) shifts gears and jolts us back to reality.

When it's all said and done this film is just as unusual as its title would imply, but it's a clever movie that features some fantastic performances. Some of its social satire may have dulled as times have changed considerably since it was made, but enough of it still works and more importantly still has an effect on us that this is very much a film worth revisiting.

Video/Audio/Extras:

NOTE: This review is based off of a test disc that may or may not represent finished retail product.

The BFI's AVC encoded 1080p high definition 1.85.1 widescreen transfer looks pretty solid overall. There is some minor print damage and some heavy grain in spots but it just serves to remind us that this was sourced from film. Colors generally look nice and natural and detail is pretty solid across the board. There aren't any compression artifacts to note and only very minor noise reduction can be seen here and there, never to the point of detriment, really. There are no edge enhancement problems to note and texture looks good. The film has a pretty gritty aesthetic to it, and that's been well preserved here.

The only audio track on the disc is an English language LPCM Mono mix with optional subtitles provided in English only. This isn't a track that you'll use to show off your set up but it gets the job done. Dialogue is clean and clear and the levels are properly balanced. The music that is used throughout the movie has some good bounce to it without ever feeling too pumped up in the mix.

Extras include two short films, the first of which is Put Yourself In My Place directed by Francine Winham in 1974. This twenty-five minute movie takes a look at how male/female relations can get complicated all too easily. Judy Geeson plays the lead and it's amusing enough to be worth a watch. The second short is a seven minute film made in 1977 by James Dearden called The Contraption. In it, Richard O'Brien (yep - Riff Raff himself!) builds a bizarre device in his basement in order to get back at society. It's a fairly dark film and O'Brien's role is basically silent but it's quite interesting and very well shot. Both films are presented in high definition, which is a nice touch, and they look pretty good given their obscurity.

Aside from that, the disc includes the film's unusually vague theatrical trailer, animated menus and chapter stops. Inside the keepcase is a booklet including some essays and a review on the film to help provide some context as to how it came to be and how it was received when it actually played theaters in 1974.

The Final Word:

An odd look at how fine the line sometimes is between madness and political activism, Little Malcolm (And His Struggle Against The Eunuchs) is as quirky as it is well acted. While the theatrical origins of the material don't always translate perfectly to the cinematic experience, there's enough here that works to make this one worth a look for fans of oddball British cinema, and the BFI's Blu-ray release is the ideal way to see it.

Click on the images below for full size Blu-ray screen caps!