While this starts off as yet another British retread of BLACKBOARD JUNGLE (1955) after TO SIR, WITH LOVE (1967) it quickly transpires, firstly, that the antagonism in this case is not so much between students and teachers but even more so between the latter (and Glenda Jackson's titular figure in particular) and the school's supercilious principal (Oliver Reed) – also, that the socially-conscious events are treated rather lightly here. Besides, in clear yet lame emulation of its models, a brassy musical number intermittently plays throughout!
This was the last (and easily least) of 3 teamings between these two stars, among the more popular (and busiest) of the era: that said, on this occasion, Jackson is somewhat operating below par – whereas Reed is evidently having fun playing a martinet (albeit an "incompetent" one). Though filmed in England, this apparently was a co-production with the U.S. since a couple of its supporting actors emanate from Hollywood, namely Michael Murphy as Jackson's baseball-nut boyfriend and THE OMEGA MAN (1971)'s Rosalind Cash as a fellow teacher (who aggravates – and, in turn, is harassed by – Reed).
A couple of subplots which do not really go anywhere involve church minister John Standing, whose friendship with the principal is broken up by what the latter takes as his underlings' (specifically QUADROPHENIA {1979}'s Phil Daniels) deliberate 'insubordination' during a school visit by some prominent government officials, and another centering around an athletic but obviously disturbed black kid who, at one point, abducts a girl who had casually slighted him. The film, therefore, just plods on without much point but it does conclude on a crowd-pleasing note as Jackson demolishes Reed's office and gives her superior a fair thrashing as well!
Incidentally, Narizzano had already dealt – in offbeat fashion – with the education system in the well-regarded but curiously unavailable WHY SHOOT THE TEACHER? (1977; indeed, I was unable to track it down for this brief tribute to the late director
having missed the chance to watch it eons ago on a Sicilian TV channel!).
