Kind Hearts and Coronets

Undoubtedly one of the most perfect, brilliant comedies ever, this movie is extremely fun and revels in its dark, clever humour. What can one say about a comedy centred around a dapper, charming, likable, impoverished young English gentleman who is at the same time an utterly remorseless, ever-calculating killer who has no qualms about killing an entire line of relatives who all stand in his path to inherit the family fortune? On top of that, he all the while takes great care in preserving his demeanor and status as a gentleman; all the relatives he must eliminate are brought to life by the genius of Alec Guinness; and there's an executioner who takes pains to show proper respect to his social "superior." The dialogue, indeed pretty much all of the humour, is a shining example of "British humour" at its best. It is subtle, clever, dark, and full of irony and satire. It is pure, brilliant entertainment that doesn't stop. Comedy really can't get much better than this.

Kind Hearts and Corrents is in a sense an extrapolation of Jane Austin's satire of the English aristocracy. Where Austin gives the reader a sarcastic insight into their ways of life, Kind Hearts and Correnets kills the English aristocracy off, as if to symbolise their slow demise within modernity. But, as this film illustrates the aristocracy has methods of survival via its never ending line of descendants ready to take on hereditary titles. Ironically, the survival of the dukedom in this film is due to the actual banished heir to that title murdering his relatives who stand in his way. If you like, this is an illustration of how there will always be an aristocracy of sorts, in the form of rulers in all types of societies, as illustrated in George Orwell's Animal Farm. This is because as the famous psychologist Erich Fromm says, as a conservative society we have a 'fear of freedom' and depend on being subordinates of rulers, like children to their parents. In Kind Hearts and Correnets we see an example of this when the duke performs his paternalistic duty for his dependant proletariat.

The irony is that the lead actor, Dennis Price, in Kind Hearts and Corerenets is a descendant of minor aristocracy, himself deprived of his title due to the paternalistic line being directed away from him. In this case he plays the part of the denounced heir superbly. Meanwhile Valery Hobson shines out as a beautiful, elegant lady, which could be less to do with acting skills and more about playing herself.

As for Sir Alec Guiness, it goes without saying that he steals the film, with his range of acting talents, here some of them showcased in all the characters he plays.

In the case of the screenplay, it is wittily directed, well paced, entertaining, and never for a second boring. This permits a distraction for the viewer, and the overlooking of the minor flaw of how there were no accusations pointed towards the lead character which are to the viewer easily detectable given that he was present at most of the murders of his arosticratic relatives.

Overall, an ageless classic.

At the time it was made, one of the aims behind Kind Hearts and Coronets was to showcase the English language. I know of no other film which does this so well. It is this plus the superb performances which make the film, like a good book, worth returning to again and again. It is one of my two favourite films (the other being the 1960 version of "Inherit the Wind" - which also features superb dialogue. It will remain required viewing for any student, not only of the cinema, but of all that was best of a vanished age of English gentility and refinement which had by no means disappeared at the time the film was made.

"Kind Hearts and Coronets" is really an essay in acting from one of Britain's greatest, Sir Alec Guinness, and what better way to remember him than the film which gave him eight roles to play? True, one or two are barely given time to register before Dennis Price dispatches them (Lady Agatha would have been interesting as a fully rounded character), but those which are developed - Henry, the photography enthusiast in particular, are cleverly played and memorable. Price also does well in his role. The ladies - Joan Greenwood and Valerie Hobson - are excellent. The great strength of this film is in its black humour, and of course in its delicious twist ending. I can't bear to think of it remade with a 2000's gloss.

I've seen this gem half a dozen times and look forward to seeing it a few times more. It's a masterpiece of unsentimental, yet genteel, humor, and features performances by some extraordinary actors. Sir Alec Guiness's eight different turns have been much commented on and deserve every superlative they've received. Dennis Price is too little recognized--in the US, at least--for his gifts, as his work here proves. Valerie Hobson is wonderful, and Joyce Greenwood is...I would happily buy a recording of her reading the OED, just to hear that astonishing voice. And, in a small but marvelous role, Miles Malleson is superb. If you have not seen this film, it's readily available. Give yourself a treat. I know that Hollywood seems to have forgotten that there's nothing to be gained by trying to remake a perfect film. If they ever dare to do it with this one--I don't give a damn who is in it, or who directs or writes--don't bother. See the original. None genuine without the Ealing Label.