The Reckoning

Thanks t Talking Pictures TV I've just caught this little gem of a film which features a superb performance by Nicol Williamson. He really was one of the most talented and underrated British performers. This comes on the back of his stunning Hamlet the previous year, thank goodness that performance was committed to film. Well worth seeking out. Great Geoffrey Unsworth cinematography and an admirable supporting cast.

Move over, Michael Caine! Your "Get Carter" might very well be acclaimed around the world and listed as one of the most virulent British cult thrillers ever made, but this obscure and undiscovered (and, at one point, even considered lost) drama/thriller with very reminiscent themes predates your film with nearly two years AND it's a lot more ambitious in terms of character study and social criticism!

Okay, so now that's off my chest… Don't get me wrong, I don't have anything against Michael Caine or "Get Carter". Quite the contrary, in fact, but I just want to plea for "The Reckoning" to become more known and loved amongst cult fanatics worldwide! What this puppy needs is a proper and fancy DVD-release, as I'm 200% sure it will appeal to a lot of cult collectors. The film really has it all: an unbelievable intense tour-de-force performance by Nicol Williamson, a grim & gritty contemporary late 60's/early 70's atmosphere, few but exhilarating action sequences and numerous of mind-boggling dialogs. Michael Marler is a successful businessman in London, but in spite of all his power and money he is bitter (especially in his marriage with the beautiful Rosemary), merciless (especially in his job as a sales executive) and aggressive (especially behind the wheel of his car). He is frustrated because he grew up as an oppressed Irishman in the intolerant city of Liverpool and still doesn't manage to put this tough period behind him. Michael returns to Liverpool to see his dying father, but arrives too late. When he learns that his father's death was actually the result of a cowardly assault by young British thugs, his outrageous Irish temper comes to the surface again. But Michael's retro-metamorphosis also has severe consequences when he's back in London. "The Reckoning" is a giant spitfire of highlights, one sequence even more powerful and intense than the next. Unforgettable moments include a Liverpool wrestling match and a party full of vainglorious guests at the Marler residence. And just when you think "The Reckoning" can't get anymore cooler, just wait until you witness the very last sequence. Mr. Marler is a truly unique persona, to say the least. The more employees he intimidates and he more women he seduces, the more you will cheer for him. Williamson, most known for supportive roles and stage plays, gives one of the most underrated performances in cinema history.

Jack Gold made his name on British television and "The Reckoning", which he made in 1970, often has the feeling of television drama about it and this is both something of a compliment and a curse in that, while it often displays a certain intelligence in its handling of the relationships on view, it is also blighted by a shooting style more in keeping with the small screen than the large.

It is adapted by John McGrath from Patrick Hall's novel "The Harp that Once" and centres on working-class Liverpool lad Mick Marler, who has made it big in the world of London business and who has returned home for his father's funeral. It's a strange, somewhat schizophrenic film, part thriller and part character study, reasonably entertaining on one level and yet constantly misfiring. Nicol Williamson, who plays Marler, was at the time considered to be the finest stage actor of his generation but you would never guess it from his performance here. It's an hysterical, over-played piece of acting; a juicy slice of ham and he's virtually never off the screen. He's half sympathetic anti-hero and half hissable villain and he plays to the gods. It's left to Rachel Roberts in the much too small a part of an oversexed doctor's receptionist to walk off with the picture. She certainly looks like she's enjoying herself and is having a grand time upstaging the male lead. Other fine actors like Paul Rodgers and Ann Bell are wasted. A curio at best.

A British drama; A story about a man who rises from a slum to the height of cut-throat big business in London. Returning home, and under the strain of his father's death he cracks and he begins to confront his demons. Based on Patrick Hall's novel, "The Harp that Once", a slice of British realism, the film is about a prodigal son returning home. It is an unflinching exploration of the British class system. Nicol Williamson gives a muscular performance showing self-pity and self-loathing and revenge, a man of few redeeming qualities. It's a film that avoids a debt to convention, but it says very little about the place of women in its character study. The fast editing creates a furious narrative pace but it is a touch too long.

Indicator are a small British blu-ray label who seem to have made it their ultimate goal to unearth some of the best and weirdest forgotten gems from Britain's cinematic past, routinely releasing titles I've never even heard of that turn out to be well worthy of a remaster and rediscovery. One such title is Jack Gold's The Reckoning, a tough, lean thriller about a no-nonsense businessman who travels up North seeking vengeance. Sound familiar? The Reckoning has been compared to Get Carter, which was released the following year, and the two films certainly share some similarities. Yet tonally and thematically the two are worlds apart, with Gold's film more eager to explore class divide and national identity than Carter's more straightforward revenge fantasy. The Reckoning may also be the better film: a punishing experience full of off-putting characters that leaves more of a lasting impression than what many consider to be Michael Caine's finest hour.

It tells the story of Mick Marler (Nicol Williamson), a corporate ball-buster who has worked his way up the ladder over the years with a combination of ruthless business savvy and sheer intimidation. He seems satisfied with his high income and strong social standing, but also has a button-pushing, gold-digging wife (Ann Bell) to contend with. After putting the pieces in place for a business manoeuvre that will favour both himself and his boss (as well as doing away with his biggest rival), Mick heads up north to Liverpool to visit his working-class Irish family. Immediately upon arrival, he discovers his father has died from a heart attack, but is disturbed when he discovers bruising on his father's body. After doing some digging, Mick learns that his father got into a fight with some English 'teddy boys', suffering the fatal heart attack after being punched and kicked to the ground by one of the gang. With his Irish blood boiling inside of him, Mick decides that he must avenge his father, but he also has responsibilities back home.

Torn between his two worlds, Mick goes on a journey of self-discovery that ultimately makes him even more loathsome. When he is in the South, he laughs at the idea of being bound by blood and tradition to avenge his father, but when he is back North, a beast is awoken inside him, and he is irresistibly drawn to embracing his primitive instincts. It's a tough, ugly film that asks you to stick with this part-thug, part-corporate psychopath for just shy of two hours, but John McGrath's screenplay - based on the novel by Patrick Hall - trusts the audience to at least try to understand the man who breezes between two equally brutal, yet entirely different, worlds. This isn't action-packed or even violent as you would expect from a man-on-a-revenge-mission movie, but takes its time to develop this hateful yet fascinating character who used his working-class upbringing to batter his way into the world of lavish dinner parties and fast cars, and was both intrigued and repulsed by what he found. Williamson is excellent, managing to emote both outer ferocity and inner turmoil at the same time, and it's a puzzle why the actor didn't go on to land bigger roles. While it's chaotic at times, The Reckoning is a true forgotten gem that highlights how important the work carried out by Indicator really is.