Themes: Religious Zealotry, Fighting the System, Culture Clash
Main Cast: Peter O'Toole, Alastair Sim, Arthur Lowe, Harry Andrews, Coral Browne
Release Year: 1972
Country: UK
Run Time: 154 minutes
MPAA Rating: PG
Plot
An institutionalized schizophrenic with a Messiah complex inherits the position of an English Earl in this cutting satire of British society, based on a play by Peter Barnes. The film's irreverent tone is established with the disturbingly hilarious death of the thirteenth Earl of Gurney during a bizarre attempt at auto-erotic asphyxiation. To the dismay of the earl's family, the title passes to his son Jack (Peter O'Toole), who has been locked away for eight years after claiming to be the second coming of Jesus Christ. Mad but harmless, Jack is released to assume his seat. However, his embrace of Christianity proves incompatible with a position of power in "normal" society, where peace and love are considered serious weaknesses, and a somewhat unhinged psychiatrist is called to help him adjust. Meanwhile, Jack's scheming uncle, Sir Charles (William Mervyn), works on developing a complex scheme to trick Jack out of his position. Loaded with idiosyncratic touches from eccentric camera angles to unexpected outbursts of song, the film creates an experience nearly as inspired and mad as O'Toole's brilliantly hilarious central performance. The film's devilish invention may at times seem overloaded, but most drawbacks are redeemed by the sharpness of the satire, particularly during the memorably disturbing finale. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Review
The Ruling Class is a dark, anarchic satire built around one of the screen's best jokes. An eccentric British nobleman (Peter O'Toole) has delusions of grandeur, setting off a series of odd adventures that contrast his allegedly insane views against those of his tradition-bound kin. O'Toole's energy carries the film even when there isn't much happening in the story. There is little plot in a conventional sense, essentially providing a framework for the film's often very funny extended sequences. The supporting cast is solid. Alastair Sim is in fine form with one of his best late-career performances. The film has an interesting production design, though occasionally its lack of budget limits the variety of sets. The film helped establish a pattern for director Peter Medak of specializing in interesting but only marginally commercial projects. ~ Richard Gilliam, All Movie Guide
Michael Bryant - Dr. Herder; Ronald Adam - Lord; Kenneth Benda - Lord Chancellor; Hugh Burden - Matthew Peake; Patsy Byrne - Mrs. Treadwell; Joan Cooper - Nurse Brice; Graham Crowden - Truscott; James Grout - Inspector Brockett; James Hazeldine - Detective Sgt. Fraser; Neil Kennedy - Dr. Herder's Assistant; Margaret Lacey - Midwife; Oliver Macgreevy - Inmate; William Mervyn - Sir Charles; Declan Mulholland - Poacher; Hugh Owens - Toastmaster; Llewellyn Rees - Lord; Leslie Schofield - McKyle's Assistant; Carolyn Seymour - Grace; James Villiers - Dinsdale; Kay Walsh - Mrs. Piggot-Jones; Henry Woolf - Inmate; Nigel Green - McKyle; Julian D'Albie - Lord; Griffith Davies
Credit
Eleanor Fazan - Choreography, Ruth Myers - Costume Designer, Bert Batt - First Assistant Director, Peter Medak - Director, Ray Lovejoy - Editor, John Cameron - Composer (Music Score), John Cameron - Musical Arrangement, John Cameron - Musical Direction/Supervision, Charles Parker - Makeup, Peter Murton - Production Designer, Ken Hodges - Cinematographer, Jack Hawkins - Producer, David Korda - Producer, Jules Buck - Producer, Roy Whybrow - Special Effects, Peter Barnes - Screenwriter, Peter Barnes - Play Author
