The frustrating thing about Rank was that their ideas were solid but they could never get the execution right. It was a good idea to bring back the Gainsborough melodrama style, and some solid talent spotting that saw them assign the film to Joseph Losey, and allow him to cast Melinda Mercouri as a gypsy, and Keith Michell and Patrick McGoohan as the other leads. There's nice colour and sets - it's an expensive film, looks good, is peopled with colourful character actors like Flora Robson and Nigel Green.
But yet again Rank demonstrated it didn't understand Gainsborough and the script is both simple and confusing. The emotional lines aren't clear and the cast lopsided. These films worked with "good" and "bad" characters - normally two good and two bad, who would intersect. But here Michell is a wastrel rake, who marries a gypsy for... spite? Love? Lust? It's never clear. Neither is Mercouri's motivation. She loves McGoohan I think? Wants Michell for cash? That would've been good. But it's confusing.
I would've had Michell not be a rake. Make him good. (There is a "good" male, a whimpy doctor who loves Michell's sister but he barely registers.) Or at least make it clear he genuinely loves Mercouri. I was never sure. Hold off the reveal he's got no money. Have McGoohan more clearly drive the plot. Make it clear that Michell loves Mercouri and she loves McGoohan. It's not clear. It's frustrating.
It's a shame because the three leads have presence (the good girl, Michell's sister, is bland) and it's gorgeous looking. Losey made interesting failures.
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