Monday, June 08, 2020

Movie review - "The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith" (1978) ****

I can't get over the fact  people were surprised this didn't make its money back. It actually did quite well at the box office considering its subject matter - but it was expensive.

A marvellous film though. Powerful. Incredibly well made. Better on second viewing because you know a time bomb is coming.

Tommy Lewis is heart breaking as Jimmie - so cheerful. So smart. And he explodes.

Angela Macgregor is wonderful with her prematurely middle aged face and low rent nature. Ray Barrett is terrifying as the vicious, rapist cop. Liz Alexander is the picture of smug middle class ness. Ruth Cracknell is wonderful. Actually everyone is good. Maybe Tim Robertson's accent isn't so crash hot. Bryan Brown pops up as does Arthur Dignam, Ray Meagher, Peter Sumner.

There's actually not a lot of violence in it. But when it happens it breaks screen taboos - Jimmie kills old ladies, young girls, a baby.

This is a masterpiece.

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