The crimes of John Christie are generally not well known to Americans, but he is remembered all too well by the British public, along with previous serial killers Neville Heath and George Haigh. If his case was merely one of many killers, he might have been forgotten long ago. But the hanging of an innocent man for murders committed by Christie ultimately led to the abolition of the death penalty in Great Britain. This film shows how it happened, in low key but spellbinding detail.
There is an eerie sense of time and place captured by actual locations used for much of the filming. The buildings at Rillington Place were still standing in 1970, when the movie began production, and the dismal street where these shocking events happened didn't look much different than in the late Forties.
All the performances are excellent, along with the editing and cinematography. John Hurt perfectly captures the confusion and bewilderment of the falsely accused Timothy Evans and Judy Geeson is equally good as his disenchanted young wife. Pat Heywood skillfully portrays the dread and denial of Mrs. Christie, struggling with her growing suspicions that her seemingly meek and ineffectual husband may be a brutal murderer.
In the crucial role of John Christie, Richard Attenborough submerges himself in his character so thoroughly that you want to turn away from him, but find it impossible not to watch his every calculating move. His voice is a spooky half whisper that helps to create a sense of unease. He underplays the part in a way that makes Christie come alive so convincingly, that it's uncomfortable to watch him. His most seemingly innocuous statements and actions are imbued with a feeling of dread that pervades the entire movie.
The lurid subject matter is handled in a restrained , non-exploitive way that benefits the film. This is a disturbing, unforgettable movie that should be seen at least once, though not many viewers would likely want to see it again.
There is an eerie sense of time and place captured by actual locations used for much of the filming. The buildings at Rillington Place were still standing in 1970, when the movie began production, and the dismal street where these shocking events happened didn't look much different than in the late Forties.
All the performances are excellent, along with the editing and cinematography. John Hurt perfectly captures the confusion and bewilderment of the falsely accused Timothy Evans and Judy Geeson is equally good as his disenchanted young wife. Pat Heywood skillfully portrays the dread and denial of Mrs. Christie, struggling with her growing suspicions that her seemingly meek and ineffectual husband may be a brutal murderer.
In the crucial role of John Christie, Richard Attenborough submerges himself in his character so thoroughly that you want to turn away from him, but find it impossible not to watch his every calculating move. His voice is a spooky half whisper that helps to create a sense of unease. He underplays the part in a way that makes Christie come alive so convincingly, that it's uncomfortable to watch him. His most seemingly innocuous statements and actions are imbued with a feeling of dread that pervades the entire movie.
The lurid subject matter is handled in a restrained , non-exploitive way that benefits the film. This is a disturbing, unforgettable movie that should be seen at least once, though not many viewers would likely want to see it again.