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I suppose it was during my last year at secondary school that the following event I'm about to relate occurred. Well, the location is definite, but the year is an educated guess, arrived at from the fact that the timing would've been just right. Several classes of potential soon-to-be school leavers (if my conjecture as to the year is correct) were taken to the science block's screening room to see a movie one day, the cinematic treat presented for our appreciation being An Inspector Calls starring Alastair Sim, and based on the play by J.B. Priestley.
Directed by James Bond stalwart Guy Hamilton, it's a tightly-woven morality tale of how one's every action has unforeseen repercussions that impacts on not just the individual accountable for them, but others as well. No doubt its screening was intended to inculcate a sense of responsibility in our young minds to prepare us for our impending entry into the working world and justify our position among the ranks of 'adulthood'. (Of course, it may be that it was routinely shown to all 15-16 year olds each year, regardless of whether they were due to leave school or not, as perhaps that was the age-group considered to be more receptive to the film's 'message'.)
It's a powerful story, and is so masterfully constructed that you 'can't see the joins' as it unfolds before you. By that I mean each event appears to be a random happening, totally unconnected to the one that precedes it and the one that follows, though slowly but surely we learn that they're all tied together and that, in life, everything we do has consequences, like the ripples caused by a pebble thrown into a pond. The acting, lighting, direction, etc., are superb, and the music cues, especially those accompanying dramatic revelations, are extremely effective.
So if you've never seen the film, hunt it down now as it's a true classic (and available on dvd). The twist in the tale of the original play has been 'accentuated' to greater effect in the movie, and I can promise you that you'll be thoroughly entertained, as well as having your imagination stimulated and maybe even your mindset and behaviour affected in a way that's beneficial to not only yourself, but also those with whom you interact.
Hey, that's a movie well-worth seeing, don't you think?! If you're already familiar with the film, feel free to agree with my assessment of it - or not, as the case may be. The comments section awaits your esteemed presence.
Below, the actual screening room, in 2007 or '08, recorded for posterity (by me) 33-plus years after first seeing the movie. It was projected from a booth at the back, though I no longer recall with any certainty whether it was straight onto the wall or a 'roller-screen' (the latter I think), but this was where an Inspector called back in 1974. (See what I did there?) Within a few months (at most) of this photo being taken, the entire school was demolished to make way for houses and flats, a new school building having already been built (and in use) on adjoining land.
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Below, the actual screening room, in 2007 or '08, recorded for posterity (by me) 33-plus years after first seeing the movie. It was projected from a booth at the back, though I no longer recall with any certainty whether it was straight onto the wall or a 'roller-screen' (the latter I think), but this was where an Inspector called back in 1974. (See what I did there?) Within a few months (at most) of this photo being taken, the entire school was demolished to make way for houses and flats, a new school building having already been built (and in use) on adjoining land.
