The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
by Ronald Neame
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Celia Johnson, Gordon Jackson, Maggie Smith, Pamela Franklin, Robert StephensDirector: Ronald Neame
Brand: Prime
Cinematographer: Ted Moore
Editor: Norman Savage
Producer: James Cresson
Producer: Robert Fryer
Writer: Jay Presson Allen
Writer: Muriel Spark
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), Dolby Digital 1.0; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); English (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; French (Original Language), Dolby Digital 1.0; Spanish (Dubbed), Dolby Digital 1.0
Format: Anamorphic, Color, Dubbed, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen
Picture Format: 1.85:1
Running Time: 116 minutes
Published: 2004-07-01
DVD Release Date: 2004-07-06
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: 20th Century Fox
Movie Reviews of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Movie Review: "Cleopatra knew nothing of the team spirit if you read your Shakespeare!"
Summary: 5 Stars
Maggie's Smith's Jean Brodie accomplishes the near impossible, creating sympathy for an arrogant, self absorbed, dangerous woman. This schoolteacher blithely steers the lives of her favorite students, "the Brodie Girls" into treacherous waters to vicariously fulfill her own frustrated needs and desires. Her unrealized ambitions are projected onto her girls: Jenny to be a great lover/artist's model, Monica a famous actress or playwright, Mary a revolutionary freedom fighter, and finally Sandy, a spy or Secret Service Agent to report back to Miss Brodie on the others activities. Whether they are suited for these particular vocations is no matter to her, as she doesn't see their actual characters and personalities, and will try to make them fit the mould she has created in her image.
That being said, Ms. Smith lets us view the pathos, as Miss Brodie views life through the distorted prism of her romantic illusions she truly has not a clue as to the irreparable damage she unwittingly inflicts on two of her original "Brodie Girls". At the film's climax when confronted with the evidence of this, she is astonished, wounded, and unbelieving of the truth. This is a tragedy because she does possess the ability to be a first class educator and mentor to her students at the Marcia Blaine School for Girls. The other female teachers are by and large well meaning, but rather staid, provincial and dull. Jean Brodie with her strawberry blonde bob, clad in brightly hued dramatic frocks resembles an iridescent hummingbird that has somehow flitted in among the drab sparrows and wrens that comprise most of the female teaching staff. This coupled with Miss Brodie's independent spirit and rather superior attitude provokes jealousy and resentment down through the ranks of the staff. The headmistress Miss Mackay perceives Ms. Brodie as a threat, and as such is on a crusade to rid Marcia Blaine of her presence. Jean is well aware of this but continues on her self-destructive path, mistakenly believing her reputation and tenure as a teacher, and more importantly the loyalty of her girls will protect her.
For us to accept such a flawed character the actress playing Jean Brodie must radiate charisma. Maggie Smith goes beyond this, she mesmerizes us, and we are as spellbound as her students by her classroom soliloquies, held in thrall by this enchantress. Miss Brodie opens a new colorful world to her favorites. Scotch history comes vividly to life as she takes them on a walking tour of the older districts of Edinburgh, where the actual events she describes took place. There are forays to the art museum, where Ms. Brodie tells them of the life of Gauguin, they attend performances of classic theatre, opera and ballet, enlightening a cultural life that is virtually ignored at the conservative Marcia Blaine. Diverse artists such as Giotto, Michelangelo, Sybil Thorndike, Anna Pavlova and Dante Gabriel Rossetti are discussed and admired. In al fresco school picnics and Sunday luncheons, the "Brodie Girls" are introduced to such exotic dishes as pate de foie gras, sweetbreads a la Milanese, and charlotte russe. Initially Jean Brodie appears to be an Auntie Mame of schoolteachers, eccentric, flamboyant but well meaning and loveable, making her clique aware of the infinite possibilities of life until hints of a darker, more malign influence begin to emerge.
There is a lengthy tour de force sequence by Maggie Smith that illuminates the bravura quality of her performance, and shows just why she won the Best Actress Oscar. It begins in Miss Mackay's office, who makes a ludicrous attempt to force Jean to resign; Miss Brodie's fiery warrior reduces Miss Mackay to a stunned silence, and Miss Brodie leaves the field victorious. However immediately thereafter she has two stormy encounters with her present and former lovers, Mr. Lowther and Mr. Lloyd. The cumulative effect of all three interviews leaves Ms. Brodie shaken and very vulnerable emotionally, and perhaps for the first time she experiences a fleeting moment of self-awareness that her life is empty at the core. Determined to rise above it however, she briskly gives a slide show presentation of her recent vacation in Italy to her class. Still she cannot maintain this false bravado for long, and slips into a meandering reverie to the bewilderment of her students before finally dissolving into tears. Of such magical moments are Academy Award winning performances made!
By rights, Pamela Franklin as Sandy and Celia Johnson as Miss Mackay should have both joined Ms. Smith in the winner's circle, in a tie for Best Supporting Actress, but incredibly they weren't even nominated! Ms. Franklin's achievement is the more remarkable, since she was all of 18 years old, and convincingly plays a schoolgirl from ages 12 to 18 years of age. Sandy is the brightest of the Brodie girls, made wise beyond her years, but taken for granted by Miss Brodie, who will ultimately be surpassed by her. In the final charged, verbal duel between them, Ms. Franklin stands toe to toe with Ms. Smith, no mean feat. Celia Johnson's Miss Mackay is something of an enigma; in her case still waters certainly do run deep. The viewer is not quite sure what's she's thinking and what is motivating her vendetta against Miss Brodie, why the intense dislike, is it jealousy, fear, honest concern for the students welfare, all of these, something else we'll never learn? Ms. Johnson's seamless, effortless acting keeps us guessing and interested as to who will ultimately prevail; she is a worthy opponent for Miss Brodie.
The only male roles in the film are those of Miss Brodie's lovers past and present, both teachers at Marcia Blaine. Teddy Lloyd, dark, intense and sardonic is the married art master at the school, and also a painter in his spare time. Although Jean loves him, and he is besotted with her, she will not rekindle the romance, and instead uses Mr. Lowther, the music teacher as a proxy in her bed. Robert Stephens, Maggie Smith's real life husband at the time portrays Teddy, the chemistry between the two providing a real flame to their scenes together. Gordon Jackson plays Gordon Lowther, the blond, ruddy, music teacher, bound by convention, and very much dominated by Jean. Their furtive sex life causes him more guilt than pleasure, and he cannot understand why Jean won't marry him. Lowther is wishy-washy, but Jackson does the best he can with an impossible part, finally giving him a set of balls when he belatedly stands up to Miss Brodie and tells her what he wants from their relationship.
A special mention to Diane Grayson, Shirley Steedman and particularly Jane Carr who play the rest of the Brodie Girls,respectively Jenny, Monica and the hapless Mary McGregor, and are fine indeed. The script by Jay Van Presson Allen improves on Muriel Spark's original novel while retaining the wit, most of which is tartly delivered by Maggie Smith, as for example the title line of this review. A final tip of the hat to Ronald Neame who as director who pulls all the elements together to create an excellent engrossing film.
Quick word about the extras on the DVD; commentaries by Ronald Neame and Pamela Franklin, some very good anecdotes about making the film, also some filler, still worth a listen, but you miss Maggie Smith's participation, plus a still gallery of photographs from the production and the original trailers. Still, the ultimate draw once and for always will be Maggie Smith's legendary schoolteacher to remember.
Summary of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
A Scottish schoolmistress is a bad influence on her students.Genre: Feature Film-Drama
Rating: UN
Release Date: 6-JUL-2004
Media Type: DVD
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