Rent The Winslow Boy (1948)

3.8 of 5 from 73 ratings
1h 54min
Rent The Winslow Boy Online DVD & Blu-ray Rental
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Synopsis:
Based on real life events, 'The Winslow Boy', starring Robert Donat as Sir Robert Morton and Basil Radford as Desmond Curry. The story follows the tribulations of an Edwardian naval cadet who is accused of robbery then expelled from his academy. On returning home his father becomes determined to clear his name and prove his innocence after what he considers an unfair internal enquiry. During his pursuit for justice the case eventually reaches The House Of Commons, causing public outcry and a political furore.
Actors:
, , , , , , , , , , , , , , W.A. Kelley, , , Marie Michelle, ,
Directors:
Producers:
Anatole de Grunwald
Writers:
Terence Rattigan, Anatole de Grunwald
Studio:
Optimum
Genres:
Classics, Drama
Collections:
A World of Difference: A History of Gay Cinema, Cinema Paradiso's 2022 Centenary Club, Cinema Paradiso's 2023 Centenary Club: Part 1, Drama Films & TV, Getting to Know..., Getting to Know: Kenneth More, A Brief History of Film..., Top 10 British Actresses of the 1940s, Top 10 Films By Year, Top 10 Films of 1948, Top Films
BBFC:
Release Date:
06/04/2009
Run Time:
114 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
DVD Regions:
Region 2
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BBFC:
Release Date:
03/02/2020
Run Time:
118 minutes
Languages:
English LPCM Mono
Subtitles:
English Hard of Hearing
Formats:
Pal
Aspect Ratio:
Full Screen 1.33:1 / 4:3
Colour:
B & W
BLU-RAY Regions:
B
Bonus:
  • New - George Archer-Shee and the Case of the Missing Postal Order
  • New - Interview with Cultural Historian Matthew Sweet
  • New - Interview with Author and Critic, Geoffrey Wansell
  • Stills Gallery

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Reviews (1) of The Winslow Boy

Intelligent adaptation. - The Winslow Boy review by Steve

Spoiler Alert
16/04/2023

Supremely well cast version of Terence Rattigan's 1946 play, based on a famous incident; the presumed theft of a postal order by a boy in a naval academy, who was expelled. It's usually assumed the play is a celebration of British justice, though the themes are more complex, or muddled, than that, and the case is arguably a decadent folly.

This adaptation retained many of the stage actors. The most significant change is the introduction of Robert Donat as the barrister defending the child's right to a trial. And Donat dominates in this showy support role. Cecil Hardwicke is quietly impressive as the boy's father.  

 The play is terribly dated. The servant is an idiotic comic stereotype. The motivations of the comfortable middle class are taken as those of the country. There is absolutely zero class friction. Or gender. And indeed, if Rattigan intends to extol British human rights, often the events prove the opposite.

The period is just before WWI, but there is no impression of mankind on a precipice. But there is still much to enjoy, with unusually precise dialogue and fine staging by Anthony Asquith. Plus a signature Donat performance. Rattigan's England is superbly realised, and there is some pleasure to be taken in that. But it feels a very distant shore now.

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