What's it all about?

This was posted over on Scotch Corner a month or so back but I didn't want to repost it here without writing up a little bit about the film. 'Alfie' is a 1966 British film starring Michael Caine in the lead role. Written and adapted from his own novel by Bill Naughton it follows a young man called Alfie Elkins around on his various romantic adventures. This film almost single handedly set up the 'jack the lad' wise cracking image that followed Caine around for a long time. 

It is a remarkable film both in its subject matter and in the way it tells its story. Alfie breaks the fourth wall and speaks directly to the viewer something which was uncommon but not unheard of in film, a well used device in theatre, and this element makes Alfie such an endearing but flawed character. You love him, he's a funny, charming, exciting guy to be around but he's such a horrendous bastard at the same time.

The film is well known for its abortion scene which must have caused no small amount of out cry in the 60s and is still just as hard hitting today, and the other well known factor is the hit record 'Alfie'. The film was already released in the UK before the track was written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, sung by Cher for the US release and also recorded by Cilla Black for the UK market. Here's the end credits to the film which feature not just the scraggy mutt which sums up Alfie Elkins perfectly but some brilliant photo cutting.

I love Michael Caine's performance in this film and its helps that he plays of some remarkable actors like Shelley Winters and Vivien Merchant. He's a wonderful actor and even in some of his more notoriously (critic hated) poor films in the early 80s he still commits himself and turns in some fine performances. His resurgent career in the last decade shows that he is a class act and a true master of his craft.

There was a remake of Alfie in 2004 starring Jude Law which I've never seen. I'm not one to bash remakes so if I happen to be sat in front of the TV when its one time I'll watch it but I find it hard to think that it would offer any more or mean just as much as the original. An excellent film, a classic from the moment it was made.

Tweet