Simon Callow's entry into the BFI Classics canon is a distillation of what might otherwise be a somewhat typical pop history examination of a classic film. Instead, at just over 75 pages, it doesn't wear out its welcome, but its charms will be better appreciated by a novice student of film than one steeped in the modern culture of DVD supplements, critical websites, and (of course) more academic texts. Some of Callow's observations have been simply outstripped since he made them 17 years ago; James Agee's screenplay for the film has been found, for instance, putting paid to one or two popular myths the book repeats. Callow's slightly grandiose writing also has a habit of presenting anecdotes, including possibly exaggerated ones, as if they're fact; it's fun to read, and it lends the whole book a slightly "shaggy dog story" quality of which Charles Laughton would probably have approved, but it keeps the whole thing from feeling essential. Callow's text also lacks the more focused technical analysis of the better BFI books; this is an actor and biographer talking about a work of art, and some readers (myself included) want something just a little bit more specialized from this monograph series.

Having said all of that, it's a very readable little volume, with some fine observations on Laughton's inspirations, as well as a very laudable section that quotes the original novel extensively to show the close adaptation of both content and tone. I just wish we could have foregone the "making of the movie"-esque narrative and taken a closer look at the other formal elements of the film. ( )

A clever criticism of Charles Laughton's film masterpiece. The only movie Laughton ever directed is cleverly dissected by Simon Callow in an extraordinary review. ( )