"The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" is a very good film with an excellent script. It may be a tough sitting for those who prefer action flicks or comedies, but those interesting in dialogue and character studies will enjoy it.

The film takes place in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1932. Jean Brodie (Maggie Smith) is a history teacher at a private school for girls. Her romantic liaisons with passionate art teacher Teddy (Robert Stephens) and a well-intentioned music teacher (Gordon Jackson), as well as her radical pro-fascist political views, put her at odds with the formidable, conservative headmaster (Celia Johnson). But Brodie remains popular with the girls in her class, especially insightful Sandy (Pamela Franklin), stammering Mary (Jane Carr), and serene beauty Jenny (Diane Grayson).

Vanessa Redgrave had played Brodie in the stage
production, and was originally cast in the role.
However, she was unavailable when the film
production began. Maggie Smith took the part and
won the Oscar for Best Actress for her
performance. Celia Johnson won Best Supporting
Actress in the British Academy Awards.

The major strength of "The Prime of Miss Jean
Brodie" comes from the script, which is
excellent. The dialogue provides great depth and
credibility to the major characters, and the
direction by Ronald Neame is careful to show the
facial reactions of the characters to key lines.

The syrupy, string-laden Rod McKuen theme is the
film's most obvious weakness. One minor
complaint: it is difficult to believe that a
painter can't avoid putting his lover's face in
every portrait. Also, the affair between Teddy
and Sandy is given slight treatment, and you
would think that Brodie would be furious rather
than merely stunned upon her betrayal. (73/100)



Recommended: Yes