Bartleby (1970 film)
Bartleby is a 1970 British drama film directed by Anthony Friedman and starring Paul Scofield, John McEnery and Thorley Walters.[1] It is an adaptation of the short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener; A Story of Wall-street" by Herman Melville. The film relocates the narrative from New York in the 1850s to London in the 1970s.[2]
| Bartleby | |
|---|---|
.jpg.webp) DVD Cover | |
| Directed by | Anthony Friedman |
| Screenplay by | Rodney Carr-Smith Anthony Friedman |
| Based on | "Bartleby, the Scrivener; A Story of Wall-street" by Herman Melville |
| Produced by | Rodney Carr-Smith |
| Starring | Paul Scofield John McEnery Thorley Walters |
| Cinematography | Ian Wilson |
| Edited by | John S. Smith |
| Music by | Roger Webb |
Production companies | Pantheon Film Productions Amber Entertainment |
| Distributed by | British Lion Film Corporation |
Release date |
|
Running time | 78 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
It was shot at Twickenham Studios and on location around London. The sets were designed by the art director Simon Holland.
Plot
Bartleby, a young audit clerk, is defeated by the pressures of modern life; he gradually opts out of all forms of social engagement and withdraws into his own world.
Cast
- Paul Scofield - The Accountant
- John McEnery - Bartleby
- Thorley Walters - The Colleague
- Colin Jeavons - Tucker
- Raymond Mason - Landlord
- Charles Kinross - Tenant
- Neville Barber - First Client
- Robin Askwith - Office Boy
- Hope Jackman - Hilda - Tealady
- John Watson - Doctor
- Christine Dingle - Patient
- Rosalind Elliot - Miss Brown - Secretary
- Tony Parkin - Dickinson - Clerk
Critical reception
The TV Guide reviewer commented that "the film is brooding, slow, and annoying at times, but the vision of McEnery as Bartleby is not easily forgotten. Scofield...gives a supremely intelligent portrayal of a man caught between logic and emotion."[3]
Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic wrote about Bartleby- "a poor film but with superb acting in it".[4]
References
- "Bartleby (1970)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 25 April 2017. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- Greenspun, Roger (7 February 1972). "Movie Review - Bartleby - Melville's 'Bartleby' Transformed for the Screen". NYTimes.com. Archived from the original on 2 July 2016. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- "Bartleby Review". Movies.tvguide.com. Archived from the original on 15 April 2014. Retrieved 14 April 2014.
- Kauffmann, Stanley (1974). Living Images Film Comment and Criticism. Harper & Row Publishers. p. 99.