Negatives/Sparrows Can't Sing — Negatives/Sparrows Can't Sing( Blu Ray)

For some, role-playing/ cosplaying is their all, making their day-to-day dreary/ drab existence seem barely. Here, from the late 60s, is Negatives- a lightly kinky at points disconcerting arty British drama focusing on one such character- a timid and unsure of himself London antiquarian.  The film is a rather lulling-paced affair, dotted with moments of sly erotica, psychological distress/ unfolding, and jarring moments of intensity- where fantasy and reality collide.   Here, from Severin, as part of their series of reissues of films by Hungarian-born British film director Peter Medak, is a Blu-ray release featuring a new scan, a good selection of extras, including on a second disc another film, 1963 Sparrows Can't Sing, a kitchen sink comedy drama that Medak was the assistant director on.

Released in 1968, Negatives was the first feature-length film from Medak- he both directed and co-wrote the film. It was filmed between London and Shepperton Studios. It features a small cast of just seven actors.

After the credits, we’re seemingly back in the 1900s, as a voice talks about Dr. Crippen, and the murder of his wife Corrine "Cora", aka Belle Elmore. A moustached and bespeckled man in period dress steps out onto a roof garden, where he is soon joined by a hatted woman in period dress- the pair bicker, and initially the viewer is lead to believe this is the not so good Dr and Cora, but all of a sudden the camera pans up, and we see an airplane zoom by above- we find out we’re not in 1900, but the 1960’s- and the pair are cosplaying thier roles.

As things unfold, we find out he is Teo (Peter McEnery) a thirtysomething antique shop owner, and she is Vivien (Glenda Jackson), his overbearing wife. The pair's role-playing often rolls into sexual encounters- though this is largely only hinted at/ implied. The pair's relationship is not in a great state- she is often frustrated by his lack of spark and relishes belittling him, and he is becoming tired and jaded with the role play- with a side of the shop, his only focus is going to visit his hypochondriac father in hospital.

One day, while playing chess with himself in his barely ticking over shop, in Swan's mysterious blond/German temptress Reingard(Maurice Denham)- who claims she is a professional photographer. She first worms her way into Teo’s life, then starts to push herself into Vivien’s life too- setting a flame to a new/ more involved role-playing scenario.

All three of the leads are excellent/ well picked- McEnery shifts between being timid & glum, to more pushy, focused, and troubled. Jackson moves from being confrontational and bossy to sensual and later enraged. And Denham is a great master manipulator- which ties together in a troubling resolve.

As mentioned in my introduction, the pace here is largely fairly lullingly, though it is darted most effectively with jarring moments of visceral drama,  manic sexual encounters, and headfirst shifts into fantasy.

The film features an effective score from Basil Kirchin (The Abominable Dr. Phibes, and I Start Counting)- it brings together plodding piano keys & warbling recorder, harpsichord flourish, and sudden jarring tone loops.

 Negatives is certainly an interesting and original debut film from Peter Medak- with its drifting & glum drama flow edged with worthy moments of sexual tension, jarring intensity, and latter dizzying flights into fantasy.

Extras-wise, on this first disc, we get a nice selection of new things. First off is audio commentary with Video Watchdog's Tim Lucas- and as we’ve come to expect from Mr Lucas- this is a marvellously observed/ researched affair. He starts off talking about the certification confusion/ issue with the film- in the UK it got an X, but in the US, as it was released a few weeks before the NPA certs came in, so initially it was shown unclassified/ with no warning of content, to be shown as an X & an R. He discusses how all of the four actors were from a Shakespearian background. We find out there were four weeks of rehearsal before filming, with it shot over seventeen days in late March 1968. He talks about how Negatives is the first cosplay, before giving a potted history of phase. We get quotes from an interview with the film's director from 1968, where he talks about how the original 1961 novel, the film was based on, had where the pair lived that was a lot more squalid and dirtier. He touches on some of the differences between the book and film, and he discusses what the shop location looks like today. He discusses the careers of both of the films' leads. Later on, he talks about how the film is playing with the viewer, and we get a potted history of films where strangers turn up in a location/ in a relationship, altering things. We get a bio of actress Maurice Denham, as well as quotes from an interview with her, where she declares that ‘the film was very low budget, and at points the director didn’t have enough film stock to capture what he wanted to’.

Otherwise, we get an audio interview with Director Peter Medak by Film Historian Lee Gambin (one hour and thirty minutes). Role Playing (5.18) Interview with actor Peter McEnery. Glenda Jackson: Working Class Wonderland (13.28). Video Essay By Lee Gambin. Positives From Negativeland (15.43) Peter Medak presents his production albums From Negatives Through to A Day In The Death Of Joe Egg. And The Doctor Will See You Now(23.45) this is a truly fascinating look at the original Crippen case from Dr. Clare Smith, Historic Collection Curator Of The Metropolitan Police Museum. We get a great selection of pictures/ papers relating to the case, and details, like for example, the not-so-good doctor sold items from his house to fund his court case. She gives a potted history of films/ media influenced by the case, before giving her thoughts on the film to hand.

 

On the second disc, we have 1963’s Sparrows Can’t Sing, which is cockney kitchen sink drama with a light frill of comedy around it. The film was directed by Stockwell, London-born Joan Little- this was her only feature, though she had three TV movie/ short credits. She is most notably/ known as a pioneering theatre director, who was the first woman to be nominated for the Tony Award in 1961. The reason for the picture being presented here is that Peter Medak was assistant director- this was the sixth film in which he had said role.

The film regards Charlie (James Booth), a rather boorish/Jack the Lad character, coming back from sea after two years. He is hoping to reunite with his estranged bubbly & blond wife, Maggie (Barbara Windsor).

The first forty or so minutes find Charlie going back to his cockney manor- finding his original home knocked down, catching up with his friends/ family/ drinking partners, and trying to track down Maggie.

Maggie is living in a block of newly built council flats with separated/slightly older bus driver Bert (George Sewell). And is working part-time in an Italian bakery, as she has a still in her pram daughter.

Throughout the film, we get a selection of recognisable from British TV/ film actors- taking in the likes of Roy Kinnear, Brian Murphy (George & Mildred), Stephen Lewis (On The Buses/ Last Of The Summer Wine), and Arthur Mullard.

The film tries to balance its cockney kitchen dramatics with light touches of humour/ fun, though it never goes fully all-out comedy. Location-wise, we move from the dockside, through to built-up with tower blocks & terraced London, into East End boozers, through gangster run clubs, out into tree-bound parks.

All in all, Sparrows Can’t Sing is engaging/ entertaining enough drama- come-light comedy, as well as being a great snapshot of multicultural cockney London of the 60s. You just have to try to grin/ bear the wavering and warbling theme song by Ms Winsor, which plays over the opening/ finishing credits.

This locked region A disc features a well-defined/ balanced monochrome print, which largely looks very good throughout. We get a few extras on this disc- first of these is With a commentary track from filmmaker Daniel Kremer and assistant director Peter Medak- the latter's input is very sporadic, and it’s Mr Kremer who takes up most of the track’s runtime. We start off with the pair discussing how  Medak became involved with the project, and his memories of director Joan Little- she always wore a wool hat and a beige coat. As we move on, we get a bio of Ms Little, and a discussion about other notable female directors of the time. Mr Kremer talks about the 1965 Peter Yates film One Way Pendulum, which he feels would make a great double bill with the film to hand. He talks about working-class UK comedies like Only Fools And Horses, and On The Buses- and how films like Sparrows Can’t Sing inspired these. Later on, he discusses Barba Windsor and how well she does in the role.  He talks about the film's camera men-Desmond Dickensen & Peter Allwork- both of whom were in the twilight of their careers. It’s an ok track- though more often Kremer wanders off discussing the film, and it would have been nice to hear more about the film's production/ notable scene discussion.

Otherwise, there’s the following: East End Manifesto (19.03), Interview with Joan Littlewood Biographer Peter Rankin. BFI Q&A With Actors Barbara Windsor And Murray Melvin (38.11). Interview with actor Murray Melvin (10.20), Locations Featurette With Film Historian Richard Dacre (15.07), and trailer.

It certainly is wonderful to see Severin releasing more of Peter Medak's work. Negatives is a lulling/ but thought-provoking British drama woven with moments of sly erotica. Whereas Sparrows Can’t Sing is a kitchen drama, with light touches of humour- so two very different films. Both films have received a decent print and a good selection of extras on this reissue.