The Triple Echo — The Triple Echo(Blu Ray)
Glenda Jackson plays Alice, who after her soldier husband is taken prisoner by the Japanese, must manage their farm alone. Alice meets a young man named Barton, played by Brian Deacon, with whom she becomes a friend and lover. Barton deserts from the army and takes refuge with Alice at the farm. It’s not long before the military police come looking for Barton. In order to escape he must disguise himself as Alice’s sister, Cathy, but when a sergeant played by Oliver Reed takes a shine to Cathy and invites her and Alice to a party, things start to go awry.
The film features some strong performances from the small but excellent cast, specifically Jackson who is absolutely superb as Alice. The relationship that forms between her and Barton is wholly believable and both actors spark off one another, which is especially good as they share a great deal of screen time. The film has been lovingly restored to a very high standard, the print is sharp, and the colours look clean and natural. The cinematography really comes into its own during the outdoor sequences, which show the English countryside in all its glory. In a film where the two main characters spend so much time alone together, the landscape begins to take on a life all of its own. Oliver Reed doesn’t turn up until midway through the film, however, his arrival on screen has all the subtlety of the tank he is driving. Needless to say, Reed is his usual brash but charming self, as he chews his way through the scenery, however, it is not until the film’s final act that he really comes into his own in typical scene stealing fashion.
The Triple Echo is a film largely concerned with loneliness, each of the film’s main protagonists is experiencing some form of isolation, whether that is Alice living alone on the farm at the film’s opening, or Barton becoming ever more isolated whilst hiding out on the farm, or the Sergeant who is starved of female companionship. The film’s finale takes a turn for the darker, as Barton finds himself increasingly in danger.
This new bluray from Powerhouse films collects a wealth of additional material together including featurettes, interviews and even the super 8 version of the film, as well as the usual trailers and image gallery. Overall the whole package is a treat for fans of this often-overlooked gem of a film. It is so unlike any other film I can think of that you really do have to see it to formulate an opinion of it. If you enjoy something a little different from the usual formulaic drama you may enjoy The Triple Echo.