The Horse's Mouth

The Horse's Mouth (1958) presents the great Sir Alec Guinness at the pinnacle of his career. Having become a star through the early films of David Lean and the quirky, immensely popular Ealing comedies, Guinness was an international superstar after his Oscar-winning role in Lean's Bridge on the River Kwai, and for a few years had his name above the title in films like Our Man in Havana, Tunes of Glory, and HMS Defiant. Guinness produced, co-wrote, and starred in this adaptation of Joyce Cary's novel, one of his finest achievements.

Gulley Jimson (Alec Guinness) is an eccentric, vulgar, misanthropic amateur painter who is struggling to make ends meat. When he divorced his wife (Renee Houston), she took all of his paintings to settle a debt. His former patron, A.W. Alabaster (Arthur Macrae), won't return his calls (well, most of them are vulgar and threatening). Gulley finds a patron in Sir William Beeder (Robert Coote), who commissions him to make a wall mural. Aided by a cast of silly characters - his coarse but loving mistress Dee Coker (Kay Walsh), an obnoxious sculptor (Michael Gough), an air-headed model (Gillian Vaughan) and Nosey (Mike Morgan), a naive admirer of his - Gulley struggles to fulfill his artistic desires in spite of everything.

Like many great comedies, The Horse's Mouth places its plot secondary to the characters, particularly Gulley. It has the anarchic spirit of Guinness's Ealing films, building on and arguably surpasses it. Like Charlie Chaplin's Little Tramp, Jacques Tati's Monsieur Hulot, Peter Sellers' Inspector Clouseau, Rowan Atkinson's Mr. Bean, and other classic comedy figures, Gulley bumbles from one situation to another; however, it is not naive clumsiness (for the most part), but deliberate design. Gulley flaunts societal rules and weasels his way into high society, taking advantage of societal politeness to get what he wants. Unlike most such characters, however, he has a goal - to create art. It makes him short-sighted, narrow-minded, and arrogant - as he realizes in a brief moment of clarity - but that hardly matters to him. Even when Gulley becomes recognized for his work towards the end, he remains unsatisfied. Whether Gulley is a great artist is not the point (and he's pretty obviously not) - it's something he has to do, and he'll do much anything to express himself.

Alec Guinness shows his full talent as an actor and comedian. His biggest asset as an actor is his versatility - he can play any character, regardless of class, position, personality, time period, even race and gender. Witness his eight-way performance in Kind Hearts and Coronets, his demented Professor Marcus (The Ladykillers), the mild-mannered criminal Holland (The Lavender Hill Mob), the naive idealist Sidney Stratton (The Man in the White Suit). And those are just his Ealing films. Guinness is an amazing actor, able to alter his appearance, voice, and the most subtle of mannerisms to create a whole new persona. Not only is Guinness a great actor, but also a fabulous comedian - able to use his abilities to create unforgettably amusing characters.

Gulley Jimson is a fascinating character. Not every actor could have pulled it off, but Guinness does so brilliantly. Guinness makes full use of his abilities - the raspy voice, which he alters at appropriate moments, his gestures and movements, which range from broad slapstick flailing to subtle facial and hand gestures. The supporting cast is good, particularly Kay Walsh at her Cockney best and Michael Gough's obnoxious sculptor - but it's Sir Alec's show the whole way.

The Horse's Mouth is a film that must be seen to be enjoyed. Its wonderful mix of anarchic, irreverent yet playful humor and one of the best performances by one of cinema's greatest actors will be a treat for any film fan.