The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

A maverick teacher (Smith) who has great influence over her pupils, becomes a threat to the headmistress, who resolves to get rid of her. This film, for which Maggie Smith won an Oscar for best actress, is a reasonably faithful adaptation of Muriel Spark's novel. It is dominated by Smith's masterly performance as Jean Brodie, but also manages very well to evoke the atmosphere of Edinburgh and the air of oppression it can generate, seen in many different ways in the headmistress Miss Mackay, and in Miss Brodie. There are also very good performances from Smith's then husband, Robert Stephens, and Celia Johnson. The humour which pervaded the novel comes out well in the film, but is rather too sentimental, giving Stephens a better part by concentrating more on the love angle. That aside, this is an excellent film, leaving the audience to decide which right has prevailed by the end. It's probably Maggie Smith's best known film; as it uses lots of shots of Edinburgh, try and spot the various locations.

Review by Katherine Edge
Taken from EUFS Programme 1994-95