THE SMALL BACK ROOM (1949) may be lesser known to fans of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressberger compared to the likes of THE RED SHOES, THE LIFE AND DEATH OF COLONEL BLIMP and PEEPING TOM, the latter of which got a glorious 4K restoration for a recent cinema and Blu-Ray release. However, it is no less worthy an addition to the collection if you are keen to backtrack through some of their other work.
Made whilst the Second World War was still causing a major hangover to Britain when UXB sites were still aplenty (and even today on occasion there is a story that areas of the UK have been evacuated because there are still some buried somewhere), THE SMALL BACK ROOM tells of Sammy Rice (David Farrar), a disgruntled and part-disabled serviceman who was injured in active duty and now drowns himself in whisky and an incessant demand for dope which Civvy Street is not giving in the local pharmacy.
His wife Susan (Kathleen Byron) is loyal and works as a secretary. Susan brings in Captain Dick Stuart (Michael Gough, decades before his turn as Alfred in the Tim Burton BATMAN films) who has become aware of a brand new smart bomb that has caused the death of three adults and one child in the last month. The device is reminiscent of a small thermos flask, something Rice is aware of when he examines one which Stuart brings home. However, his own demons and troubles are coming to the fore as he battles potentially altering the course of the war.
Restored impeccably by Studio Canal, with consultation from Martin Scorsese and Powell’s widow Thelma Schoonmaker, THE SMALL BACK ROOM may be a little too niche today and the human drama seems to get in the way of a quite suspenseful final third which will have you on the edge of your seat.
The performances are fantastic, particularly Farrar who embodies the disjointed spirit of a man wary of his own value and virtue in life. The black and white cinematography by Christopher Challis is also notable and very noir, reminding one of the atmosphere and style of Carol Reed‘s THE THIRD MAN.
THE SMALL BACK ROOM WILL BE AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY, DVD AND DIGITAL ON 3 JUNE, FOLLOWING A NEW PREMIERE SCREENING AT THE BFI ON 28 MAY 2024.
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