Room at the Top (1958)

 Jack Clayton's "Room at the Top"


My immediate take after watching Jack Clayton's 1958 British film "Room at the Top" was that it felt like a charmless Ernst Lubitsch film. That being said, I didn't necessarily hate the film. There were many aspects from its themes that I found very resonant. However, its characters to me felt too unlikeable for the kind of romantic drama it was attempting to pull the viewer into. 

Although the film released wide in January of 1959, it had its premier in Luton, UK on December 29, 1958. It centers on an ambitous ex-army vet vying for the affections of two women. One, Susan, is the young daughter of a wealthy industrialist. The other, Alice, is an older married woman thought of by the locals as nothing more than an 'old whore.' Our protagonist, Joe, must decide whether to pursue a nice, comfortable life with Susan (something he never had), or actual true love (and possible embarrassment) with Alice.

The main area of interest for me was this decision the protagonist must consider whether to economically fit in with wealthy elites or to stay poor but spend time with the women he loves. Outside of this dramatic intrigue, I found myself disliking all of the characters. Normally, this would not be a problem for me in term of liking the film, but I don't believe this was the intentions of the filmmaker. However, its structure and point was worth consideration.



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