Tea at four. Dinner at Eight, Murder at Midnight.
Julian Fellowes may be better know to most Americans as the creator of Downton Abbey, but many may not be aware the show is not his first foray into scripting a tale of intrigue and relationships in a period English stately home. In 2001 he penned Gosford Park, a script that would be brought to life by noted director Robert Altman (M*A*S*H, The Long Goodbye). A period setting using a host of notable British talent to look at class and social structure, against the backdrop of a murder-mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. A film that garnered critical and awards acclaim on release, here given a sumptuous new treatment by Arrow video.
Synopsis:
In 2001, Robert Altman (MASH, The Long Goodbye) took the unexpected step into Agatha Christie territory with Gosford Park, a murder-mystery whodunit set in an English country house starring a host of British acting greats and with an Oscar-winning screenplay by Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes. It would become a huge success with audiences and critics alike. Set in 1932, the action unfolds during a weekend shooting party hosted by Sir William McArdle (Alan Bates), and his wife Lady Sylvia (Kristin Scott Thomas) at his estate, Gosford Park. Among the guests are friends, relatives, the actor and composer Ivor Novello (Jeremy Northam), and an American film producer (Bob Balaban). When Sir William is found murdered in the library, everyone — and their servants — becomes a suspect. Also starring Charles Dance, Michael Gambon, Richard E. Grant, Helen Mirren, Clive Owen, Maggie Smith, Emily Watson and many more, Altman produced another masterpiece deserving to be ranked alongside Nashville and Short Cuts as one his finest forays into ensemble drama.
British period dramas seem to have an enduring allure, especially in the United States. A glimpse at a bygone era, insights into an age of tradition and gentility, the positive and negative kind. Gosford Park is one of the preeminent examples, carefully balance the entertainment, with a genuinely well crafted look at the social makeup within the walls of this English manor house. A microcosm of class structure in the 1930s. The upstairs/downstairs divide, the juxtaposition of the haves and the have-nots. Within each, additional tiers of status, even the servants are sat to dinner respective of the ranks of their masters.
Where the film excels is in it’s depiction of these fully formed characters and all their eccentricities. Lords and ladies, butlers and footman, celebrities and commoners. There’s an etiquette to each, and each relate to another with expected deference, respect, or expectancy. Their differing perspectives and problems also give interesting contrasts. Michael Gambon towers over the production as the Sir William McCordle, lord of Gosford Park. Kristin Scott Thomas entices as his alluring but aloof wife. Downstairs the help brought to life by Alan Bates (butler), Helen Mirren , the housekeeper Mrs. Wilson (Helen Mirren), the cook Mrs. Croft (Eileen Atkins), the footman George (a brilliant Richard E. Grant), not to mention a tryst between household via butler Robert Parks (Clive Owen) and maid Mary MacEachran (Kelly Macdonald). As guests, Bob Balaban plays Morris Weissman, a gay Hollywood producer attending with his valet Henry Denton (Ryan Phillippe), this is all before adding luminaries such as Tom Hollander, Jeremy Northam, Ralph Fiennes, Charles Dance to the mix. Special mention must go to Maggie Smith as the ruthlessly cutting Countess of Trentham who delivers lines with sufficient menace, wit, and contempt, to standout from such a glittering array of talent. You could allow this group of players to just banter back and forth for the entire runtime and still leave satisfied, but the plot introduces a tangent, a murder within their midst. This heralds the arrival of an Inspector (the always delightful Stephen Fry) giving the film a streak of a Agatha Christie style ‘whodunnit’. While feeling like something of a side affair, it adds more fun to proceedings, contrasting the capabilities of many of those involved when under pressure, as well as how the dynamics between the occupants of the house change, as well as some unknown secrets connecting them.
The screenplay by Julian Fellowes, based on an idea by Altman and Balaban, just sparkles. It’s incredibly fine tuned, in how it introduces all these characters, their positions in the house, and how they relate to one another. There is a balance and attention to all aspects of the production, while still carving out opportunity for show stealing twirls from the cast, dropping tremendous zingers and quips. The production design is sumptuous, this house itself manifests as another character, with the use of space informing both the characters and progression of the tale expertly. The film is an embarrassment of riches, all expertly deployed and layered together by Altman, to deliver a sumptuous piece of cinema.
The Package
Arrow delivers a new transfer of Gosford Park, one given a 2K restoration, supervised and approved by director of photography Andrew Dunn. The result is a invitingly rich image, one with impressive detail, natural colors, and deep blacks, that looks pristine, while retaining a natural film grain and look. The release is packed with many impressive special features:
- Audio commentary by director Robert Altman, production designer Stephen Altman and producer David Levy:
- Audio commentary by writer-producer Julian Fellowes: A delightfully entertaining and insightful commentary, a fan of Fellowes’ work, he doesn’t disappoint
- Brand-new audio commentary by critics Geoff Andrew and David Thompson (author of Altman on Altman): An all new commentary for this release, one that offers some good breakdowns of the film, within the context of Altman’s wider career and the legacy of the film
- Introduction by critic Geoff Andrew:
- Brand new cast and crew interviews recorded exclusively for this release: In Executive Service producer Jane Barclay talks about getting the film financed, launching production, and her continued relationship with Altman. In Acting Upper Class actress Natasha Wightman shares her recollections of featuring in the film and how it impacted her at such an early stage in her career
- The Making of Gosford Park archive featurette: a rather standard behind the scenes/production featurette, but one that manages to draw on interviews from the majority of the cast and key members of the crew
- Keeping Gosford Park Authentic archive featurette: A pretty great watch as it delves into wht lengths they went to in order to imbue the film with period specific details, in terms of production and the actors filling specific household roles
- Q&A Session with Altman and the cast: Featuring Altman, Fellowes, Levy, and cast members Helen Mirren, Kelly Macdonald, Ryan Phillippe, Jeremy Northam, and Bob Balaban. A recording of a Q&A hosted after the film screened in LA to celebrate it’s Oscar nominations. Worth watching to see the rapport amongst them
- Fifteen deleted scenes with optional Altman commentary: Wonderful to wade through, many understandable by their excision. What is notable is that there is an optional commentary by Robert Altman and Bob Balaban discussing them all. Context for deleted scenes is always interesting and appreciated.
- Trailer:
- Reversible sleeves featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Matthew Griffin
- FIRST PRESSING ONLY: Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new writing on the film by critic Sheila O’Malley and an archive interview with Robert Altman
The Bottom Line
Looking at Altman’s glittering career, Gosford Park stands as one of the highlights. With Fellowes’ sparkling script, they crafted a sharp and handsome film, that is both an enthralling murder mystery, and look at the inner-workings of British class and social structure. This Blu-ray not only looks great and also comes with a treasure trove of special features. Arrow have outdone themselves with this release.
Gosford Park is available via Arrow and MVD media from November 27th
