Slice of life towards the bottom

Not quite as good as the director's later film Bird but totally believable and a stunning performance from Katie Jarvis in the lead role in her first film.

Surreal masterpiece

Starts in b&w and then when she 'escapes' bursts into colour with a steam-punk aesthetic. As she moves through the world carving her own way and overthrowing conventions and social mores as she goes we come to realise that the poor things are the men (mostly) who are enchained by their roles. Hailed as femist masterpiece it is more of a humanist film.

If..(only really it was just like that)

Not only a stunningly accurate portrait of life in a public school in the 1960s, also and exploration of the tension between convention and rebellion - what makes a rebel and why do 90% of the victims of the public school system end up as damaged hidebound drones and 10% become unknown brothers n arms.

First seen when it came out in '68 in the cinema in Horsham (we were banned from going, but rules are made to be broken...hey ho) and watched again when I got it on DVD a few years ago and most recently now and again with David Taylor and Jane a couple of days later.

Clearly elements of fantasy - telegraphed by the use of b&w - and the school is more military than I remember, but the ethos and day to day were exact. Travis acted out my fantasy - tear it all down - I guess I was lucky to be a loner and not have a group of close freinds to build a revolution with.

Watching with David was an eye-opener for Jane as we provided a running commentary  on how "we had that" and "that really happened" and "yes in our place too".

I have a probably false memory of cheering in the cinema at the end of the film. One for the "One Solution Film Club"