The Hireling

The Hireling (1973) tells a familiar story with unusual edge, with Robert Shaw and Sarah Miles providing remarkable performances. Both class and fractured personalities play their part in a tortured tragedy of manners.

Lady Franklin (Sarah Miles) emerges from a sanatorium after her husband's death. Struggling to readapt, she befriends Steven Ledbetter (Robert Shaw), a chauffeur psychologically scarred by military service. Ledbetter mistakes Lady Franklin's attentions for romantic interest and grows obsessed with her. Unfortunately, Lady Franklin starts dating politician Hugh Cantrip (Peter Egan), leading to predictable unpleasantness.

Based on L.P. Hartley's novel, The Hireling balances its drama on a razor's edge. Director Alan Bridges stages scenes with tortured restraint: Lady Franklin and her mother (Elizabeth Sellars) anxiously talk over each other, ex-soldier Ledbetter muzzles his anguish, Cantrip's boring awkwardness in public. Many British dramas so mute emotion that it's nearly undetectable. The Hireling's pulsing tension offers a refreshing change.

Lady Franklin insists otherwise, but class proves insurmountable. She's familiar with Ledbetter, who's offended by her sharing the front seat. He and others are painfully constrained by social barriers; recently released from hospital, Lady Franklin acts indifferent. She's oblivious to her impact on Ledbetter, who misinterprets her affection. When Ledbetter responds, he's chastised for forgetting his place. Naturally, Lady Franklin's friendship with Cantrip drives the chauffeur into a rage.

The Hireling's main concern isn't class but loneliness. Where Lady Franklin's helped by doctors and family, Ledbetter struggles alone. He's constantly reminded of his military record, subverting efforts to make good as a civilian. He invents a wife while carrying on a loveless affair with a barmaid (Christine Hargreaves). Cantrip nurses similar wounds: a traumatic war experiences, a demanding mistress (Caroline Mortimer) and a political career he doesn't want.

Bridges and writer Wolf Mankowitz downplay romance: Ledbetter's obsession for Lady Franklin is unreturned, and her attachment with Cantrip seems more convenient than romantic. The key scene is a charity boxing match, which Ledbetter arranges for local nobs. He's ignored and condescended to while Cantrip, who arrives at the last minute, is feted for attending. All becomes clear: Ledbetter can never make good, with Lady Franklin or polite society.

Bridges underscores the psychodrama with striking direction. He bathes the Somerset countryside in pervasive gloom, foggy landscapes complemented with musty, oversized mansions. Michael Reed's remarkable photography submerges characters in darkness: drab clothing fades into shadows, leaving only faces visible. Mixed with Marc Wilkinson's emotional score, the movie is a marvel, tasteful yet intense.

Robert Shaw channels his intensity into a restrained, brooding performance, lashing out at employees while emotionless in respectable company. When he finally snaps, there's real, heart-wrenching impact. Sarah Miles gives her best performance, using her fragile beauty and vulnerability to great effect. In contrast, the supporting actors are weak: Elizabeth Sellars' brittle matriarch scores, but Peter Egan's MP is a bloodless lightweight.

The Hireling follows the familiar contour of a hundred melodramas. What differs makes all the difference: romance is a delusion, psychological barriers as inhibiting as social ones. When Ledbetter wrecks his garage while singing patriotic anthems, he's damning society and himself. There's no better ending to this bleak, muted tragedy.