Review of The Fallen Idol (1948) by Byron B — 01 Sep 2008

The Fallen Idol is one of the best suspense films I have ever seen. Carol Reedâ??s seamless, distinctively human film is told through the naive point of view of a diplomat's young son, played brilliantly by the restless, gifted child actor Bobby Henrey, who idolizes his best friend, the diplomat's butler, in a strong, passionate performance by the little-known Ralph Richardson. Richardson has constructed a gallant image of himself to the boy, nonchalantly boasting stories of glamorous escapades. But, in the reality to which Reed dissonantly alludes from the standpoint of Henrey, Richardsonâ??s servant is trapped in a hateful marriage to the strict, vindictive governess, whilst fantasizing about happiness with a younger woman whom he illustrates to Henrey as his niece. Subsequent to an argument Richardson suffers with his suspicious governess wife, she falls from a landing and dies. Her fall was truly an accident with which Richardson had nothing to do, but the boy accepts as true that he has seen his idol intentionally kill her, and the boy's struggle to save him when the police investigate risks leading to the butler's arrest.

Extremely intense and very very long-lasting suspense flows naturally from Graham Greeneâ??s very tightly written and important story about how dangerous behavior is, how its influence is unpredictable and fortunately or unfortunately effective. To say that it is more than a thriller is a cop-out to thrillers, which can be as dramatic and gripping as The Fallen Idol. It is in fact a suspense thriller which reaches its fullest potential, to a point where it is deeply insightful in a way in which the audience comes out with a sense of healing.

Richardsonâ??s performance matches nine-year-old Henreyâ??s stunning portrayal, which Reed has brought out to an extent that has rarely if ever been reached by another child actor. Richardson has the wisdom vital for the role of the butler, who alongside the acutely fleshed out character of the nine-year-old son he nurtures and fascinates, is too seasoned by life to be able to believe in his daydreams no matter how hard he tries. The exotic adventures he tells the boy fulfill him by creating the illusion of recapturing the fantasy and whimsy of youth and naivete, while the boy sees nothing beyond the wonder and allure of his fairy tales. When a matter of life and death confronts the two, it gushes with the crushing grey area in which even the best of friends can hardly understand each other in spite of their love and loyalty.

To me, The Fallen Idol conquers most suspense films of its time, English or American, and sports Carol Reed as a true artist, a dramatic craftsman whose instincts are impeccable.