The Horse's Mouth

Gulley Jimson is a painter just out of prison. He has no money, no home and pays nobody back. His one concern is finding a large wall: he wants to make something that will not fit on a small canvas. He gets into a wealthy couple's flat, starts painting the wall and tries to finish before they return from holiday. The subject is not art but how much damage continuing to make it does to other people. Gulley is not charming; he steals, lies, uses people and loses everyone who treats him well. The film neither excuses this nor sanctifies the painting. The form follows English comedy while its tone is bitter. The jokes come fast, then a scene turns sad at a stroke and the film gives the viewer no rest. A real painter was engaged for the canvases and the murals were made specially for the film. The most notable element is the screenplay. Alec Guinness not only played the lead but wrote the adaptation and was nominated for an Oscar for it, the only time he was nominated as a writer. The source is Joyce Cary's novel. Kay Walsh and Renée Houston are in the cast. Ronald Neame directs. Who it is for: viewers who like character comedy and Guinness. Who it is not for: anyone looking for a sympathetic hero; the man is insufferable throughout and the film does not correct it.