What were they thinking? Acting of a level found in children's movies, yet a story about philandering? Some of the acting is jaw-droppingly bad, with the most bizarre from the fellow playing the doctor, followed by the mariner-twit. Julia Foster and Hugh Griffith deliver the only satisfactory performances.
The concept of the movie is commendable: documenting the fast-fading life along the canals. The widescreen Technicolor does the subject justice. But it should have been more of a slice-of-life approach, with more natural acting and writing. Instead, it is painfully corny.
British viewers seem to like it. Perhaps they are more used to this sort of highly artificial acting, from their movies and television programs? American TV is not without its share of corn, such as Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies, also from the Sixties. So there must be people who like this sort of thing.
My guess is The Bargee has more appeal to British viewers, the subject being part of their cultural heritage. However, although I love historical period movies, this lacks the vérité and detail to really give me a feeling of the time. The music also often seems out of joint with the action on the screen. The end result is tedious and disappointing.
The concept of the movie is commendable: documenting the fast-fading life along the canals. The widescreen Technicolor does the subject justice. But it should have been more of a slice-of-life approach, with more natural acting and writing. Instead, it is painfully corny.
British viewers seem to like it. Perhaps they are more used to this sort of highly artificial acting, from their movies and television programs? American TV is not without its share of corn, such as Gilligan's Island and The Beverly Hillbillies, also from the Sixties. So there must be people who like this sort of thing.
My guess is The Bargee has more appeal to British viewers, the subject being part of their cultural heritage. However, although I love historical period movies, this lacks the vérité and detail to really give me a feeling of the time. The music also often seems out of joint with the action on the screen. The end result is tedious and disappointing.