Falling Down to Size

I have to be honest, when deciding which Graham Greene movie to watch over the winter break, I was stumped. I truly only chose to watch the 1948 film "The Fallen Idol" because the main actor Ralph Richardson looks exactly like Kevin Spacey, and let's be honest, who doesn't like Kevin Spacey. But I have to say that I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed this movie. I found that this enjoyment stemmed from the Kevin Spacey look-a-like himself, Ralph Richardson. The greatest draw that this movie has would be both Ralph Richardson and Bobby Henrey's acting abilities. Both the characters of Baines and Phillipe were played beautifully. The connection between the two was very clearly visible, and both seemed to play their roles of idol and idolizer very effectively. The only true weakness would be in how the fight between Baines and Mrs. Baines played out. Though sequentially it all made sense, it was hard to follow how all of those events took place so quickly.

One of the most important parts of crafting this movie would have to be the music. Throughout The Fallen Idol, the music invoked moods and feelings in the viewer that correlated with the feelings of the actors and the intensity of the scene. I feel as though music here served the same role as color scheme does in many modern movies today. Because this film was in black and white, certain emotions might have been missed or overlooked, particularly in night time scenes such as when Mrs. Baines comes to threaten Phillipe. The dramatic music helped here to invoke a feeling of distain in the viewer towards Mrs. Baines. This was again shown when Mrs. Baines is hitting Phillipe on the top of the stairs and when she is fighting with Baines. Music is not only used in order to portray characters or scenes is a negative light, but is also used in a positive manner especially in scenes between Mr. Baines and his mistress Julie. The clearest example is in the cafe where Baines and Julie meet. Throughout their whole interaction, sweet and calming music is playing and it culminates in violins adding to the dramatic climax where Baines asks Julie if he can see her one last time. This is in stark contrast to scenes between Mrs. Baines and Baines, which helps the viewer to positively view Julie and negatively view Mrs. Baines.
Overall, the story of "The Fallen Idol" fits perfectly with Graham Greene's common theme of innocence versus experience. Throughout the movie, we see the internal struggle of an innocent boy (Phillipe) who is trying to remain loyal to his idol (Baines) despite events that detract from the moral character of his idol. Phillipe must begin to understand not only what role he plays in the complicated love triangle between Baines, Mrs. Baines, and Julie, but also what he can truly believe. Phillipe also struggles with the common Graham Greene theme of loyalty. At a young age, Phillipe must decide between what he believes to be the truth and protecting the main father figure in his life. Lastly, the movie wouldn't be based on a Graham Greene book if there was no reference to God. In the final scene between Phillipe and Baines, Baines remarks, "We ought to be very careful Phillipe because we make one another." To which Phillipe replies, "I thought God made us." Baines finishes by saying, "Trouble is, we take a hand in the game." This exchange is not only a fine way for Greene to impart some of his deep struggles with his faith throughout his life, but a very reflective note on which to end a fantastic movie.