Richard Burton is a great actor who had the misfortune of being associated with well-known films that didn't turn out to be worthy of his talent. Those who want to see Burton at his best should look among the lesser-known films he made in his native Britain in the later stages of his career. Absolution, a 1978 thriller directed by Anthony Page, is one such example.
The plot takes place in an English boarding school that is being run by Catholic priests. One of them is Father Goddard (played by Richard Burton), a teacher who insists on the strictest forms of discipline and can't stand any trace of independent thought. Because of that he is despised by most of the pupils, and that even includes his favourite student Stansfield (played by Dominic Guard). When free-thinking hippie vagrant Blakey (played by Billy Connolly) arrives near the school in search of work, he is soon befriended by Stansfield, who sees a new and better role model in him. After a while, Blakey and Stansfield decide to pull a practical joke on Father Goddard by staging a fake murder. Stansfield tells about the murder in confession, knowing that Father Goddard won't be able to do anything about it. However, what began as a prank would soon turn into a real nightmare.
Anthony Shaffer's script is based on a stage play, but this is more of an asset than a liability for this particular thriller. Unlike modern-day thrillers that usually rely on exotic set-ups, Absolution takes place in an isolated yet realistic setting, and the real source of tension is within the characters. Shaffer never takes sides and until the very end the audience is left to sympathise with different characters, never quite certain who among them is good or bad. Because of that constant uncertainty, the atmosphere of the film is very dark and the unusually bitter ending comes as something quite natural. The ending of Absolution also represents something which is quite rare in modern Hollywood thrillers – it is both unexpected yet very believable and fits within the context of the story. The acting in this film is superb, with Richard Burton allowing the audience both to despise and sympathise with his rigid character. Billy Connolly is also very impressive as his carefree and often larger-than-life opposite. Their younger colleagues Dominic Guard and David Bradley are also very good in their roles. Unfortunately, Anthony Page's direction is not best suited for this film, because he employs shock tactics that would have benefited from a more subtle approach. The musical score by Stanley Myers (of Deer Hunter fame) is also rather unimpressive. However, despite these flaws and despite the fact that it might prove too disturbing for some of the more sensitive viewers, Absolution is nevertheless a powerful and thought-provoking film that would leave a long-lasting impression on those who see it.
RATING: 7/10 (+++)
(Note: The text in its original form was posted in Usenet newsgroup rec.arts.movies.reviews on October 1st 2001)
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Critic: AA
