Ordeal by Innocence is a 1984 British mystery film directed by Desmond Davis. It stars Donald Sutherland, Faye Dunaway, Christopher Plummer and Sarah Miles. It is based on the 1958 Agatha Christie novel Ordeal by Innocence.
Contents
Plot
Paleontologist Dr. Arthur Calgary visits the Argyle family to give them an address book that belongs to Jack Argyle. He is told that Jack was executed for the murder of his adoptive mother two years previously. Dr. Calgary can prove that Jack was innocent and restarts the investigation, with lethal consequences.
Cast
Donald Sutherland as Dr. Arthur Calgary
Faye Dunaway as Rachel Argyle
Christopher Plummer as Leo Argyle
Sarah Miles as Mary Durrant
Ian McShane as Philip Durrant
Diana Quick as Gwenda Vaughan
Annette Crosbie as Kirsten Lindstrom
Michael Elphick as Inspector Huish
George Innes as Archie Leach
Valerie Whittington as Hester Argyle
Phoebe Nicholls as Tina Argyle
Michael Maloney as Micky Argyle
Cassie Stuart as Maureen Clegg
Anita Carey as Martha Jessup
Billy McColl as Jacko Argyle
Ron Pember as Ferryman
Kevin Stoney as Solicitor
Brian Glover as Executioner
Release
The film was shown at Italy's Mystfest on 22 June 1984.
Sound design and music
The film's musical score by Dave Brubeck was criticized as inappropriate for its style depicting the mystery film genre. Brubeck, an American jazz legend, was not-well-known for his work as a film composer and had taken over from Pino Donaggio, who had already composed many pieces for the project. Donaggio was too busy in order to work on finalizing the film score when various film edits needed re-scoring, and so the project was handed over to Brubeck, who was given two weeks to complete the task. Donaggio's original score had swirling strings, lush melodies, and tension-filled passages, whereas Brubeck's score relied on re-recordings of his previous compositions, criticized for not resembling movie music and was assessed to be mostly at odds with the visuals and mood of the film.
Reviews
A timeout.com review stated "the film succeeds admirably in catching a feeling of repression and social conformity, and the idea of murder as a means of maintaining respectability rather than for gain or passion" and "a genuine '50s black thriller".