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The Wild and the Willing

Harry Brown is a somewhat rough and wild university student, who has the ability to win friends, especially the underdogs like Phil who doesn't play 'rugger' and can't sink a whole pint of beer, and African student Reggie. He also has a way with the girls....

Top Cast

  • Virginia Maskell

    Virginia Maskell

    Virginia Chown

  • Paul Rogers

    Paul Rogers

    Professor George Chown

  • Ian McShane

    Ian McShane

    Harry Brown

  • Samantha Eggar

    Samantha Eggar

    Josie Stevens

  • Katherine Woodville

    Katherine Woodville

    Sarah

  • David Sumner

    David Sumner

    John

  • John Hurt

    John Hurt

    Phil Corbett

  • John Standing

    John Standing

    Arthur

  • Johnny Briggs

    Johnny Briggs

    Dai

Overview

Harry Brown is a somewhat rough and wild university student, who has the ability to win friends, especially the underdogs like Phil who doesn't play 'rugger' and can't sink a whole pint of beer, and African student Reggie. He also has a way with the girls....

Rating

6.0 / 10
5 Reviews
1 Popular

1 Reviews

  • CinemaSerf
    CinemaSerf
    6 Nov 19, 2024

    Knighthood-seeking university professor "Chown" (Paul Rogers) is married to "Virginia" (Virgina Maskell) who has a penchant, after the tiniest bit of persuasion, for his student "Brown" (Ian McShane). He is quite a compelling character who lives life on the edge and makes friends easily. When things come to a bit of an head, "Brown" and his friend "Phil" (John Hurt) decide that they are going to fly their rag flag from the top of the tower of the school - but might that be one risky venture too far for this man? I suppose it is trying to show us a clash of cultures and classes, but the undercooked writing is just too pedestrian and the acting doesn't ever allow the thing to catch fire. That's a problem with a film where lust, envy and forbidden romance is crucial to the characters' development, and though Rogers proves a safe enough pair of hands, the others only present us with something that could just as readily have been produced by the students the cast are trying to represent. It's perhaps not fair to be too critical, we have moved on considerably from the racist and ageist toxicity depicted here from 1962, but McShane, Hurt and a few other familiar faces just can't imbue this with any sense of reality. It scratches the surface of so many topics, but that's about the disappointing height of it.

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