dr_clarke_2 Review of Passport to Pimlico

Passport to Pimlico (1949)

One of the most quintessentially English films ever made

[10/10 · 31 October 2020]

1949 was a good year for Ealing Studios. It saw the release of Kind Hearts and Coronets and Whiskey Galore!, both of the widely considered to be classics of their kind, and they were joined by Henry Cornelius' Passport to Pimlico, which is surely one of the most quintessentially English films ever made. Passport to Pimlico's wonderfully absurd plot by screenwriter T. E. B. Clarke sees the London suburb of Pimlico declared an independent enclave of Burgundy when a World War Two bomb explodes and uncovers ancient documentation stating that it is part of that Duchy. What follows is, essentially, a comedy about English bureaucracy, as the newly independent Burgundians realise that they are free of it, resulting in an escalating battle of wits between them and the British Government. And it is quintessentially English rather than British, exploiting stereotypes of the English character and outlook from the era. Thus, an obscure legal quirk is gleefully exploited by all and sundry, as people realise that rationing doesn't apply to Burgundy and British institutions suddenly have no power, with local bank manager Mr Wix and the neighbourhood policeman PC Spiller quick to throw in their lot. This is an England of committees, and of the simultaneous desire of the English to rage against petty rules whilst wanting law and order to be maintained. When black marketers move in, eager to exploit the opportunities that Burgundy offers, the Burgundians are quick to establish their own microcosm of law and order. At one point, a character opines, "It's just because we are English that we're sticking out for out right to be Burgundian!" Paul Dupuis's Sébastien de Charolais, Duke of Burgundy, is used to further poke fun at the English, as he marvels at the government's power to enforce rules not by actual force, but politely asking people not to do things. The Burgundians rationing and tightening their belts when they are effectively placed under siege by Whitehall mirrors World War Two's Blitz "Spirit", whilst the English sense of fair play means that when the Burgundians run out of food, the public of London rally to send more across the barricades. Inevitably, the film ends with the natural order restored, Burgundy negotiating a return of Pimlico to the British government. And as one character notes, "You never know when you're well off 'til you aren't", with everybody's five minutes of rebellion at an end and the status quo cheerfully restored. Symbolically, the drought during which the film is set is broken by rain and the temperature plummets as the film comes to an end. Passport to Pimlico might thus be described as satire and it remains as funny now - and as pointedly accurate - as it was in 1949. The ensemble cast is excellent, and includes fine performances from Stanley Holloway as Arthur Pemberton, shop-keeper turned Prime Minister of Burgundy, and Margaret Rutherford as the magnificently eccentric as Professor Hatton-Jones. They are probably the most recognisable actors in the film (aside from Charles Hawtrey in the minor role of Bert Fitch), but the cast otherwise consists entirely of character actors, none of whom put a foot wrong. Henry Cornelius does a great job as director, making fine use of the London location filming and the typically impressive Ealing studio sets. Cornelius wasn't a flashy director, although he makes good use of the cinematic techniques available at the time and the cinematography from Lionel Banes suits his style. The newsreel footage is accurately shot, whilst the covert mission to turn a hydrant back on is shot like a scene from a war film, both further invoking the "Blitz Spirit" aspects of the script. Cornelius is known to have clashed with producer Michael Balcon throughout filming and left Ealing immediately afterwards, but it certainly doesn't show. Overall, Passport to Pimlico deserves its place amongst the list of classic Ealing comedies and in its gentle mocking of the English relationship with their government it remains as perceptive as ever.