The Ruling Class (film)
| Company type | Film |
|---|---|
| Industry | Motion picture |
| Founded | 1972 |
| Founder | Peter Barnes (playwright) |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Products | Film adaptation of The Ruling Class play |
The Ruling Class is a 1972 British black comedy motion picture based on Peter Barnes' 1968 satirical theatrical work The Ruling Class. The narrative centers on a British aristocrat with paranoid schizophrenia (portrayed by Peter O'Toole) who unexpectedly inherits a noble title. Produced by Jules Buck and helmed by director Peter Medak, the film features performances from Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour, James Villiers, and Arthur Lowe.
Although it did not achieve commercial success upon its initial release, the film has since gained recognition as a cult favorite. Peter O'Toole characterized it as "a comedy with tragic relief."
Plot
Following the accidental demise of Ralph Gurney, the 13th Earl of Gurney, his successor Jack Gurney assumes the title of 14th Earl. Afflicted with paranoid schizophrenia and convinced he is Jesus Christ, Jack astonishes his relatives through his bizarre conduct and proclamations about spreading love and charity. He copes with uncomfortable realities by mentally "placing them in his galvanized pressure cooker."
Jack’s manipulative uncle, Sir Charles, orchestrates a marriage between Jack and his mistress Grace to produce an heir and to have Jack confined in a mental institution; however, Grace develops genuine affection for Jack. Lady Claire, Sir Charles' wife who harbors contempt for him, forms an alliance with Jack and seeks to hasten his psychiatric care through her liaison with Dr. Herder.
The therapeutic efforts of Dr. Herder prove ineffective as Jack remains steadfast in his belief that he is the "God of Love." When Grace goes into labor, Dr. Herder introduces Jack to McKyle, another patient who claims to be Christ and administers electroconvulsive therapy. This treatment alters Jack’s delusion—he now believes himself to be Jack the Ripper.
Sir Charles arranges for a psychiatric assessment anticipating Jack’s committal but is thwarted when the psychiatrist connects with Jack over their shared Old Etonian background and declares him sane.
In a fit of rage, Jack murders Lady Claire and implicates the Communist family butler Tucker. Sir Charles suffers a stroke; Dr. Herder experiences a breakdown upon uncovering Jack’s guilt. Subsequently, Jack takes his place in the House of Lords and delivers an impassioned speech advocating capital and corporal punishment—receiving applause from peers unaware of his insanity. Through Jack's distorted viewpoint, they appear as decaying corpses singing "Onward, Christian Soldiers."
That evening, Jack kills Grace after she confesses her love for him. The film concludes with their infant cooing "I'm Jack, I'm Jack," suggesting that the child has inherited his father's madness.
Cast
- Peter O'Toole – Jack Gurney, 14th Earl of Gurney
- Coral Browne – Lady Claire
- William Mervyn – Sir Charles
- James Villiers – Dinsdale, son of Sir Charles and Lady Claire
- Arthur Lowe – Tucker
- Alastair Sim – Bishop Lampton
- Carolyn Seymour – Grace
- Michael Bryant – Dr. Herder
- Graham Crowden – Dr. Truscott
- Harry Andrews – Ralph Gurney, 13th Earl of Gurney
- Hugh Owens – The toastmaster
- Hugh Burden – Matthew Peake
- Henry Woolf, Griffith Davies, Oliver McGreevy – Inmates
- Kay Walsh – Mrs. Piggott-Jones
- Patsy Byrne – Mrs. Treadwell
- Nigel Green – McKyle
- Cyril Appleton, Leslie Schofield – Assistants to McKyle
- Joan Cooper – Nurse Brice
- Declan Mulholland – A poacher
- James Grout – Inspector Brockett
- James Hazeldine – Fraser
- Ronald Adam, Julian D'Albie, Llewellyn Rees – Lords
- Kenneth Benda – Lord Chancellor
Production
O'Toole possessed the rights to Barnes's theatrical work, and director Peter Medak consistently urged him to utilize them. The film initiative was sparked following an evening out when a drunken O'Toole demanded his manager arrange the movie within a single day. United Artists swiftly finalized an agreement to produce The Ruling Class.
Barnes transformed his 1968 stage play into the screenplay with only slight modifications. The shooting occurred at Harlaxton Manor and on studio sound stages, with a budget of $1.4 million. O'Toole contributed his performance without immediate compensation, opting instead to receive payment for the larger production of Man of La Mancha, which premiered the same year.
The Ruling Class represented the United Kingdom as its official submission to the 1972 Cannes Film Festival.
Reception
Reviews from critics were divided. The New York Times described it as "fantastic fun," while Variety lauded its "brilliantly caustic" satirical tone. Conversely, the Los Angeles Times criticized it for being sluggish and overly loud, and Newsweek referred to it as a "sledgehammer satire."
Jay Cocks characterized the script as "snarling" and excessively elaborate, faulting its cinematography but commending performances by Lowe, Mervyn, Browne, Sim, Villiers, and particularly O'Toole. He emphasized O'Toole's powerful depiction of insanity as both unsettling and unforgettable. John Simon also praised it as a "delightful satire."
Despite the mixed critiques, O'Toole's portrayal garnered broad acclaim and earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. When United Artists intended to make substantial cuts for the American release, producer Jules Buck reclaimed the rights; subsequently, distribution shifted to Avco Embassy, which edited six minutes from the original 154-minute cut.
The film faced prohibition by South Africa’s Publications Control Board.
Almost three decades later, academic Ian Christie remarked on its theatrical flair and ambitious genre fusion, merging references to Shakespeare, Marlowe, Wilde, elements of Whitehall farce, Ealing Studios’ refined style, dark comedy akin to Kind Hearts and Coronets, alongside Hammer horror influences—underscoring its distinct place in British cultural heritage.
Awards and nominations
- 1972 National Board of Review of Motion Pictures – Awarded NBR Best Actor – Peter O'Toole
- 1972 Cannes Film Festival – Palme d'Or Nominee
- 1973 Academy Awards – Nominated for Best Actor – Peter O'Toole
- 1973 Golden Globe Awards – Nominated for Best English Language Foreign Film
Subsequent history
In 1974, an early television broadcast on BBC Television violated the theatrical release window, leading the UK's Cinematograph Exhibitors' Association to suggest blacklisting future films produced by Jules Buck.
Embassy Pictures reissued the film in May 1983, revitalizing audience interest.
External links
- A Grade One, Galilee Miracle at yoism.org, including a clip featuring O'Toole’s character asserting he is Jesus Christ
- The Ruling Class essay by Ian Christie hosted by the Criterion Collection
- 1972 films
- 1972 black comedy films
- 1972 comedy-drama films
- 1970s satirical films
- Films directed by Peter Medak
- British black comedy films
- British films based on plays
- British comedy-drama films
- British satirical films
- Films set in country houses
- Films set in England
- Films set in London
- Films scored by John Cameron (musician)
- Embassy Pictures films
- United Artists films
- 1970s English-language films
- 1970s British films
- Films about schizophrenia
- Portrayals of Jesus in film
- Films about Jack the Ripper
- Films about nobility
- English-language black comedy films