The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969)

The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is perhaps the best known of movies of Scottish genre culturally speaking in its setting and theme equally speaking.

There is much to "read between the lines" as the schoolmistress (Miss Jean Brodie played by Ms Maggie Smith) never seems to not be speaking in a feign and that goes for the whole lot of characters in the script here too of course. Co-stars Mr. Gordon Jackson of the great "Upstairs Downstairs" (1971-1975) fame wherein
he plays famous the Butler at Eaton place.

It is entirely astounding to hear her say to young girls to whom she is schoolteacher "It is okay to leave open a window perhaps six inches precisely as to do anymore than that might just be in vulgar taste" - go figure!

"Well, I do not know about god, however I know about witches", says one of the youngish schoolgirls, an attractive sort of young brunette who has an affair with the Art teacher in whom she expresses disappointment in what are his fixations distracting him from romantic entanglement that would be true to her idea
of competent it would seem!

"Give me a gal at an impressionable age and she is mine for life"
is essentially the motto of Miss Jean Brodie as schoolteacher - however what she seems to be filling their minds with has her as a target for dismissal from her position - as she in fact is dangerous to the point of causing death in her idea of what  is a right enough notion to teach a young girl who should be spared this insanity as it is nothing but that quite clearly as all are only able to say after the worst has occurred for the schoolgirl who suffers the ultimate fate while on a train" at the suggestion of her
mentor.

Having been British schooled myself I much reminisced much (I was in the choir back in British boarding school - we sang all the traditional songs and church favourites too - songs included in my early schooling included Waltzing Matilda, mamas little baby loves shortnin bread, So deep is the night, and Great is thy faithfulness)
I am so enriched for those years and I thank my father for the huge cost involved for the opportunity at this Australian run back then, private school) and so enjoyed the show. Life for me wouldn't have been as much joy without it in some fundamental regards I have to say - I just loved the British schooling we had and continue to serve the interest of British culture (music, culture, articulation standards of improvement etc) as best I can with my efforts on the net these past years and in print advertising along the way - including a quarter of a million dollar fullpage advert in Newsweek magazine to promote English as THE standard language for our folks everywhere it would be useful and relevant more so than the status quo in this respect.

cheers!

Michael Rizzo Chessman
(moviesbyrizzo)