An Inspector Calls (2015 TV film)

An Inspector Calls is a 2015 British thriller television film written by Helen Edmundson, based on the J. B. Priestley 1945 play of the same name. It is directed by Aisling Walsh,[2] produced by Howard Ella[3] and stars David Thewlis[4][5] as the titular character. The story is centred on a mysterious inspector, who investigates the socially ambitious Birling family and a dinner guest following the suicide of a young woman. The film was first broadcast on 13 September 2015 on BBC One.

An Inspector Calls
Poster
Genre
Based onAn Inspector Calls
by J. B. Priestley
Written byHelen Edmundson
Directed byAisling Walsh
Starring
ComposerDominik Scherrer
Country of originUnited Kingdom
Original languageEnglish
Production
Producers
CinematographyMartin Fuhrer
EditorAlex Mackie
Running time90 minutes
Production companies
DistributorBBC
Release
Original networkBBC One
Original release
  • 13 September 2015 (2015-09-13)

Plot

The film is set in 1912, and follows the events of a single evening on which the wealthy Birling family is holding a dinner party to celebrate the engagement of their daughter, Sheila, to Gerald Croft. The festivities are then interrupted by a visit from what is taken to be a policeman, Inspector Goole, who is investigating the recent suicide of a local young woman named Eva Smith. Goole’s interrogations of each member of the dinner party make it clear that all of them have contributed to the tragedy through individually unjust, selfish or exploitative behavior.[6] The "Inspector" leaves the subdued group with a warning that human beings have shared responsibility for each other and that this lesson will soon be taught "in fire and blood and anguish"—an apparent reference to the outbreak of World War I two years later.

Final scenes establish that Goole is not a real policeman, and suggest that he is some form of supernatural messenger.[7]

Cast

Production

In February 2015, filming began in Saltaire, West Yorkshire.[8] Although the exterior shots of the mill were filmed at Saltaire, the interior shots of the mill were filmed at Queen Street Mill on the outskirts of Burnley, Lancashire. A full-sized office was built in the middle of the Weaving Shed for this production and was dismantled once filming was completed. A large number of scenes were also filmed at Scampston Hall, near Malton, and in the market town of Malton.

Like the 1954 version, this adaptation employs flashbacks to the events described (allowing some dialogue to be eliminated), as well as additional scenes showing more of the life and death of Eva, and the Inspector after he leaves the Birlings' home.

The majority of the action in this play takes place within the Birlings' home. For the 2015 production, the interior is that of the Dining Room at Scampston Hall.

Critical reception

The programme was watched by nearly 6 million viewers.[9] For The Daily Telegraph, Anita Singh was generally positive, writing that the programme was "as good an adaptation as it could be" and praising Helen Edmundson for her "decent job of expanding the drama".[10]

The Guardian’s Sam Wollaston was positive in his review, writing that Priestley’s "play might be set over a hundred years ago, in 1912, but the messages and sentiments – about social responsibility and a shared humanity – remain important and relevant... An Inspector Calls, sensitively adapted here by Helen Edmundson, time-travels remarkably well: it translates into gripping 21st-century television".[7]

References
  1. "David Thewlis to lead cast of BBC One adaption of An Inspector Calls". DIY Magazine. 3 February 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  2. "Aisling Walsh to direct Priestley classic for BBC". Raidió Teilifís Éireann. 30 January 2015. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  3. David Thewlis. "David Thewlis to lead cast of BBC One's adaptation of JB Priestley's An Inspector Calls - Media Centre". BBC. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  4. "David Thewlis plays title role in BBC's An Inspector Calls". Prolific North. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  5. "David Thewlis to lead BBC One's new adaption of An Inspector Calls". Digital Spy. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  6. "'Harry Potter' Star David Thewlis Set As Lead In BBC One's 'An Inspector Calls' Adaptation". TVWise. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  7. Wollaston, Sam (14 September 2015). "An Inspector Calls; This Is England '90 review: a message from a century ago, and friends appear from decades ago". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 15 September 2015.
  8. "Saltaire is filming location for TV adaptation of An Inspector Calls". Telegraph & Argus. 20 February 2015. Retrieved 9 March 2015.
  9. John Plunkett (14 September 2015). "BBC's An Inspector Calls arrests nearly 6 million viewers | Media". The Guardian. Retrieved 23 September 2015.
  10. Singh, Anita (13 September 2015). "An Inspector Calls, BBC One, review: 'subtle as a sledgehammer'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved 14 September 2015.
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