The Offence (1973)

I happened to stumble upon this unrecognized masterpiece. Very few movies have actually quite managed to delve into deep human psyche, this one's that. Sean 'Bond' Connery seems to have been possessed by his character. His character's mind shows just how dangerous is the human psyche, it makes you feel it's not you somehow it takes you over and you become someone else. l years of working on crime scenes with child rape and murder, Johnson(Character) has had enough and is done with when something even more heinous shows up. His mind has seemed to arouse his interests in doing the crime that he's been working on. That's how evil a human psyche can get. Those moments between him and the accused Baxter shows.Well, this should have been received well by fans. I'm surprised with the low votes and ratings. Such a realistic way of portraying stuff. THE OFFENCE will surely leave you shaken.

"The Offence" is a gripping psychological drama starring Sean Connery, who plays Detective Sergeant Johnson. Johnson gets into a lot of hot water when he goes overboard and beats the almighty hell out of a suspect, Kenneth Baxter (Ian Bannen). Baxter seems a likely candidate to be the monster responsible for a series of assaults on children. The film begins with the immediate aftermath of the beating, then details the events leading up to it. An interrogator, Cartwright (Trevor Howard), is called in to grill Connery and get him to explain himself.Written by John Hopkins, based on his play, this film does betray a certain staginess. It's also going to be too deliberately paced for some tastes. And, in the end, it wasn't hard for this viewer to guess where the story was going. But even taking those things into account, there's a palpable level of tension in "The Offence" right from the start. It also has a striking look, because, with few exceptions, director Sidney Lumet and cinematographer Gerry Fisher avoid strong primary colours.Where Lumet succeeds the most is in getting some exceptional performances out of his actors. In exchange for agreeing to reprise the role of James Bond (for "Diamonds are Forever"), Connery had insisted that he get to do two smaller budgeted projects of his own choosing. "The Offence" was one, and an adaptation of "Macbeth" was the other; however, the latter project never came to fruition because "The Offence" didn't fare too well at the box office, and Roman Polanski beat Connery to the punch with his own version of "Macbeth".Connery, who'd also shined for Lumet in "The Anderson Tapes", is mesmerizing here. He's matched by the equally powerful Howard, and the pathetic (yet also perceptive) Bannen. Praise also goes to Vivien Merchant, in the role of Johnsons' wife. Connery has scenes with all three where you can just get lost in the performances.Overall, an intense study of a forceful, angry character.Seven out of 10.

The Offence is directed by Sidney Lumet and adapted to screenplay by John Hopkins from his own play titled This Story of Yours. It stars Sean Connery, Ian Bannen, Trevor Howard and Vivien Merchant. Cinematography is by Gerry Fisher and music by Harrison Birtwistle. Detective Sergeant Johnson (Connery) has been with the British Police Force for two decades, in that time he has been witness to countless murders, rapes and other serious crimes. The images, the people he has had to deal with, have left a terrible mark on him. When suspected child sex attacker Kenneth Baxter (Bannen) comes up for interrogation by Johnson, his mind starts to fracture and he loses control, unleashing a dark side that comes out both physically and mentally. You wouldn't think it possible for Lumet and Connery to have a hidden gem in their respective career outputs, but The Offence is very much just that. An unnerving skin itcher with an upsetting narrative core, The Offence was a commercial flop. It barely got released across the globe and only found its way onto home format release in the last 10 years. The film only got made after Connery struck a deal with United Artists, he would only return as James Bond for Diamonds Are Forever if they backed him for a couple of projects. One of which was The Offence, so with free licence to play Johnson, and his choice of Lumet in the directing chair, Connery got the film made. Set with a bleak concrete back drop of a "New Town" (cheaply built monstrosities the government knocked up to ease the housing issues), The Offence is a fascinating blend of police procedural and psychological drama. It poses many questions, and thrives on ambiguity to the point repeat viewings are a must, but in the main what shrieks out is the thematic point of one mans harrowing employment taking its toll on he himself. Is it possible that you can only chase and be amongst monsters yourself for so long before you become one of that number? It's invariably hard to recommend the film as high entertainment, a comfy night in by the fire this film is not. But as film art, a searing character study and acting supreme, it scores impressively high whilst tantalisingly tickling the cranium. It's fair to say it's very dialogue heavy, and Lumet as polished a director as he is, keeps it grainy, revelling in the bleakness of the story. Connery has never been better, utterly compelling, a brooding force of nature and as committed to role as he has ever been. Nor, too, arguably, has Bannen, the scenes shared between the two men are lessons in acting as they portray two warped minds bouncing off each with an unsettling force that grips us round the throat and refuses to let go long after the credits have rolled. Howard steps in to add a touch of mature quality, he too bringing the best out of Connery in the scenes they share, while Merchant as Johnson's "on the outside" wife, is raw and heartfelt. You can't pigeon hole The Offence, it's very much one of a kind and it demands to be tracked down by serious film fans. From the low key score and foreboding 70s setting, to the gripper of a denouement, The Offence is an essential piece of British cinema. 9.5/10

In his 20 years as a policeman Detective-Sergeant Johnson has seen a lot.His memories haunt him, he sees pictures in his head and he is falling into mental breakdown.And now he's investigating a case with a child molester attacking young girls.They find a man, Kenneth Baxter, who could be him.Johnson gets in the room with him.After interrogating him, he beats him up and he dies later in the hospital.The Offence from 1972 is a less known work from Sidney Lumet.I can't see why.This his British film certainly should deserve more credit.Sean Connery gives one of his strongest performances as Johnson.Those moments where he interrogates Baxter and does him violence, or with his wife sharing a bad memory as a cop...in those moments Connery does a very good job leading us into Johnson's psyche.Vivient Merchant does a very good job playing his unloving wife Maureen.Ian Bannen is Kenneth Baxter and he's great in his role.The brilliant English actor Trevor Howard portrays Detective Superintendent Cartwright, who interrogates Johnson.Peter Bowles plays Detective Inspector Cameron.The Offence gives a truly fascinating look at the human psyche.If you find this film, don't miss it.