Cheap The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (Video) (Maggie Smith, Gordon Jackson) (Ronald Neame) Price

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Customer Reviews of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie

Brilliantly Haunting
First you must understand that I am not an easy critic, I notice all the little things in a movie that others might overlook or just choose to ignore.
That said, this is a brilliant (but not perfect)movie.
The acting of Maggie Smith is superb beyond words. She starts out as a heroine, just the type of teacher we would all like to have. As the movie progresses, the character of Miss Brodie moves closer and closer to a breakdown. What's brilliant is that this peril is obvious to the viewer, but not to Miss Brodie herself, a most difficult task for a screen-writer, a director, and an actress to accomplish.
The depiction of Edinburgh in the 30's is so realistic that you really feel as though you've been put into some sort of time machine- this is one of my favorite aspects of the film, and also the beautifully haunting soundtrack. I truly admire when a film is able to transport you to another place and time and make you truly feel it.
The movie is quite different from the book to be sure (aren't they all?) but the location filming, and the truly brilliant acting overcome any drawbacks.
The film is also notable for the performance of Pamela Franklin.
If you've only seen her in Disney movies, be prepared for a very different Pamela Franklin this time around.
I have watched this film over 10 times now and still do not fully understand it. Is Miss Brodie the Miss-understood heroine? Or is she truly a dangerous person intent on using others so that she can live vicariously through them? Is the film a warning to all of us that evil lurks where least expected? Or is it a trip inside our souls, in those deep somber moments where we have all been betrayed by our dearest and most trusted friends?
Watch the film and decide for yourself. Either way, you will have a beautiful journey thru the very mind and soul of a most complex character, in a nostalgic era, brilliantly portrayed by Maggie Smith.
I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS FILM !

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LOVE & SPITE IN 1932 EDINBURGH.
Miss Brodie is the kind of teacher who wants to inspire her "gurls" rather than teach them; she's the kind of teacher little girls get crushes on...As Muriel Spark's witty, fey and romantic crackpot teacher, Maggie Smith does a magnificent job conveying comedic elements of mimicry, affectations and sheer snobbery: Miss Brodie is so entertaining that we become entranced by this Scottish lass with a jumble shop mind - she's very funny. It becomes hard to accept her as a dangerous influence when the plot turns dramatic, but her scene where she states that she's "PROUD"! copped her the AA. Celia Johnson has a genuine triumph as her adversary, Mrs. Mackay, and Robert Stephens does a lot with his role as her art instructor lover. Jay Presson Allen wrote the script from his stage version, and the film was rather too conventionally directed by Ronald Neame. Unfortunately, Pamela Franklin's big confrontation scene is something of a disappointment (the fault goes back to the original novel). Overall, however, the film is a fey and rather unique treat for those who enjoy character studies of eccentric people. The song JEAN was a huge pop hit when released by the artist OLIVER back in 1969.

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Great film
What do you get when you cross great writing, a great story, an excellent cast, and one of the world's greatest actresses? This film. It's certainly one of the most unusual films ever made, and especially when you consider WHEN it was made. I didn't see the initial release many years ago, but can only imagine what the American public made of a teenage girl in a married, much older, man's bed. Maggie Smith carries the film and her reputation on this one alone should seal her claim to best actress in the world. It doesn't get any better than this.