Beate (Meg Wynn Owen) is hired to be the nanny to the children of the skeevy Lord Gregory (Derek Jacobi) in his giant mansion. His right-hand man Tom the butler (Oliver Reed in a wonderfully tweaked performance) shows her the lay of the house, and it instantly becomes apparent that both men seem to be off their rocker. Beate does her duty for the sake of the children, but she soon begins to have visions that something ominous is afoot.
If it wasn’t for the fact that the nanny has red-tinted psychic flashes of Reed in Satanic garb every reel change, you’d think Blue Blood was just a boring run of the mill British drama. It really isn’t a horror movie either, although it has just enough thematic material to work as such. It’s more about the class struggle between the servants and the Lord of the house than it is an out and out horror show.
There’s some interesting themes here, but it takes an awful long time to get to them. The biggest question the film poses is that if your servants run your household, does it make it “their” house? Reed has a good monologue about the difference between “ownership” and “possession” and there’s sequence that juxtaposes how the rich assholes and the lowly help get their kicks. Ultimately, the movie needs more than just themes to work, especially when the horror elements arrive a day late and a dollar short.
The movie is worth a look though based on the strength of Reed’s performance. He bobs and weaves between dutiful servant and egoistical Satanist with ease. Fiona Lewis also leaves an impression as the sultry lady of the house and has a nude scene or two as well.
I guess your enjoyment of Blue Blood may depend on what side of the class coin you fall on. If you’re lower class, you’ll probably be rooting for the servants all the way. I’m sure it will work better if you’re rich, as you’ll be watching the film through your fingers as the help slowly take over the household.
No comments:
Post a Comment