Released by the BFI in a Dual Format Edition on 18 June 2018, this is the first time that The Children’s Hour has been available on Blu-ray in the UK.
Based on Lillian Hellman’s ground-breaking 1934 play (inspired by a true story of two Scottish teachers in 1809), 1961’s The Children's Hour sees a malicious child accusing two schoolmistresses (Audrey Hepburn and Shirley MacLaine) of being 'unnaturally' close to each other. The lesbian subject matter may once have been provocative, but director William Wyler's treatment of it is sober in the extreme, focusing closely on the two women's confused reactions to the scandal that overtakes them.
Audrey Hepburn is excellent and Shirley MacLaine unbearably touching, though Katharine Hepburn and Doris Day were originally offered the roles. This superb film, which earned five Oscar nominations and a Golden Globe nod for MacLaine, is a forceful examination of the power of malice and rumour in an intolerant society that deserves a revisit.
Released by the BFI in a Dual Format Edition on 18 June 2018, this is the first time that The Children’s Hour has been available on Blu-ray in the UK.
SPECIAL FEATURES • Audio commentary by Neil Sinyard • Original theatrical trailer (2 mins) • Stills gallery • Illustrated booklet
https://youtu.be/rft9MMcq708
