Billy Liar (1963) directed by John Schlesinger
viewed on May 29, 1972
Very interesting film about a young man who refuses to face the real world of his mundane job and his problems by retreating into a dream world like a crazy movieland or an imaginary country. The problem with the film is that Billy's case becomes too pathetic. He is too weak and unrealistic to ever face his problems. The conflict of the film might have involved the continual entanglements of his romantic endeavors (he's engaged to two girls) or the conflicts with his parents. But these problems are so multiple that the central conflict is unfocused. And that is about Billy's struggle to come to grips with the world.
This conflict is one-sided. There is never any hope that he can escape. A sort of false hope is held up to us as his salvation -- an irresponsible trip with a girl to London to escape everything. But this is no real solution since his mental maladjustment would only reappaer in a new place. So there is no real conflict. His half-on-purpose missing of the train is a phony cop-out to resolve a conflict that never existed.
On the plus side -- an excellent performance by Tom Courtenay.
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