MovieChat Forums > Alfie (1966) Discussion > What a pleasant surpise!

What a pleasant surpise!

posted 19 years ago by Messanger
24 replies | jump to latest

I just wanted everyone to know that I found this movie to be surprisingly profound. I had heard of it before but always assumed that it was a silly comedy vehichle to showcase the talents of a young Michael Caine and play off the gimmick of having the character talk to the audience. I never watched it because (a) British humor never appealed to me and (b) it was old and I figured it would be very dated. Then when they remade it with Jude Law I became curious about how this film had maintained a following so I watched it.

[Possible spoiler below]

Well, it was very good. Yes, it was dated and yes that goofy British humor and cockney accents made parts of it hard to watch. But what I enjoyed was the message. This is a film that portrays the truth about a selfish, egotistical and hedonistic lifestyle. At first we are drawn to Alfie's charms. But as the movie progresses we see the harm that he is causing. I was especially moved by the abortion scene. This is the only time I have ever seen abortion protrayed for what it is: the destruction of life, a cruel and savage ripping of child from mother (both literally and metaphorically). I am glad such a heartwrenching scene exists. You would never see the liberal Hollywood establishment paint a negative picture of abortion.

Will Alfie change his ways? It doesn't matter. The audience has been on his wild ride and they see what lies at the end of such a lifestyle. When Alfie sees his aborted fetus, and his bastard child and all the women he seduced he realizes that his life has been nothing but shame and sin that has brought pain to others.

[–] elaurens88 19 years ago

Looks like the Republicans are coming here to spread their propaganda.

[–] hawk-58 18 years ago

elaurens88: I am not now nor have I ever been a Republican, but I agree 100% with Messanger's assessment of this movie. Greater minds than yours have suggested that the "point" of Alfie (play and film) was to show the domino effect of Alfie's selfish and self-destructive behavior.

[–] Raginmund 17 years ago

Looks like the Republicans are coming here to spread their propaganda.

That's an unfortunate reaction. You don't have to be a Republican to dislike abortion. It's not exactly a life-affirming act is it? Not every issue can be broken down to a white/black, left/right dichotomy. Nor is everyone expressing a personal opinion spreading "propaganda".

[–] PopSixSquish 9 years ago

Sad.
"Cruel & savage"? Pffffft. Only if they're showing a developed infant being torn apart. Otherwise I can't imagine being against abortion without also being a complete vegan pacifist.

[–] ShadowsGathered 9 years ago

I'm just curious... why is it you find aborting a developed infant cruel & savage, but not a fetus? Are they incapable of feeling pain? Or are they just not worthy of your empathy?

~ the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it ~

[–] PopSixSquish 9 years ago

Anyone who can feel pain or other sensations & emotions is of course worthy of empathy. I just perceive a humongous difference between the carelessly cruel hack "doctors" who literally tear almost-ready-to-be-born babies limb from limb, and the normal, much earlier method of halting fetal development while various bundles of cells are still coming together to form an eventual baby. Ideally no one would ever need to have an abortion, and it shouldn't be treated super-casually or thought of as an excuse for not worrying about preventing unwanted pregnancy in the first place. But I'd say it's far preferable to forcing more and more babies to be born whose parents don't fully want or aren't well-equipped to care for them at the time. I mean, had my parents needed to abort, "I"'d never have known or cared.

[–] ShadowsGathered 9 years ago

Thanks for the response... I think I understand what you mean. :-)

~ the hardest thing in this world... is to live in it ~

[–] PopSixSquish 9 years ago

Oh, you're very welcome...I'm glad it made sense. I know it can be a bit of a sensitive topic. ^^

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[–] RetroDoll 19 years ago

Hehe, the subject line says "surpise". Haha. That's fun to say aloud.

Live, live, live! Life is a banquet, and most poor suckers are starving to death!

[–] dcfemella 19 years ago

I thought this was way better than the remake. In the remake, I didn't think Alfie was that bad. He was just a womanizer. In this one, we really get to see what a evil bastard he is. Definitely a must-see.

Nina
http://dementiava.blogspot.com

[–] Boldsoliloquy 19 years ago

I didn't think he was so much evil as more of a dumbass stud. Yeah at first I was going right along with him, I thought that this guy was pretty cool how he could pick up his "birds" in the cleverest ways. Still, I agree with the so-called Republican in saying that it showed a fun fantasy and the damage it caused.

Alfie himself isn't a bad guy, not really. He's just so full of testosterone that it makes him who he is. Like he says, he only knows how to deal with pleasure, not pain. He is using women throughout the film, having a lot of fun in the process, but it comes around to bite him in the ass. Maybe I'm only saying this because I could identify with the character; I've done this sort of swinging with several girls, but A. I'm in college and B. I've always been WAY more careful. Still, whatever the future may hold for Alfie he's at least been shown what can and more than likely will happen. "What's it all about?" You'll have to figure that out for yourself.

[–] millie-dogue 18 years ago

no, sad part is it doesn't "comes around to bite him in the ass". At some point perprtual "dumbass stud" DOES turn into evil when you don't grow up. How'd ya like to have Alfie as a dad? Picture him as a 50-something with that smarmy charm and a trail of illegitimate kids...yuk.

[–] phils_phan 17 years ago

Speaking of playing a dad, who was the young actor who played Malcolm as a toddler? Adorable little kid, and uncredited!!

[–] 17 years ago

[deleted]

[–] phils_phan 16 years ago

LOL, troll!!!

[–] tokyodrifter 16 years ago

Funnily enough, the abortion scene is the one thing about this film that I dislike.

The abortion is made to seem a bad thing, a terrible consequence of Alfie's actions. This is an unfortunate and inaccurate message.

It IS sad that Alfie cannot form loving attachments nor see his lovers as human beings equal to himself. HOWEVER, the termination of an unwanted pregnancy is an everyday occurence. There is nothing wrong with aborting an unwanted embryo. Quite the reverse. To insist that an unwanted pregnancy go full term is a tragic mistake that often destroys lives (including the one it 'creates').

I found the 'pro-life' message of this scene highly offensive, and for that reason alone I would consign this otherwise excellent film to the rubbish heap. A shame.

[–] Abe_Raman 16 years ago

This is a 1960s British film, and ought not to be used as ammunition in a backward and boring Yank argument. The abortion scene is there to communicate something about Alfie's character rather than to show us how evil abortion is (or how immoral Alfie and people of his ilk and era were, etc etc).

The USA might be home to a lot of regressively religious people but it's got nothing to do with this excellent film from Great Britain. I note from the cinematic trailer included on the DVD that The New York Times and other US organs praised this film enormously on its release - I wonder whether they'd be so bold now?

When should we expect the next screwball pro-life teen comedy from you crazy guys?

[–] JamesDThomson 16 years ago

I quite agree Abe, but any scene that seems to be anti-abortion will get my temper flaring! :-)

[–] darlingmissmarple 14 years ago

The so called pro life movement was hardly active at the time this film was made. I'm old enough to remember when abortions were not an everyday occurance. So I see why the abortion scene was portrayed as it was. Back in the day it was very tragic when young women or older had abortions. It was illegal and many were performed in the grosses unsafe conditions by bunglers who cared for nothing but the money. I think that was the leading reason it was legalized. I never viewed it as a form of birth control, but more as a way to help those who had gotten pregnant doing what most everyone else was doing but didn't get pregnant. I still don't think it shopuld be used as birth control and I am neither a republican nor a religious fanatic.

[–] emuir-1 10 years ago

Lily was three months pregnant and the fetus would no longer have been an embryo but a tiny child. Abortion at the time was illegal and dangerous. The contraceptive pill was only just being introduced and contraceptives were certainly not prescribed for unmarried women. The scene was not intended to be pro or anti abortion, but to highlight the consequences of Alfie's selfish disregard for anyone but himself. Women were referred to as 'It'. They were a disposable means of instant gratification. Wham, bang, thank you Ma'am. Don't let the door hit you on the way out.

[–] Squeeth2 7 years ago

You nazi bastard

Marlon, Claudia & Dimby the cats 1989-2010. Clio the cat, July 1997 - 1 May 2016.

[–] DBloodnok 7 years ago

You're a big bloke but you're out of shape. With me, it's a full time job...now behave yourself.

"Someone has been tampering with Hank's memories."

[–] shepardjessica-1 15 years ago

Michael Caine's best performance. I met him at a restaurant in New York in the 1980's and told him he should have won Best Actor that year. He said "I know". He was very pleasant.

[–] Jones70 (6195) 2 years ago

I enjoyed it a lot too, a lot better than the remake for sure.