This dark thriller was a nice surprise. I'd not seen this before so when it appeared on telly, thanks to the Talking Pictures channel, I took the chance on it as the premise interested me. Based on the nefarious Burke and Hare this tells the story of William Hart (Slaughter) and Mr Moore (Oscar) and their dealings with Dr Cox (Bell), for whom they procure cadavers for. However, the doctor has a need for younger and fresher bodies so, greedy for money, Hart and Moore comply with the doctor's wishes... by turning murderous...
There's a lot which is good about this film. I liked the way the director, Mitchell, opted for a more realistic feel. The streets of Edinburgh are close and tight. People pretty much lived in each other's pockets in that era. Mitchell, then adds eeriness by adding fog and shadows. It's also nice to see the size of the living quarters that the common folk were subjected to. Hart runs a rooming house, in which there are just two rooms downstairs, a living room and a kitchen. The living room is sparse, containing a table and chairs and a bed, where he and his wife sleep. Upstairs is for their guests. Life is hard so it's no wonder you do what you have to just to survive. A hard life can make for hard men and both Hart and Moore have no compunctions about beating their wives into sublimation. Moore's wife is so under the fist she's only too happy to squeal on Hart's wife, so she can take what's coming to her.
This builds up a bleak overlook to the film. So enter Aubrey Woods portraying the simpleton Jamie Wilson. This character is there not only to lift the film with a comedic element but is also the crux and pivotal role of the movie. This was a good idea by the writer, Gilling, and the director. Woods excels as Jamie and has some of the best lines in the film. It's also nice because he is a breath of fresh air amongst the plethora of melodramatic actors, which can become a little too heavy at times when they deliver their lines - and this is probably the only drawback to the film. Though, for the times, the acting is good to fair.
If you like your dark thrillers then I would recommend you check this out, should you get the chance.
