Runtime: 116 minutes
Directed by: Carol Reed
Starring: James Mason, Kathleen Ryan, Robert Newton, Cyril Cusack, F.J. McCormick
From: Two Cities Films
What a movie to discuss on St. Patrick’s Day. It was viewed last night on the Criterion Channel after I noticed it was playing this morning on Turner Classic Movies… but it fit my schedule best to watch then type up the review on Saturday. Odd Man Out is set and filmed in Belfast, Northern Ireland, concerning James Mason (I’ve only seen a small amount of his work, but he’s still a good reason to give a flick a shot) as the leader of “The Organisation,” a group that wishes for independence. For obvious reasons, I will offer no comment on the concept of Irish unification!
He escaped from prison and was in hiding, but was part of a robbery for funds. As he wasn’t in peak physical or mental condition, it goes awry so he is wounded, on the run. As his friends look for him-not to mention law enforcement-he encounters a number of characters, some who are sympathetic to his cause. I’d rather not reveal much more, except that he has a girlfriend on the hunt for him, the movie is set in the span of a day, snow eventually falls on Belfast, & the further the movie progresses, the more special the movie becomes.
Stewart Granger famously turned down the lead role due to the main character’s laconic amount of dialogue. Turns out, Mason became a star despite a sparse amount of speech due to his acting, the presentation, and the reasons why I found the movie to be special. There was more philosophical speeches about such topics as religion and love than expected. As the plot unfurled, I was more engrossed in this world where the protagonist’s political beliefs mattered little… instead, it was a march towards the inevitable.
The film is full of English & Irish actors, only some of whom I was familiar with… like Cyril Cusack, Robert Newton and a just beginning his career Dan O’Herilhy. Perhaps Kathleen Ryan was the second-most impressive as our lead’s paramour. Several scenes were just tremendous, including an ending that blindsided me—which solidified the English origins of the movie as no way would it be seen in the Hollywood of that time. I wasn’t expecting to come across something great when this was selected at the last minute; what a pleasant surprise this proved to be, as downbeat as Odd Man Out proved to be.
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