Term of Trial – 1962 | 130 mins | Drama | B&W

Plot Synopsis

From the ‘kitchen sink’ era, a thought-provoking and controversial melodrama based on James Barlow’s novel The Burden of Proof. Overlong and cliché-ridden, Term of Trial nevertheless features a superb Sarah Miles as the scorned teenager oozing sex appeal in her film debut, Terence Stamp as a suitably seedy class bully, and Thora Hird teeming with indignation as the irate mother. Laurence Olivier is acutely miscast in the uncharacteristic role of maltreated weakling.

Graham Weir (Laurence Olivier) is a feeble schoolteacher at a rough inner-city school who continually clashes with the class bully, Mitchell (Terence Stamp), and drowns his world-weariness in alcoholic after school hours. Weir becomes the focus of attention for a 15-year-old schoolgirl, Shirley (Sarah Miles), who develops a crush on him when requiring night classes. Back at his dreary home, Weir’s French fishwife, Anna (Simone Signoret), taunts him mercilessly about being a conscientious objector during WWII, their lack of children, and his entire lethargic demeanour.

During a school trip to Paris, Weir and Shirley become firm friends and spend the day visiting Parisian tourist spots. Once back in England, Shirley later visits him during the evening at a London hotel room and makes known her feelings of love for the middle-aged man; Weir responds by gently rebuffing the girls advances – to which the spurned teenager leaves with “I hate you!” as a parting shot. A few days pass and Weir’s memorable evening returns to haunt him when the police call to inform him that Shirley has accused him of indecently assaulting her. The ensuing trial puts pressure on his already strained marriage, but in the courtroom the timid teacher finally rouses from his stupor to become a man, only to subsequently revert to type in order to keep his wife.