The Strange Affair – 1968 | 106 mins | Drama | Colour

Plot Synopsis

Thisbitty adaption of Bernard Tom’s undemanding anecdotal novel concerns anidealistic young police recruit who is convinced that right is right, butgradually discovers that life just isn’t that straightforward in a bitterly cynicalending. Director David Greene fashions a quirky pop-art thriller that deftly mixesa pseudo-documentary storyline with the rancid odour of Swinging London’sunderworld sleaze and corruption. Greene displays a visual flair for the mod paraphernaliaof the 60s including flower-power peace protesters, Indian mystics, inflatablefurniture and round beds.

IdealisticPeter Strange (Michael York) fails his University finals, so decides to dosomething positive for society and enrols as a young constable with theMetropolitan Police. Strange is determined to doing everything by the book,unlike the more cavalier approach to police work exuded by Scotland Yarddetective David Pierce (Jeremy Kemp). Pierce is tipped off to a drug shipmentbeing delivered to Robert Quince (Jack Watson), head of a London crime family,but the tip comes to nothing and Pierce suspects a bent copper, Insp. Wally Evans(Artro Morris), tipped them off.

Meanwhile,Strange is sent on riot control duty and befriends 16-year-old "mod"girl protester Frederica ‘Fred’ March (Susan George). The pair subsequently beginsdating and Strange takes one hapless step after another, allowing his morals toslip. He spends the night in bed with underage Fred, but unbeknown to therookie copper, her permissive Aunt and Uncle secretly film their lovemakingfrom behind a one-way mirror for a pornographic ring.

Insp.Evans survives a corruption probe and Pierce’s attempt to put the Quince trio behindbars is thrown out of court for lack of evidence. Frustrated at his failed attemptsto get a secure legal conviction, a desperate Pierce resorts to blackmailing PCStrange into planting heroin on one of the three smugglers. Caught between arock and a hard place, Strange agrees, but at the subsequent trial the strainshows when Pierce takes the witness box and the case collapses.