faginsgirl

This is the first time I have seen this film. I thought it was very well done and extremely well acted by everyone involved.

I have seen a documentary on Pierrepoint before on Sky but by what people were saying i.e his relatives, his general personality at home wasn`t as sollum (sorry terrible spelling) as Spall portrayed him. But then again, the scenes at home were just mainly between him and his wife, that may have been different.

But great acting anyway, and the whole thing made me wonder what exactly went on inside the man himself, however he was portrayed outwardly.

Glad I watched it, thanks for letting us know it was on.

XX

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

christoph404

I saw this film at the cinema when it came out, its a brilliant thought provoking film and Spall gives a superb performance. For some reason the film seemed to come and go quietly from the big screen, I think it was underrated and deserved more recognition. I wouldn't say Pierrpoint was a serial killer as he was simply carrying out the duties his job required of him, his outrage at the fact that nazi war criminals were stuffed 2 or 3 at a time into one coffin after execution was quite poignent, "they've paid the price" was his belief and should be treated as such in death and afforded dignified burial. The scene depicting innocent Timothy Evans about to be hanged for the murder of his wife and daughter ( they were lodgers of mass killer Christie who had not been rumbled at that point) was quite gut wrenching. How ironic that Pierrpoint himself at the end of his career concludes that capital punishment is not the answer. Powerful film.

faginsgirl

That really got to me too. Does anyone know if he hung Christie? If he did they didnt show it on the film so I`m guessing not.

It also got to me when Ruth Ellis smiled.

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

batman

He did hang Christie in 1953, on the very same gallows where he had previously hanged Timothy Evans.

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christoph404

Christie was also executed by Pierrpoint. Accounts say Christie complained of the ropes around his wrists being "uncomfortable and itchy" Pierrpoint had said to him "that they wouldn't be for long." Christie was instrumental in getting Evans hanged as he appeared in court as a main prosecution witness! What a travesty! And tragedy.

Steve Crook

He wanted to remain confidential. It was the newspapers that "outed" him while he was at Nuremberg.

Eddie Marsan always does give a good performance. Check his work in Gangster No. 1, Gangs of New York and Vera Drake to name but three.

Steve

christoph404

(My post has overlapped with Batman's same reply, apologies Bats for repeating your answer )

Steve Crook

Me too, a lovely piece of work.

Steve

faginsgirl

Thanks both of you.

I wonder why they didnt tell us that on the film then? But then again if they showed us every one he had hung we would have started watching it at 9.00pm last night and would stilll be watching it now!

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jackdaw

I enjoyed this very much on the whole.
Good atmosphere and period effect, and an excellent performance by Timothy Spall.
A few quibbles though;
The film tends to portray Pierrepoint as a saint and accordingly bestows a cloak of spirituality upon him. According to contemporary accounts he was a very bluff and outgoing man with a rough and ready manner.
British condemned cells were not on the landing but were separate, and the execution chamber was revealed not by a door, but by the whole wall sliding across.
I still do not buy the idea that Pierrepoint knew nothing of Corbitt's crime, or that not one of his customers mentioned the case. It's just not feasible.
Finally, the platform of the gallows for the Belsen executions was only about five feet above the ground, as shown when Pierrepoint walked in front of it after his chat with his officer assistant. At that height, most of his clients would have ended up with their feet on terra firma. And didn't Pierrepoint have an old-hand WO to assist him in Germany?
Sorry to carp, but if film-makers wish to avoid criticism of this kind, they should employ OCD types such as myself to run the rule over their efforts.

mrs_emma_peel

A superb – very powerful drama.
Outstanding performances by Timothy Spall as Pierrepoint and by one of my favourite actresses - Juliet Stevenson as his wife Annie.



Only Albert Pierrepoint’s extraordinary story could have brought together such a range of famous and infamous men and women as - the ill-fated, innocent Timothy Evans; the “Beast of Belsen”: Josef Kramer; “the Beautiful Beast”: the sadistic Irma Grese, and the last woman hanged in Britain: Ruth Ellis. The finely crafted, well paced screenplay portrayed them in riveting fashion, and Timothy Spall’s performance demonstrated Albert Pierrepoint’s emotional sensitivity, honour and thorough decency.

Three famous executions not included were that of the guilty John Christie, as mentioned before;
the guilty Lord Haw Haw and the innocent Derek Bentley.

Mrs Emma Peel

faginsgirl

I must admit Jackdaw I too thought that was a bit odd. The gossip about Corbitts crime would have been rife in the area even if the two of them had lost touch. Pierrepoint would have still known about it and that being the case, how could he not have asked himself how he would feel if he had to deal with Corbitts hanging?If I did Pierrepoints work, it would be the first thing I would be thinking about if I had heard about my mates crime.

But this film was still well done and it has made think and ponder. NOW that is what film should be about!

xx

We`re changin` lodggggggggings!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

batman

Some still argue against his guilt ....

"Joyce's defence team, appointed to him by the court, argued that, as an American citizen and naturalised German, Joyce could not have been convicted of treason against the British Crown. However, the prosecution successfully argued on the basis of a technicality that having lied about his nationality to obtain a British passport and to vote, Joyce owed allegiance to the King."

From wikipedia.

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orpheum

The funny thing is that there were a number of other broadcasters from Germany during the war who they did not hang.Also to a certain extent Joyce went along with it to make sure that his wife,also a broadcaster was not prosecuted.

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batman

Yes indeed orpheum, I read that she was the more 'guilty' of the two and was destined for the noose, but Joyce bartered his life for hers.

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