MovieChat Forums > The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969) Discussion > Two small problems

Two small problems

posted 15 years ago by tgemberl
5 replies | jump to latest

I saw two problems that are pretty small. The first is really tiny: it's that the theme song has only a limited connection to the story. It gives the impression that it's a romantic story, and it isn't.

The other one is a little bigger. The story implies that Mary was "inspired" to go to Spain and face the risk of death without even realizing that her brother was fighting against Franco. I suppose Mary could be that stupid, but it seems it would be more plausible if her brother had been fighting for Franco.

I don't know, maybe that's not a real problem. Perhaps the basic point of the film was to show how dangerous teachers can be if they have impressionable students. But the point would have been made just as well if Mary's brother had been fighting for Franco.

"Extremism in the pursuit of moderation is no vice."

[–] greenleafie 13 years ago

The point is that Jean Brodie sent Mary off to satisfy her own vanity. Jean was trying to live vicariously through her students, just like with Jenny, believing that she would consummate her relationship with Teddy Lloyd. She cared nothing for Jenny, Mary or the brother, except to the extent they could fulfill her fantasies.

[–] cookiela2001 9 years ago

that the theme song has only a limited connection to the story. It gives the impression that it's a romantic story, and it isn't.

That makes me laugh, because I was just reading something about the film's locations, and it says:

<< Edinburgh provides most of the locations as Maggie Smith takes over from Vanessa Redgrave (who originally played Brodie on stage to great acclaim) in the film of Muriel Spark’s Thirties-set novel, and Rod McKuen growls possibly the least appropriate title song ever. >>

Yes, who IS supposed to be singing that to Jean? Teddy? (Doesn't sound like his thinking, much.) And is she "young and alive," exactly? The whole climax of the film is her accepting that she's "past her prime."

Maybe it's supposed to be Mr. Lowther....

.

[–] ronfirv 9 years ago

I doubt the song was supposed to be sung by any character in the movie. Just a song sung by an admirer or father figure perhaps.

[–] rexamillion (62) 2 years ago

well the song can be seen as completely appropriate really------the constant talk about her 'lover' when she was young (how young? 14?) who then went off and died in WWI has obviously scarred her and is the impetus for much of her behavior, and how she wants to shape these girls---trying to relive and 'do-over' her own now lost youth.

So if you think of the song as her young man singing to her when she was in the thralls of her first young love---which then became permanently imprinted on her by his tragic death, never to be lived up to again, and really the key to this movie---then it can make sense.
whether that's intentional or not lol

[–] Jes' Sayin' (6543) 2 years ago

I think that's not really the point of the film. It's more just a portrait of a certain kind of person that the author has a problem with. It's an unsual piece in that it criticizes idealists, who are not usually the targets.