The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie (1969): The Assassin Scene a Tribute to Dame Maggie Smith

[@hugorefraschini5969]

Ésa escena final entre Maggie Smith y Pamela Franklin es memorable, un fragmento de maestría interpretativa 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@yikesreviews]

Claro, aquí tienes la traducción: "Muchas gracias por tu maravilloso comentario, ambas mujeres ofrecieron una gran actuación y me alegra que haya tantas personas que disfrutaron viéndola. ¡Que tengas un hermoso día

[@mnpollio]

As much as I love Maggie Smith in this sequence, I must say Pamela Franklin is on fire here. I love it when she is all out of f**ks to give and just blurts "You really are a ridiculous woman!" Such terrific timing! And Smith makes Brodie such a narcissist that she honestly can't fathom what anyone is talking about.

[@yikesreviews]

@mnpollio, I 100% agree with your statement. I love Pamela's quiet rage and stillness. She barely moves in the scene in the beginning and then as Jean starts to dance and wail about you can see Pamela move closer to Jean, invading her space and maintaining her dominance. I love both women in this scene but yeah Pamela acted her ass off. The scene is electric and incredibly memorable! Thank you very much for your insightful comment and have a wonderful day!

[@angreagach]

I would say that Sandy is actually the central character of the film. Her maturation, physical and mental, is utterly convincing. I was extremely pleased that Pamela Franklin did the commentary on the DVD (along with Ronald Neame).

[@emb74]

I do think that Sandy is also a dangerous person. As Miss Brodie says - (paraphrasing) Sandy’s gift will be to murder and not care about it- when Sandy says “Oh I’m glad I won’t have to worry.”

[@yikesreviews]

@@emb74 I agree with you 100%. The scene begins in darkness for both characters. The scene ends in darkness especially how Sandy is both a part of the Brodie Set and separate from them. I like looking at this film as a spy movie. Sandy has a single mission to stop Miss Jean Brodie. I don't know what will become of Sandy after the film but I would not be surprised if she decided to work for MI5. Thank you for your insightful comment and have a wonderful day!

[@angreagach]

@@emb74 This is typical of Brodie's interpreting things her way. Sandy's betrayal of her is perfectly justified. (BTW, are you aware that in the original novel, as well as in the play, Sandy becomes a nun?)

[@GreatGreebo]

R.I.P. Dame Maggie. Thank you for this brilliant review.

[@yikesreviews]

@GreatGreebo, Dame Maggie will truly be missed! Thank you as always for your support. I really appreciate it and have a wonderful day!

[@clarissaflowers6200]

The assassin scene is one my favorite cinematic scenes! Pamela Franklin and Maggie Smith are absolutely brilliant in this. Thank you so much for your sharp analysis of this film.

[@yikesreviews]

@clarissaflowers6200, Thank you so much for your kind words. Pamela Franklin to this day is the only actor I know that went toe to toe with Dame Maggie Smith and won. It was a joy to watch them in this scene and throughout the film. Have a wonderful day!

[@clarissaflowers6200]

@@yikesreviews So true! I hope you have a wonderful day too!

[@Ray_treks]

Great analysis and powerful tribute!

[@yikesreviews]

@Ray_treks, Thank you very much. The Prime is one of my favorite movies and Dame Maggie Smith is one of my favorite actresses. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Have a wonderful day!

[@cecilyerker]

Only on KZbin is a guy in a DBZ Goku shirt making an excellent video analysis of a 1960s Dame Maggie Smith movie about a fascist teacher who traffics her students. I need to watch this movie now. Rest in peace Dame Maggie Smith.

[@yikesreviews]

@cecilyerker, Thank you so much for your comment! There are some Shakespearean or at least classical themes in DBZ. I love great stories but I love outstanding performances even more. Pamela Franklin and Dame Maggie Smith and this scene will always have a special place in my heart. I hope you do watch the film, you will not regret it! Again thank you for the awesome comment and have a wonderful day!

[@jhm22164]

Yeah, he even gets "MAR-see-uh" Blaine right. Well done, dude.

[@MichaelCarroll-pv1mk]

You're completely lovely. Thank you for your intelligence and thoughtful tribute.

[@yikesreviews]

@MichaelCarroll-pv1mk You are lovely as well. I really appreciate your comment and support. Have a wonderful day!

[@annenelson5656]

I totally agree!

[@jjeherrera]

Thanks for this beautiful homage to Dame Maggie Smith. She'll be missed.

[@yikesreviews]

@jjeherrera You are most welcome, and thank you for your beautiful comment. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@jaygatz4335]

One of my favourite movies, and favourite lines: "She seeks to intimidate by the use of the quarter hour." I have a real collector's item: the vinyl soundtrack from this film.

[@yikesreviews]

@jaygatz4335, I'm a little jealous that you have the Collectors Ed Vinyl Soundtrack. But I'm just going to have to learn to deal with it! This is one of my favorite films as well. Thank you very much for your comment and have a wonderful day!

[@Phil-r6k]

You are absolutely correct, sir. I completely agree with you. I first saw this film around 1985 when it aired on my local PBS channel. I’d previously heard of it, I knew that it was supposed to be some kind of classic. During the first ten minutes, I almost turned it off; I didn’t think that I could bear two hours of this pompous, off-putting woman. Fortunately, I kept watching, and am glad that I did, as it has become one of my all-time favourite films and I’ve seen it multiple times since. Much like TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, BLACK NARCISSUS, TIGER BAY and INHERIT THE WIND, it’s a perfect film. In most films, the finale is an overblown explosion of action. In this film, the finale is a conversation, albeit a very poignant and dramatic one, the kind of conversation that sends the viewer’s mind and senses reeling.

[@yikesreviews]

@Phil-r6k, You are most welcome and thank you very much for leaving a wonderful comment. When I was younger I watched this film with my mother and I was bored to death. As I got older I gave it another shot. I think I remember seeing it on IFC or something and everything was different. I had a slight crush on both Sandy and Miss Jean Brodie. I'm not ashamed to admit it but as I kept watching I love the performances. The casting and direction and formed a new appreciation for the film. I love To Kill a Mocking Bird and I need to check out the other films you recommended so thank you again and have a wonderful day!

[@kyrilascully7828]

Wow! I have never heard of anyone else who saw Tiger Bay. Hayley Mills was only 6 years old when she starred in that film.

[@Phil-r6k]

@@kyrilascully7828 Another great British Hayley Mills film is WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND (1961). Much like Dudley Moore’s career, Mills’ British films are very different in tone than her American films; they’re less ‘gee-whiz’ commercial and more cerebral and artistic.

[@ghuntg731]

Your commentary is spot on. I saw this movie in fifth grade and have always remembered it. This scene is tremendous. Thank you for sharing it and your thoughts.

[@yikesreviews]

@ghuntg731 Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. I'm incredibly happy you enjoyed the film and my take on the scene. Have a wonderful day!

[@HuntingViolets]

Just rewatched this last night/this morning. Apparently very hard to get now, but someone kindly uploaded it to YT.

[@yikesreviews]

@HuntingViolets, Outstanding! Not all heroes where capes.

[@Rozsaphile]

"Assassin!" is Brodie's last line, shouted from the stair landing and echoed over Sandy's departing figure. Ronald Neame's commentary reveals that the shouted line reading was a source of dispute. Maggie wanted to deliver it quietly and alone -- a despairing moment of recognition. Neame and the producer argued that the talky final scene needed a bigger finish. Maggie gave in, but Neame (forty years later) thought that she was right after all.

[@yikesreviews]

@Rozsaphile That is really interesting! I'm torn because a part of me agrees with Dame Maggie's first option it makes sense that she should have ended the film truly alone, quietly shrinking unto herself. However, the scream she let's out at the end to me seems to be in character with her attitude and character. She is someone who loves to have the final word someone who love to live loudly. She knows she has lost, She knows she is ridiculous. Jean wants to think of her self as some great being who has been assassinated. Despite Sandy telling her why do you always have to strike at attitudes. Why do you always have to one up everything? Sandy moved in silence. Jean moved in extremes. Her last action is extreme because she is one who loves the drama of being extreme. I could be wrong but I prefer the one that was theatrically filmed. I can still here Jean scream Assassin! Thank you for your awesome comment. I really appreciate this and have a wonderful day!

[@jamessheridan4306]

What a splendid tribute! Thanks for posting.

[@yikesreviews]

@jamessheridan4306, Thank you very much for you beautiful words of encouragement. Dame Maggie and Pamela were unforgettable in this film and I had fun making the video. Have a wonderful day!

[@louballou8584]

Thanks so much for this wonderful tribute. This is a brilliant film with an astonishing cast, one of the very finest I’ve ever seen.

[@yikesreviews]

@louballou8584, you are most welcome. Thank you for your comment. I'm so glad the film in it's entirety is on KZbin. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@realhousewivesteaandshade9223]

I have to say you have a remarkable perspective. I am impressed.

[@yikesreviews]

@realhousewivesteaandshade9223 Thank you very much for your lovely words. When movies and performance are this captivating it becomes a joy to discuss them. Have a wonderful day!

[@geraldinemcgowan2385]

Fantastic analysis of the complicated connections of the students in relation to Miss Brodie. Hats off!

[@yikesreviews]

@geraldinemcgowan2385, The connections were definitely complicated and I love watching power dynamics onscreen. Especially when they are done exceedingly well from such world class actresses. Thank you so much for your lovely words of encouragement and have a wonderful day!

[@johnmoreland6089]

Wow. I am beyond thrilled to find such a keen, thoughtful analysis and breakdown of this terrific film and its fantastic performances, especially Pamela Franklin and the always astounding Maggie Smith. This film is too underappreciated today, even after Smith's huge surge in popularity following HP and Downton Abbey. It is a masterpiece and a masterclass on acting. Thank you so much for this video!

[@yikesreviews]

@johnmoreland6089 Thank you so much for you lovely words of encouragement. I really appreciate it. Acting and film schools should show this film as an example of how to not only write dialogue but how to show rising tension in a performance. How to use lighting and staging your actors effectively. How to use your voice to emphasize or subdue your emotions. I could go on and on but I love this movie, I love both actresses and I wish Pamela was not pushed out of the industry. She had the makings of a great actress! Thank you again and have a wonderful day!

[@johnmoreland6089]

@yikesreviews You as well. And I agree wholeheartedly about the acting & film schools, as well as Pamela Franklin. And a quick acknowledgment of Ronald Neame, a truly underrated director. I was lucky enough to meet him and have a brief conversation with him, and he seemed to be a very lovely man.

[@aknudsen93]

My two favorite movies of Maggie Smith are, "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie," and, "Murder by Death". I know so many more characters she played on screen, but these two stick out. She could play such an amazingly thoughtful character in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie and then play a character in a comedy such as, "Murder by Death".

[@yikesreviews]

I really need to see Murder By Death. That is the second time the film has been recommended. Thank you for you great comment and have a wonderful day!

[@annenelson5656]

I saw this movie when it first came out and I was a student at an all girls school with an overly controlling teacher. This movie hit me hard. I just rewatched it for the first time since then. Your review and commentary are top notch. I’m so happy to see a young man with such insight into the complex relationships of young women and authority figures. Dame Maggie Smith played this role magnificently.

[@yikesreviews]

@annenelson5656, Thank you so much for your beautiful words of encouragement. My late mother also went to an all girls Catholic school in DC and she had some horrible stories to tell me of her time there. She was the one who showed me this film because it also reminded her so much of her time in a similar school. Thank you again and have a wonderful weekend!

[@annenelson5656]

@@yikesreviews All the best to you!

[@yikesreviews]

@@annenelson5656 Same to you.

[@realhousewivesteaandshade9223]

Great content about one of my all-time favorite films.Thank you!!!

[@yikesreviews]

@realhousewivesteaandshade9223, I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Thank you for your kind words and have a beautiful day!

[@arleenm7367]

Interesting perspective. I re-watched this after watching it years ago. I always viewed it as Miss Brodie got exactly what she preached in the end (although not how she expected). Her lover (Lowther) got tired of waiting for her and married someone else, and 2 of her girls became what she always preached at them - one died for a "noble cause" (Mary McGregor), and another (Sandy) stood up to her and became "independent". Just like she always wanted her girls to be (sort of). Sandy has become a young Jean Brodie.

[@yikesreviews]

@arleenm7367, You took the words out of my mouth. Be careful what you ask for you might just get it. Jean has been courting reckless abandon and the school, staff, and students are tired of it. This film almost gives me All About Eve vibes. Where the main character is training their replacement in someway. God I love that movie! Thank you so much for your insightful comment and have a wonderful day!

[@TonyBurdzik]

Thank you for recognising and acknowledging her special talent

[@yikesreviews]

@TonyBurdzik, Both women were phenomenal and helped shape my appreciation in film and quality performances. I will miss Dame Maggie Smith and how she could light up a scene or film with just her mere presence. Thank you very much for your comment and have a wonderful day!

[@donnahdunthorn5207]

Thank God I was spared ever having a teacher like Miss Jean Brodie when I was young and impressionable.

[@yikesreviews]

@donnahdunthorn5207, I also am thankful for not having a teacher like Miss Brodie. However there have definitely been teachers that have been burned into my memory for they're terrifying attitudes. I wont say any names but I will never forget them. Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful weekend!

[@HuntingViolets]

Maggie Smith is brilliant here, but thank you for giving credit to Pamela Franklin, who actually matched her at such a young age. I wish she'd had more of a career after this. Nice to see someone younger who has seen and loves this movie. Brodie picks Jenny to be her surrogate with Teddy because of a superficial resemblance (at least in the movie), so she can still fantasize it is her or some part of her ("Jenny is like a part of myself"). It is such a strange thing to do. A bit like a dying woman picking out the next wife, but she is not dying. She talks rhapsodically of men and fourteen-year-old girls -- why? (At this point, the girls are about 17.) She is not a man who needs to justify this to herself. She wants to control Teddy and her girls, even if she chooses not to be with him. His behavior is a whole other thing, but the story is not that interested in him, much as Sandy says ("We were neither of us interested in his mind"). Teddy is only really interested in Brodie, it seems. Even his picture of the family dog looks like her.

[@yikesreviews]

@HuntingViolets, Thank you so much for your insightful comment. Yeah, Jean Brodie was beyond problematic and I think the filmmakers were cognizant of how much of a monster she was in the book that they took huge liberties on softening her deeds to some extent. Pamela Franklin was definitely a star in the making and she gave a magnificent performance in this film. I read somewhere, when she transitioned to doing horror and TV, I think she was typecast and pigeonholed and no one wanted to take a risk on her doing quality movies again. The industry can be vicious when they assume you are only good for one particular role or genre. Some stars get multiple chances to prove themselves, others get pushed out or pushed down. Again thank you very much and have a wonderful day!

[@HuntingViolets]

@@yikesreviews Yes, Franklin was a little too early, I guess, before Jamie Lee Curtis made the transition. At least we got a few bits of her brilliance.

[@Rozsaphile]

@@HuntingViolets She moved to Hollywood and got stuck in trivial films and TV "guest star" bits. She would have done better in London with more opportunities for stage and serious TV roles.

[@miz_logo_lee]

I do need to watch this whole movie, now. My familiarity with the story is through a rather obscure BBC series based on the same source material. This scene is shattering.

[@yikesreviews]

@miz_logo_lee You will not be disappointed. Pamela Franklin is worth watching this film alone but Dame Maggie Smith and Celia Johnson are a delight to watch. Thank you for your awesome comment and have a wonderful day!

[@davidrayner9376]

She was wonderful in THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE, released with an ‘X’ certificate in 1969. But by the time I got to show it as a cinema projectionist in 1970, it had been reclassified as an ‘AA’. She deservedly won an Oscar for her amazing performance in it. I distinctly remember standing in the projection room at the Plaza Fenton watching the film through one of the viewing ports and feeling really proud that I was showing this really classy film. Rest In Peace, Maggie.

[@yikesreviews]

I woul have loved to have been a projectionist during the time of this movie. Thank you providing your experience. There will never be a movie that has impacted my formative years like The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Thank you for your awesome comment and have a great day!

[@viennaactress]

I grew up with this film and loving Maggie Smith. As an aspiring actress I recall at some point in my schooling doing this scene. I think certainly at a young age I didn't really understand that she was a Fascist, I, as all her girls was seduced by her romanticism. About ten years ago, I believe, I actually read the book and was fascinated to realize that it is a comedy!!! Watch the movie AND read the book, see what you think! Thanks for posting! Rest in beautiful peace wonderful Dame Maggie and know that you will be missed by many generations ❤️

[@yikesreviews]

@viennaactress, Thank you so much for your insights, Dame Maggie was incredibly beautiful and charming my crush was real. There have been some mentors I've looked up to and thought from afar they were so cool and cultured. Then time passes by and you think back were they really truly cool or were they great at manipulating others. We all have the ability to manipulate others but people like Jean Brodie wield that power so recklessly and feed off of the attention. I think I read somewhere that the novel itself is pretty short so a lot of aspects were added to the film that were not in the book. I will definitely read the book to get a richer experience and rewatch the film. Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

[@viennaactress]

Ha ha! I wrote that to sound like Dame Maggie was a Fascist. I meant of course Jean Brodie.

[@deidraboswell8451]

Well done! I just watched this movie this morning. (couldnt beieve the artist... what a creep!!) Evil Under the Sun, just yesterday. I'm looking for another one this afternoon. ❤

[@yikesreviews]

@deidraboswell8451, I need to check out Evil Under the Sun, so thanks for the recommendation. Dame Maggie Smith is also in A Secret Garden which is a great film! Thank you very much for your awesome comment and have a wonderful day!

[@deidraboswell8451]

@@yikesreviews it’s based on an Agatha Christie novel. It was good. I watched it on KZbin. I’ve actually never seen A Secret Garden, I’m ashamed to say. Might do that today! Have a great day!❤️

[@yikesreviews]

@@deidraboswell8451 My bad. I meant to say "The Secret Garden", It's free to watch on Amazon Prime.

[@ChrisMartin-b7l]

Death on the Nile (her interactions with Bette Davis are excellent). There's also A Room With a View and plenty more other movies

[@Bdeganian]

Awesome. I really enjoyed your analysis. Thanks!

[@yikesreviews]

@Bdeganian, Thank you for you wonderful words of encouragement. Have a great day!

[@Lukejb2Butterworth]

the opening orchestral music is so moving

[@yikesreviews]

@Lukejb2Butterworth it is a beautiful score. I like how the flow of the song goes from happy and hopeful to a more melancholic tempo when it shows Mary McGregor leaving her car. Thank you for this wonderful comment and have a awesome weekend!

[@williamfurman2042]

This film had high resonance with me when I "taught" English in a foreign, old world country. Thanks.

[@yikesreviews]

Thank you for your comment. Im glad the film resonated with you. Have a great day!

[@gumbycat5226]

A very fine analysis, thank you.

[@yikesreviews]

@gumbycat5226, Thank you very much, and have a wonderful weekend!

[@sandrakenney567]

WHAT A GREAT SCENE WITH SANDY AND MISS BRODY 👍🌷🌿💐🌹🌻REST IN PEACE MAGGIE GODBLESS YOU AMEN🕊🕊🕊🕊🦋🦋🦋🦋❤❤❤❤🌿🌹

[@yikesreviews]

@sandrakenney567 It truly was a great scene, in a great movie by two great actresses. Thank you so much for your beautiful comment. Have a lovely day!

[@kenhallermd8897]

Thank you so much for this thoughtful review of "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and appreciation of the life of Dame Maggie Smith. As it turns out, Maggie Smith got me in big trouble with my mom when I was 15. Well, not just her, but also Paul Newman and Robert Redford. “The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie” starring Maggie Smith and “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford were both released in 1969 by 20th Century Fox Pictures. Both ended up garnering multiple Academy Award nominations. In those days, after Oscar nominations were announced, studios would frequently re-release those films in theaters to capitalize on renewed interest in them. 20th Century Fox released “Jean Brodie” and “Butch and Sundance” as a double feature, and while they are both brilliant pictures, I cannot imagine a more disparate combination. Nevertheless, I went to the movies with my friend Edward. The films are being shown at the Hicksville Twin Theater, and we went on a Saturday to see the double features starting at noon. However, we were both so captivated by both films that we stayed and watched them both a second time. Now, this was 1970, and we did not have cell phones, and even though I'm sure I had a dime somewhere in my pocket, I was so caught up in the experience that I did not bother to call my mother. She had been expecting me home about 5:00 PM, so when I finally rode my bike up the driveway at about 9:00 PM, she was pretty frantic. I can understand why she was upset. My mom was an Irish Catholic “You could be lying dead in a ditch somewhere!" kind of mom, yet the two films were a revelation to me. I was not much of a cinephile before that double feature, but something changed in me as I sat in that theater for over eight hours. George Roy Hill’s sweeping vision and iconoclastic deconstruction of the American Western was absolutely thrilling, and I was positively mesmerized by Maggie Smith's deep conviction in bringing the complex, passionate, contradictory character of Miss Jean Brodie to life, the role for which she quite deservedly won her first Oscar. So, yeah, I still do regret ghosting my mom that Saturday, but that long day in that dark suburban temple of cinema, changed my perception and deepened my understanding of the art of film. And Maggie Smith was a big part of that.

[@yikesreviews]

@kenhallermd8897, Thank you for sharing a wonderful story! If I was around when this movie came out. I would have probably done the same damn thing. There was just something about Dame Maggie and Pamela for that matter. Again thank you for sharing and have a wonderful weekend!

[@tfaddict8254]

I'm glad I discovered your channel. This is excellent work and analysis.

[@yikesreviews]

@tfaddict8254 , Thank you so much for your lovely words of encouragement and support. I just love great films and great performances. Have a wonderful day!

[@sharonmedeiros9819]

I was 13 years old when this movie was made and just as impressionable as the girls in the movie. I know I would have reacted with as much fervor and loyalty as they did, had I had a teacher like Miss Brody. It's still one of my all time favorite movies, and Maggie Smith will always be a favorite actress. She was unique and a force to be reckoned with, with a raise sharp wit. RIP Miss Brody, Professor McGonagall and dowager Countess Violet Grantham.

[@yikesreviews]

I agree with you. There is a big misconception that something like the influence Miss Brodie had on her girls could not happen to boys as well. Mentors no matter the gender can have a extremely positive or negative influence on young impressionable minds. Especially if those mentors were broken people from the onset. Thank you for your wonderful comment and have a lovely day!

[@sandrakenney567]

Very well said YIKES!👍

[@yikesreviews]

@sandrakenney567, Thank you very much once again for your words of encouragement. Have a wonderful day!

[@lisathuban8969]

Very insightful analysis!

[@yikesreviews]

@lisathuban8969 Thank you very much and have a wonderful day!

[@MyratheDunmer]

I shouldn't be so impressed but I'm always happy when an American pronounces Edinburgh correctly

[@yikesreviews]

I was so worried the ecact moment I said it. Thank you so much for your wonderful comment and support. Have a beautiful day!

[@amandab.recondwith8006]

We're fast losing our best most talented classical actresses. Dame Smith was superb. I remember as a 9th grader seeing The Pride of Miss Jean Brody with my mother. It was awfully mature for a 9th grader, but was a bright gay boy and my mother knew I would "get it". I'll never forget the scream at the end: "Assassin! Assassin". Then she did "A Room With A View", "Downton Abbey" and "Harry Potter," which I never saw because I thought it was beneath her. She and Dame Judi Dench were close friends. When Judi passes, that entire generation of brilliance, knowledge and talent will be gone forever, and we will be left with the crumbs from their table.

[@yikesreviews]

@amandab.recondwith8006, Dame Maggie knew how to project her voice when she responds to Sandy by saying "How!" I was like she barely opened her mouth how the hell does that line give me goosebumps. She was a once and a lifetime actress and I always loved seeing her on screen. Dame Maggie was incredibly funny and had great comedic timing. Regarding your "talent crumbs" mention, I agree with you to some extent specifically that an end of an era is fast approaching and we are losing a lot of our great actresses and actors. But there are those actors who have known and acted with the greats and I think the new generation of talent deserves a consideration. Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Olivia Coleman's, Viola Davis, Kate Winslet, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Zendaya, Anna Sawai, etc. It will never be the same era as Dame Maggie Smith's class but it will be different. That is just how I choose to view it. Again thank you for for your insightful comment and have a wonderful weekend!

[@cecilyerker]

Please watch her other projects, I promise even in Harry Potter she’s excellent. Professor McGonagall is Harry’s surrogate stern grandmother figure, and often goes up against the other school staff members to advocate for him.

[@Ozymandi_as]

A fine tribute, Sir!

[@yikesreviews]

@Ozymandi_as, thank you so much and have a wonderful weekend!

[@smokymountainangoras]

Great movie review !!!!!! 💐💐💐💐

[@yikesreviews]

Thank you very much and have a great day!

[@80sdreamwave32]

Great movie RIP Maggie Smith

[@bunny_smith]

Interesting commentary. She was a good actress.

[@mashton6631]

Love your commentary.

[@yikesreviews]

@mashton6631, Thank you for the awesome comment and support. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@cottoncandisandi6109]

Miss Jean Brody is just like Ghislaine Maxwell . She trafficked , young girls for Teddy . Jean wanted the lifestyle without the " mess" , so to speak . The movie cleans it up but the book wasn't so subtle . " The more things change " and all that . 😑

[@yikesreviews]

@cottoncandisandi6109, Thank you for the great callout. No question she was definitely a groomer and pimp. You are right the director and screenplay writer had to take some liberties in softening Brodie up as much as possible. Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

[@leightonolsson4846]

Jean Brodie was a coward, I think that is what is terrible but pitiful. Ultimately Maggie Smith wrings a humanity and sadness in the vain, proud, rather stupid woman while nonetheless giving a believable charisma to the grandiose and posturing, pretentious woman. Those amazing eyes could break your heart or burn through you. I agree with the plaudits for Pamela Franklin, not to mention the peerless Celia Johnson (who does not get recognised for her achievements nearly enough) but I must say, you could never imagine anyone else playing this role after you have seen Maggie Smith.

[@cecilyerker]

This is some spicy discourse, thanks for introducing it to the discussion.

[@lauramcgowan3740]

A fine example of a Groomer

[@buzzawuzza3743]

I agree with you about this film.

[@thecitrusscale5465]

Goddamn I love this scene so much!

[@yikesreviews]

@thecitrusscale5465 I know you do! Mom loved this scene as well! Thank you as always Goose. I love you!

[@kathrin-mariasamarrastehle6538]

Nice

[@calebcostigan2561]

What a coincidence. Maggie Smith was wonderful.

[@bostonblackie9503]

Maggie Smith deserved all the accolades she received. A wonderful actress. However the world lost out on another when Pamala Franklin's career didn't go as it should and she decided to retire from acting.

[@yikesreviews]

@bostonblackie9503, I completely agree with you. After this film Pamela appeared in a few other films nothing really matched the acclaim of Prime. She started delve into television and horror and that is when old Hollywood put her in the typecast corner. Some actors thrive by being typecasted and make careers out of it. However, Pamela knew she could do more than what Hollywood gave her but was never given another quality film or TV role. Hollywood has a history of doing this to women, BIPOC actors and actresses and that is why Pamela chucked a peace sign to her acting career. Thank you for your wonderful comment and have a great day!

[@bostonblackie9503]

@@yikesreviews Pamala herself said the move to the States was a disaster as far as her career went. She was seen as a TV actress and a screen queen.

[@jaygatz4335]

One of the best scenes of cinema acting. Pamela Franklin more than held her own against her formidable costar. Vanessa Redgrave played Jean Brodie on the stage - I wonder how she would have been in the film.

[@yikesreviews]

@jaygatz4335 Vanessa Redgrave is also an amazing actress. I wonder if she would have played the role similar to how she played "Max" in Mission: Impossible back in the day. I honestly don't know but I'm intrigued. Thanks again for another awesome comment!

[@grahamblack1961]

I'm a teacher and although rare there are dangerous narcissists in the profession who think they're on a mission to 'inspire' young people rather than do their job which is to teach them something.

[@yikesreviews]

@grahamblack1961 Thank you for providing your insights. I can understand the need to inspire the young. To help them think critically about the world around them. But like all things, there is a limit. The act of teaching and teachers are a part of a noble and underappreciated profession. Miss Brodie knew of the dangers, the limits of what she was teaching, I don't think she cared. She thought she was the best teacher in the entire world. She should have left the profession years ago. Thanks again and have a wonderful weekend!

[@emb74]

Everything you say about the dynamic between Sandy and Miss Brodie, and especially that Miss Brodie was so narcissistic that she didn’t even recognize at first that it was Sandy who betrayed her, just demonstrates to me that Sandy is the more diabolical of the two women. All through the movie Sandy plots and plans and leads the other girls and it seems by the end that she is finally going to reach her goal of destroying Miss Brodie. If you read the book, there isn’t a moment when she just decides spontaneously to betray her- there is no Mary McGregor running away to join her brother and getting killed in the war. (She dies later in a house fire, And in the book Sandy is very mean to her). So yes, having first seen the movie in 1969 when I was a young woman, and watching it a few times over the decades, I really feel strongly that Sandy is the really nasty person who has a hidden agenda through the years. But Sandy has it dead to rights- that Miss Brodie IS a ridiculous woman.

[@yikesreviews]

@emb74, thank you for providing your perspective regarding Sandy and Miss Brodie's dynamic. I agree that Sandy is not a saint and has a cold, ruthless nature to her. I think the film showed that to some extent. I think it's more important to recognize who the bigger monster was in this story Miss Brodie who has had years of perfecting her method on countless students or a monster in the making who is learning through efficiency how to ruin a person systematically. We are a film about how an old predator trained her own killer. I like movies and stories where the lines between good and evil are blurred. Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful weekend!

[@MrCaptainA]

Note that this scene never happens in the book. In the book Sandy never reveals to Miss Brodie that she was the one who betrayed her, and it's only on her deathbed that Miss Brodie finally figures out on her own what Sandy did.

[@yikesreviews]

@MrCaptainA, Thank you very much for providing this insightful comment. I'm glad the director and screenwriter made the change they did. Jean's reign needed to end and Sandy needed to not only ascend but show Jean that I'm the one who will end you. I sampled your life your great love and was left wanting. I'm your greatest pupil! Not f*cking Jenny! The payoff in the book while poetically beautiful lacks the fire and spectacle of the film adaptation. Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

[@susanford2388]

Jane Carr (Mary McGregor) appeared in an episode of Monk. She played a housekeeper

[@yikesreviews]

@susanford2388 Jane Carr is a terrific actress and a unsung tragic hero in the "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie". I need to see Monk. Is it true the show is linked to Sherlock Holmes in some way? Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful day!

[@susanford2388]

@@yikesreviews In my opinion Monk is his own detective, a man with uncanny abilities & a quirky disposition, but I can see similarities with his deductions. When, for example, a computer chair is at a certain level Monk would deduce the individual is 6ft 2" so more than likely a male, & that height reduces the suspects by a huge margin etc. etc. I immediately spotted Jane Carr even though it was nearly 40 years since Jean Brodie. Her role was minimal unfortunately & she played a Scottish Housekeeper if memory serves me right. Have a lovely day too. Girls Can't Eat 15 Pizzas - Monk episode.

[@barbaraellison1095]

Maggie Smith was perfect of course. But damn Pamela Franklin should have gone on to greater acting heights. Finally, read the novel! It’s quite different. In fact, all of Muriel Spark’s novels are great.

[@maria-ceciliapeon5776]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@yikesreviews]

@maria-ceciliapeon5776 Thank you very much, I appreciate it and have a wonderful weekend!

[@PoliteTia]

This is the only scene I remember from this movie, apart from Mary dying.

[@yikesreviews]

@PoliteTia, Thank you so much for your comment and honesty. This scene is definitely the most memorable. Have a wonderful day!

[@Rozsaphile]

Fine as Dame Maggie is here, you can argue that the film ultimately belongs to Sandy. She is the one who really changes. Jean gets the first shot of the film, but Sandy gets the last.

[@yikesreviews]

@Rozsaphile, I wholeheartedly agree with you. I also feel Pamela deserved to win an Academy Award for her portrayal. She took on Dame Maggie Smith and did not run away. I love Sandy's cold and precise stillness in her portrayal of Sandy. Every other character one flops and flails about but Sandy remains resolute and firm. Her quite stillness and strength is a sight to behold and contrasts with Jean Brodie's look at me energy. Thank you for this incredibly insightful and concise comment. Have a wonderful day!

[@ThomasReeves-s7u]

I can't remember when I saw this film, but it very much surprised and intrigued me. I'd never seen a film before it that sort of took the "inspirational teacher standing against the stodgy establishment" trope on its head. The teacher is mostly a villain inspiring teenage girls to engage in sex with grown men and sympathize with Fascism. (Although Brodie's love of Giotto is quite defensible.) The establishment is right to be against the things she's encouraging and she ultimately loses out. Would I say I liked it? Well I'm not sure about that. But it was memorable and it's been entering my mind since hearing of Dame Maggie Smith's demise. Also I've not read the book, but it's said to be quite different. Muriel Spark was a convert to Catholicism, I'm Catholic BTW, and I've heard that is important in much of her writing. So it seems Sandy is a nun at the beginning of it who is reflecting on her past with Miss Brodie or something like that. I think Ms Spark stated she did have a Scottish Presbyterian teacher who, perplexingly, liked Franco and referred to "her prime" but was not necessarily that much like Brodie otherwise.

[@yikesreviews]

@ThomasReeves-s7u, Thank you for providing your insights on the film specifically the Sandy representing the Catholic establishment and Miss Brodie representing the anti-establishment in some regards. I didn't really think about their relationship and dynamic in that way before. There is a whole genre of movies of either Teachers either being tyrannical villains, saviors to wayward children and the educational system. I think this film is incredibly influential not only to film but learning to always question those authority. It took me being out of school for decades before I could really learn how the world works. I had to unlearn some of the things that I was taught and chase down some educational tidbits I should have learned in school. Thank you again and have a wonderful day!

[@patriciafeehan7732]

This movie has the Theme Jean, Jean 🎶

[@joeconway7244]

At the end she talks of her ancestor William Brodie who was a respected citizen by day and house breaker by night and was indeed hung on a gallows of his own design He is believed to be the inspiration for Robert Louis Stevenson Dr Jekyll and Mr Heidi

[@yikesreviews]

@joeconway7244, That is amazing! I just looked it up and you are correct! Thank you so much for this tidbit. I actually like aspects of Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Have a wonderful weekend!

[@christina7215]

Rip Maggie. Can you do scar face? And what ever happened to baby Jane? Both classics

[@yikesreviews]

@christina7215, Thank you for the recommendation, I can add those to the list. I need to rewatch them both, it's been so long. Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful day!

[@TheBearAspirin]

I always thought a good double feature would be "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "Tea With Mussolini". With Maggie Smith playing (comedically) another fascist loving figure, it shows a glimpse of how Jean Brody may have reacted if she truly saw how her romanticized delusions were destructive.

[@yikesreviews]

@TheBearAspirin I need to see Tea with Mussolini thanks for the recommendation. I love Lily Tomlin and Dame Judi Dench so it has to be a great movie. Jean was definitely destructive but she was so narcissistic and borderline psychopathic that I don't think she gave a damn until she was called out in the film or at the end of her life in the book. Thanks again and have a wonderful day!

[@SirJaymesDAudelée]

Brit’s are proper at acting. No contest. And that’s coming from a 🇨🇦

[@yikesreviews]

@SirJaymesDAudelée, noted! Have a good one.

[@daco54]

Well as Brit , Also a fan of world cinema ,I have seen many examples of Proper acting from Indian ,German ,Japan and of course American.

[@brucealanwilson4121]

Do I detect some parallels "Dead Poets Society."

[@yikesreviews]

@brucealanwilson4121, You do! There are also some parallels to "To Sir with Love." another one of my favorites that I believe came out two or three years before Prime. Thank you for your comment and have a wonderful day!

[@brucealanwilson4121]

@yikesreviews In both "Brodie" & "Dead Poets" we have a conservative school with a charismatic teacher whom the students adore, especially a coeterie of students whom the teacher picks out for special attention. One of the students takes the teacher's ideas a little too much to heart, with tragic results. One might even call DPS "The Prime of Mr. John Brodie."

[@ConstantGardener-q9q]

Such conflicted characters. An inspired teacher or a narcissistic fascist? A love struck artist and child molester? A bitter head master or a protector or children? A courageous child or a self-righteous, sadistic assassin?

[@yikesreviews]

Usually not always but sometimes conflicted characters are usually the most entertaining to watch. Thanks for you comment and have a great day!

[@maryjoburnette7589]

I never understood the redeeming point of the plot.

[@yikesreviews]

@maryjoburnette, Thank you for taking the time to provide your comment. I apologize for asking but could you expand a bit more on your comment? You don't have to of course I'm just intrigued is all. No harm no foul and have a wonderful day by the way!

[@michaelarnold7503]

Maggie Smith had many admirable qualities as an actress. However, I can not help but cringe when listening to her deliver her lines in this movie. She is horribly inconsistent with the Scottish accent and pronunciations. At times she slips into posh English and transatlantic. Where was the dialect coach?

[@yikesreviews]

@michaelarnold7503, I did not even consider how Dame Maggie Smith's accent performance came across. Thank you for this call out. Being an American and growing up I blithely assumed she was pulling off or was of Scottish heritage/background. I apologize. That being said I feel her and Pamela Franklin's performance resonates with so many people decades later is due in large part because of the performance as a whole while imperfect rise to the level of masterful in it's execution. Yes, despite, it's flaws whatever they maybe. That one of the most important aspects of acting. Are you able to feel what the characters are going through if only for a moment. That is all the audience needs really. I need to believe what I'm seeing and feel what I'm seeing if only for a moment and I felt both Pamela and Dame Maggie Smith nailed it! Thank you again for providing your perspective. It means a lot to me. Have a wonderful day!

[@livrowland171]

I don't know myself, but I've just read a comment elsewhere from someone saying that speaking as a Scot from Edinburgh her 'Morningside' accent sounds perfect for the character's class and period (ie. I guess, a rather posh, pretentious, but not upper class, person in the 1930s) 🤷

[@miguelzacconi8755]

Xq la excelente actriz PAMELA FRANKLIN NO GANÓ EL OSCAR A M ACTRIZ DE REPARTO??? Qué injusticia no??? En algunas escenas superando a M SMITH.

[@yikesreviews]

@miguelzacconi8755 ¡Amigo, estoy de acuerdo contigo al 100%! Pamela Franklin estuvo increíble y le dio una dura competencia a Dame Maggie Smith. La Academia siempre premia actuaciones llamativas. ¡Pamela al menos merecía algo! ¡Muchas gracias por tu genial comentario y que tengas un día maravilloso!

[@miguelzacconi8755]

@@yikesreviews GRACIAS 🙂. Lo mismo se lo merecía Julette Lewis x CABO DE MIEDO. Esos 8 o 10 minutos con R de Niro era para el aplauso y Oscar de reparto. Así con muchas actrices de reparto. X ejemplo en la película LO QUE EL VIENTO SE LLEVÓ se lo merecía también conjuntamente con la actriz negra MAMY la actriz O DE HAVILLAN ambas de reparto. Una inolvidable Melanie. Dulce. Amorosa. Buena y enamorada de Hasley q justificada los desplantes de S 0Hara.