Excellent performances by Jon Whiteley, Dirk Bogard and Michael Hordern highlight this personal drama about the lonely young Whiteley as Hordern 's neglected son finding an unexpected friendship with gardener Bogarde. Thanks to him, Whiteley (lacking the love of a mother as well as real friendships that Hordern can't substitute as a busy, staid father, and he learns various life skills and self confidence which the emotionally empty Hordern can't seem to muster to teach him about himself. There's nothing perverted in the friendship between the young boy and young man of very different cultures, just companionship and the desire of one person to help another. Hordern uses treachery to try to keep the two apart, finding himself becoming more desperate and eventually maniacally jealous.
The jealousy of Hordern towards Bogarde becomes obvious over a festive game of pelota (a variation of badminton combined with handball) where Bogarde's status as a local hero is revealed to the proud Hordern. It's easy to see why he'd become envious of Bogarde's influence on his son and it takes him reaching into his souls to discover why he's filled with such resentment towards someone who lacked in position but had scads of integrity. This ends with a very intense segment of Whiteley searching for the fleeing Bogarde and Hordern seemingly waking up to realize his failings. It's a subtle drama with fine performances that isn't earth shattering as a film but well acted and intriguing on many levels.
The jealousy of Hordern towards Bogarde becomes obvious over a festive game of pelota (a variation of badminton combined with handball) where Bogarde's status as a local hero is revealed to the proud Hordern. It's easy to see why he'd become envious of Bogarde's influence on his son and it takes him reaching into his souls to discover why he's filled with such resentment towards someone who lacked in position but had scads of integrity. This ends with a very intense segment of Whiteley searching for the fleeing Bogarde and Hordern seemingly waking up to realize his failings. It's a subtle drama with fine performances that isn't earth shattering as a film but well acted and intriguing on many levels.