DVD Review: Assault (1971)
If we're on the hunt for controversial British cinema, a movie headed up by British stalwart Frank Finlay and sixties pin-up Suzy Kendall isn't likely to be the place to start looking. However, Assault is exactly where you'll find it.
It's very much down to subject matter - this is a movie about a serial rapist operating around a girl's school. Finlay plays Det. Chief Supt. Velyan - leading the hunt for the attacker with the help of some psychological profiling from Doctor Greg Lomax (Jamie Laurenson). When a second girl is attacked (and murdered), teacher Julie West (Suzy Kendall) is the only eyewitness - and puts her own life at risk to stop further attacks.
I'm not sure what the reaction was to its release in 1971 but I can't imagine a film like this being made today. The violence is predominantly off-screen, but still comes across as very abrupt and brutal. And the subject matter of schoolgirls in mini skirts picked off on their way home really does border on exploitation.
But the "crime thriller" aspect does give Assault balance as a movie - and the violent attacks are an incredibly small part of the 85 minute running-time. The rest is the police hunt for the killer. It's the usual fayre, with a range of suspects flagged up and discounted before the final reveal, most notably the school headmistress's husband Leslie Sanford (played by Tony Beckley - yes, he of The Fiend fame, so he's got a track record). Is he the serial killer? Well...like any decent thriller, it's never quite that straightforward.
Overall, it's a movie that keeps your attention and keeps you guessing until the final scenes. But, for such a sensitive subject, there isn't really the depth of plot required and the uncomfortable leaning towards exploitation doesn't sit well 35 years later.
Still, it's certainly worth a look for fans of British cinema of the era and it's good to see yet another obscure 70s Brit flick escaping the vaults, not to mention David Essex's first screen appearance (briefly as a biker).
Extras on the DVD:
Episode of Tales of the Unexpected (featuring Frank Finlay)
Frank Finlay interview
Image gallery
Theatrical trailer
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