Don't listen to the Hype. It's awful

A Brilliant Conflict

I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

Produced at the time of the Festival of Britain, a period when Britain was trying to show itself in its most positive light, THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT offers a gentle, if pointed corrective. Sidney Stratton's (Alec Guinness') wonderful invention of a suit that never needs washing, and never wears out, threatens the entire future of the British cotton industry and needs to be suppressed. For perhaps the first - and only time - the mill-owners, led by Cecil Parker's Mr. Birnley and Ernest Thesiger's hawk-like Sir John, unite with the workers to frustrate Stratton's plans of success and hence ensure that "the delicate balance of interests" (i.e. the industrial status quo) is maintained. The fact that the cotton industry no longer really exists in Britain is one of the ironies of history; it was chiefly due to an ostrich-like reluctance to change that Britain was overtaken by other countries in Asia. As Parker's narrator accurately foretells right at the end of the film, the Sidney Strattons of this world did achieve what they wanted in the end. Alexander Mackendrick's film is tightly structured with some memorable cinematography by Douglas Slocombe; there are at least two aerial shots of the mill-owners and Sir John gathered in one room, where they resemble predatory beasts ganging up on the luckless Sidney. The chase- sequences are also cleverly handled, with several shots of Sidney's pursuers running down corridors or darkened alleyways. Benjamin Frankel's music, with its memorable theme of the bubbling of Sidney's scientific experiments, reminds us of just how successful and threatening human endeavors can be. Mackendrick also gets some memorable character-vignettes out of Parker - never better in his customary role as a bumbling yet pompous industrialist, Thesiger (screaming "wait for me!" as he relishes the prospect of chasing Sidney, and is bundled into a worker's car), and Joan Greenwood, reprising her role as an incredibly polite yet potent predator from KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS (1949). In the central role, Guinness is remarkably active; his obsessiveness manifesting itself in his increasingly unkempt appearance, that contrasts with his appearance at the end, when the suit has been torn off him. In his undershirt and pants, he resembles a dying swan. THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT is, as with all Ealing comedies, a small-scale film, but one that befits repeated viewings in order to understand its quiet subtleties. A classic.

An Ealing Studio's satire on capital and labor's aligned suppression towards the revolutionary invention of an unbreakable and dirt-free fabric. A Cambridge graduate (Guinness) is debarred from a short-sighted garment manufacturer (Gough) to proceed his research, but with the help of another industrialist's daughter (Greenwood), he is financed by her father and unprecedentedly invents the fabric, which he thinks can benefit all mankind but both the workmen and their high-handed authority figures say otherwise, then a series of cat-and-mouse games ensues until an Achilles heel of the magical fabric pops out of left field ends the farce with everyone is happy except our protagonist. Running snappily around 85 minutes, the story is unfolding concisely and takes an interesting turn after the cringe-worthy sequences of a nobody requests to meet an affluent personage but is routinely fended off by a hoity-toity butler. Guinness extracts a creditable poise of innocence and innocuousness besides a nerd's impulsion of his scientific pursuit, and one can read more through his inscrutable eyes. Greenwood is the darling girl here, clears barriers for Guinness when he is in trouble, a rarefied paragon from the upper class, even single-handedly engineers a persuasive feeler in the crucial moment. Vida Hope belongs to the opposite working class, who holds a secret admiration toward Guinness, and her rough and strong-arm simplicity is spot-on. Cecil Parker has a comical presence as an oscillating pushover, and a vulture-alike Ernest Thesiger has a grandstanding entrance as the mogul and decision-maker in the business. Director Mackendrick and DP Slocombe utilizes a great contrast of Black & White cinematography to accentuate the luminous white suit, particularly in the chase set pieces. THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT is a prescient allegory tale which pinpoints the discovery of something new will upset the delicate market and self-seeking masses, it leaves a bitter taste for this technology-advanced era and meanwhile, it is an ingenious comedy deserves multiple watches anytime, anywhere.

THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUITI was told by a friend that this was on the TV. I wanted to see it for 2 reasons... 1. It has Alec Guinness in it and I want to see more of his work. 2. Madness slightly modified this cover for one of their tours a few years ago.I was slightly disappointed with this film. I was hoping it would be funnier. It was amusing in places, but it was not funny.The story is about a man who invents a new fabric that can't get dirty and will never wear away... it is the perfect fabric. But other fabric companies try to stop his invention at all costs.The film stars Alec Guinness. He is a great actor, and his acting in this was again brilliantly. The film also starred Joan Greenwood, Cecil Barker & Michael Gough. Everyone acted very well... i could not fault it at all. And it was good to see another Michael Gough film... I have not seen many and would like to see more. I want to know him for more that being Alfred in the Batman movies.The film is quite good... the story is OK, the casting was good & the acting was good. This film was made in 1951, so we won't go into the effects... but even for back then, even they were not that bad. I was impressed.I will give this film 5 out of 10.This is the worst Alec Guinness movie I have seen to date, which is not bad seeing as I still quite liked it.For more of my reviews, please like my Facebook page:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ordinary-Person-Movie- Reviews/456572047728204?ref=hl

I do prefer Kind Hearts and Coronets and The Ladykillers, but The Man in the White Suit is still another jewel from Ealing Studios. It is sophisticated, astute, whimsical and funny in a subtle way, and never fails to entertain me. The production values are beautiful, the cinematography is excellent as are the scenery, sets and costumes. Benjamin Frankel is also a nice touch, the direction is controlled and the story while slight is well constructed. The film bounces along, even though Man in the White Suit is quite short you do feel satisfied at the film's end and the script and razor-sharp satire keep things afloat nicely. The acting I have little to criticise either, Alec Guiness as he always was is wonderful, and Joan Greenwood and Cecil Parker especially match him perfectly. Overall, not the best but still highly recommended. 10/10 Bethany Cox