Alfie
dir. Lewis Gilbert · 1966
Alfie, a charming yet self-absorbed womanizer, navigates the vibrant streets of 1960s London, sharing his thoughts directly with the audience in candid asides. Watching him is like stepping into a lively conversation where humor and romance intertwine, revealing the complexities of relationships and the cultural landscape of the time.
For Alfie, the only real life is sex life. Only then, can he kid himself he is living. Sex is not used as the working-class boy's way to "the top". Executive status has no appeal for Alfie. Nor has class mobility. He is quite content to stay where he is, as long as the "birds" are in "beautiful condition", as he assures us they are in one of the candid, over-the-shoulder asides to the camera which this movie carries over from Tom Jones (1963). This movie shows how much of the "swinging 60s" quality of London life was a male creation, and through the dominance of the fashion photographers, a male prerogative.
Talking points
- the portrayal of masculinity in film
- the impact of the sexual revolution on society
- class dynamics in 1960s Britain
- the role of humor in addressing serious themes
