An Inspector Calls (2015 TV film)

An Inspector Calls
Poster
Genre	Drama Thriller
Based on	An Inspector Calls by J. B. Priestley
Written by	Helen Edmundson
Directed by	Aisling Walsh
Starring	David Thewlis Sophie Rundle Chloe Pirrie Finn Cole Miranda Richardson Ken Stott Kyle Soller
Composer	Dominik Scherrer
Country of origin	United Kingdom
Original language	English
Production
Producers	Roanna Benn Greg Brenman Howard Ella
Cinematography	Martin Fuhrer
Editor	Alex Mackie
Running time	90 minutes
Production companies	Drama Republic BBC
Original release
Network	BBC One
Release	13 September 2015 (2015-09-13)

An Inspector Calls is a 2015 British thriller television film written by Helen Edmundson, based on the J. B. Priestley 1945 play of the same name. It is directed by Aisling Walsh, produced by Howard Ella and stars David Thewlis as the titular character. The story is centred on a mysterious inspector, who investigates the socially ambitious Birling family and a dinner guest following the suicide of a young woman. The film was first broadcast on 13 September 2015 on BBC One.

Plot

In 1912, the wealthy Birling family live in the industrial town of Brumley, London. The family are celebrating Mr Arthur Birling and Mrs Sybil Birling’s daughter, Sheila’s, engagement to Gerald Croft, the son of a Factory owner who is even wealthier than the Birling’s. Also in attendance is the Birling’s son, Eric (who’s alcoholism the family ignores). After dinner, Mr Birling lectures Sheila, Eric and Gerald about the importance of men looking after themselves and how they have a perfect future to expect (which he believes will include a place on the next Honours list for him). Eventually, Mrs Birling and Sheila leave to go to the Drawing room, with the men promising to join them soon. While Mr Birling and Gerald smoke Cigars together, Mrs Birling lectures Eric in private. Eric then returns to his father and Gerald, where his father compares him to Gerald and tells Eric about how Gerlad’s father leaves him in charge of their Factory from time to time.

The evening is interrupted, however, by Edna, the Birling’s maid, who tells the men that a Police Inspector has come. The Inspector introduces himself as Inspector Goole, who explains that he is investigating the suicide of a young woman named Eva Smith. He shows a photograph of her to Mr Birling, but won’t let Eric or Gerald see. Mr Birling admits that he knew Eva and that she worked in his Factory. He goes on to say that he dismissed her after she led a Strike with most of the female workers who demanded equal pay to his male workers. The Strike lasted over a week, however eventually they returned to work after running out of money. Eva was subsequently fired. Though he admits he left her without a way of earning money, he denies responsibility for her death.

Sheila (having been sent by her mother to bring Birling, Eric and Gerald to the drawing room) enters and is shown the Photograph of Eva. She explains that she was out shopping one day with her mother at Milwards (a popular department store), she noticed a very nice dress and was smitten with it. Her mother told her the dress wouldn’t suit her tall figure, but Sheila was convinced it would suit her and suggested her mother let her look at clothes on her own. Her mother agreed and went downstairs to the Tea room while Sheila got help. Before Mrs Birling left, she held the dress in front of Eva Smith, who had been able to find employment at Milwards without a reference due to an Influenza epidemic. With her mother gone, Sheila tried on the dress, with Eva helping her. Sheila realised as soon as she looked in the mirror that she didn’t suit the dress and felt humiliated. Sheila thought that Eva was mocking her (though really Sheila imagined it) and angrily ordered that the Manager fire her, which he reluctantly did.

Sheila is devastated by her actions and feels guilty. Mrs Birling enters the dining room shortly after. The Inspector then mentions that Eva changed her name to Daisy Renton. Gerald is noticeably startled, and admits to having met a woman by that name in the Palace Bar, a Pub well-known for being a place for men to pick up Prostitutes. Daisy had taken to Prostitution to support herself. After helping her get away from an old, overweight man who wanted to hire her for the night, Gerald took Eva out with him. Seeing that she was hungry and struggling to cope financially, Gerald gave her money and arranged for her to move temporarily into a vacant flat belonging to one of Gerald's friends. Under interrogation, Gerald reveals that he began a relationship with Daisy over the summer, but parted with her after a few months. Sheila heartbrokenly returns her engagement ring to Gerald, who leaves for a walk.

The Inspector turns his attention to Mrs Birling, a Patron for a charity that helps women in difficult situations, which Daisy (who was by then pregnant and destitute) had turned to for help. Daisy introduced herself as “Mrs Birling” which offended the real Mrs Birling. Daisy then revealed that she had a new name, Alice Grey. Alice explained the father of her child was an immature Alcoholic who could not be a father yet and not support her. Mrs Birling, however, convinced the committee to deny her a grant, believing Daisy had been irresponsible and suggested that she find the father, despite Daisy repeatedly affirming he wouldn’t be of any use. Despite vigorous cross-examination from the Inspector, she denies any wrongdoing. Goole then plays his final card, forcing Mrs Birling to lay the blame on the "drunken young man" who got Smith pregnant. It slowly dawns on the rest of the family, except Mrs Birling, that Eric is the young man who impregnated Eva.

Eric then enters, and after brief questioning from Goole, breaks down and admits responsibility for the pregnancy, having raped Alice after a drinking spree at the Palace Bar. After finding out that Alice was pregnant, Eric stole £50 (£7,306.83 in modern day) from his father's business in order to support her and their child, but she refused the stolen money and dismissed Eric. Mr and Mrs Birling are outraged by Eric's behaviour, and the evening dissolves into angry recriminations. The Inspector also explains Eva/Daisy/Alice died by drinking cleaning disinfectant. The Inspector concludes by reminding the family that actions have consequences and that all people are intertwined in one society. He then leaves.

The family reminisce over the evening, they begin to question if Inspector Goole was a real police inspector. Mr Birling makes a phone call to the chief constable, who confirms that there is no Inspector Goole on the force. With a further call to the infirmary confirming that no recent cases of suicide have been reported, the family surmise that the Inspector was a fraud and that they have been the victims of a hoax. Gerald and the elder Birlings celebrate in relief, but Eric and Sheila continue to feel guilt. The family is then rung by the police, who explain that a young woman has just died at the infirmary in a suspected suicide, and that the police are on their way to question the family. The Inspector's identity is left unexplained, but it is clear that the family's confessions over the course of the evening have all been true, and that public disgrace will soon befall them.

Cast

• David Thewlis as Inspector Goole
• Sophie Rundle as Eva Smith/Daisy Renton/“Mrs Birling”/Alice Grey
• Chloe Pirrie as Sheila Birling
• Finley Cole as Eric Birling
• Miranda Richardson as Sybil Birling
• Ken Stott as Arthur Birling
• Kyle Soller as Gerald Croft
• Lucy Chappell as Edna
• Flora Nicholson as Miss Francis
• Gary Davis as Alderman Meggarty
• Wanda Opalinska as Charity Lady

Production

In February 2015, filming began in Saltaire, West Yorkshire. Although the exterior shots of the mill were filmed at Saltaire, the interior shots of the mill were filmed at Queen Street Mill on the outskirts of Burnley, Lancashire. A full-sized office was built in the middle of the Weaving Shed for this production and was dismantled once filming was completed. A large number of scenes were also filmed at Scampston Hall, near Malton, and in the market town of Malton. The exterior is Attingham House.

Like the 1954 version, this adaptation employs flashbacks to the events described (allowing some dialogue to be eliminated), as well as additional scenes showing more of the life and death of Eva, and the Inspector after he leaves the Birlings' home.

Critical reception

The programme was watched by nearly six million viewers. For The Daily Telegraph, Anita Singh was generally positive, writing that the programme was 'as good an adaptation as it could be' and praising Helen Edmundson for her 'decent job of expanding the drama'.

The Guardian’s Sam Wollaston was positive in his review, writing that Priestley’s 'play might be set over a hundred years ago, in 1912, but the messages and sentiments – about social responsibility and a shared humanity – remain important and relevant...An Inspector Calls, sensitively adapted here by Helen Edmundson, time-travels remarkably well: it translates into gripping 21st-century television.'

External links

• An Inspector Calls at IMDb