The Scapegoat

"He took another man's name... lived another man's life... loved another man's woman!"

1959 1h 32m EN

👍

6.8

SOLID

★6.8TMDB · 41

MysteryCrimeThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

An Englishman in France unwittingly is placed into the identity, and steps into the vacated life, of a look-alike French nobleman.

“He took another man's name... lived another man's life... loved another man's woman!”

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Cast

Alec Guinness
John Barratt / Jacques De Gue
Bette Davis
Countess
Nicole Maurey
Bela
Irene Worth
Francoise
Pamela Brown
Blanche
Annabel Bartlett
Marie-Noel
Geoffrey Keen
Gaston
Noel Howlett
Dr. Aloin

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Robert Hamer
Writers: Robert Hamer
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Robert Hamer, shot by Paul Beeson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jack Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alec Guinness and Bette Davis and Nicole Maurey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "He took another man's name... lived another man's life... loved another man's woman!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0053247 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Robert Hamer directs. Paul Beeson behind the camera. Bronislau Kaper scores. Jack Harris cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

167 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Robert Hamer, shot by Paul Beeson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Bronislau Kaper. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Jack Harris shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Alec Guinness and Bette Davis and Nicole Maurey carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "He took another man's name... lived another man's life... loved another man's woman!".
7IMDB entry: tt0053247 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 41 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 21 themes, including "chauffeur", "france", "upper class", "drug addiction".

The technical file

Cinematography: Paul Beeson
Original score: Bronislau Kaper
Editing: Jack Harris
Production design: Elliot Scott
Costume design: Olga Lehmann
Runtime: 92 min · 1h 32m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Scapegoat (1959)

Also by

Robert Hamer

Trailers & featurettes

Watch the pieces

Community reviews

What people are saying

CinemaSerf2022-04-04
★ 6/10
Alec Guinness walks into a bar where he encounters his doppelgänger. They might be twins. His "Barratt" character is a teacher of French at an British university, his mirror image an impoverished local aristocrat. The two drink together, then end up sharing the latter man's hotel room. In the morning, "Barratt" wakes up and there is no sign of his roommate. Next thing, a chauffeur arrives and, assuming he is the aristocratic version of himself, takes him to their chateau where he meets the (his) family. Clearly he is being manipulated, but why and by whom? It does not take him long to realise that this family is pretty dysfunctional - lead by the morphine-addicted "Countess" (Bette Davis in her best Elizabeth I form), with his wife , his mistress and his daughter all adding to this familial maelstrom. Guinness is quite good here, but somehow the premiss didn't quite gel for me. He accepts the fake life and it's people all too readily. There are no protestations or police visits; his narrative (spoken throughout) does not reconcile easily with his actions and the ending, though I did quite like it, was all just a bit too rushed and convenient. The photography with them both on screen at the same time is flawless, and Bronislau Kaper's score fits well with the story too, but it's all just a little lacklustre.

Production companies