2005 (UK)
dir: Adrian Shergold
Timothy Spall, Juliet Stevenson, Eddie Marsan
Most Brits are familiar with the names Ruth Ellis, Derek Bentley, Timothy Evans, John Christie and Lord Haw Haw. We know of their trials and their eventual fate at the gallows. What is not so well publicised is that they all met their maker at the hands of the same man. His was the last voice they heard and the last pair of eyes they looked into. That man was Albert Pierrepoint.
Timothy Spall conveys, with brilliance, the way that Pierrepoint moves from being utterly confident and comfortable in his role as Public Hangman Number One to being progressively disturbed and disillusioned.
You might feel that a film focused on such a bleak subject matter is not for you, but Pierrepoint is drama at its utmost best. In style and imagery this reminds me so much of Mike Leigh's 'Vera Drake' but Pierrepoint, although originally meant for TV audiences only still surpasses it in terms of substance and plot.
I'm not without my gripes. Not everything about the plot is entirely historically correct. The years skip by too fast for one. Albert's career progression from assistant to hangman was actually much slower than the film suggests. And at times viewing this film was uncomfortable, it's no feel good movie. Nonetheless Pierrepoint is a gripping film, propelled by Timothy Spall's performance. I urge you all to seek out a viewing. It's a gem!