Deep End

UK Release: 1971

Watched on Recorded TV: Thursday 5th April 2012

Rating: 15

Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance

Runtime: 1hr 30mins

IMDb Plot Synopsis: 15-year-old Mike takes a job at the local swimming baths, where he becomes obsessed with an attractive young woman, Susan, who works there as an attendant. Although Susan has a fiancé, Mike does his best to sabotage the relationship, to the extent of stalking both her and her fiancé. Mike becomes increasingly desperate to have Susan for himself, with tragic results.

My Review: Deep end is a great early 70s cult classic that kept me interested until the very last scene. I don’t know what I was expecting but the tale of obsession between boy and woman was played well, and not overly done like it may have been if it had been made today. It did get a bit weird at times but that may have just been the generation gap! The dialogue was nicely realistic and there was a poignant honesty to the film and I could empathises with the characters which is something I always look for in a film - I need to identify with them even if I don’t like them! But that wasn’t the case in Deep End as the two leads were complex but had a youthful simplicity to them at the same time. 

The direction, however, was crisp and sharp and the colours popped. As it was set in a swimming pool it was a very beautiful location and the scenes in the water at the end were mesmerising and had the perfect eery effect. 

Overall it was short and sweet, and both Jane Asher and John Moulder-Brown surprised me - I would recommend it!

Score: 7.5/10