The Hireling (1973)

Released from a rest home after recovering from a nervous breakdown following the death of her husband, a young aristocratic widow (Sarah Miles) is pulled out of her grief by the friendship of her chauffeur (Robert Shaw). But when the chauffeur falls in love with her and crosses class lines, tragedy is inevitable. Based on the novel by L.P. Hartley and directed by Alan Bridges (RETURN OF THE SOLDIER). The film shares a similar theme with THE GO-BETWEEN, another film which dealt with a romance that crossed class lines between a young woman of the aristocracy and a tenant farmer that had disastrous results. Perhaps it's not surprising since both films are based on novels by L.P. Hartley. But THE HIRELING comes across as a stronger indictment of the British class system. Shaw, in quite possibly his greatest film performance, gives a moving performance as a lonely ex-military man who knows his place in the class system but dares to cross it. Miles gives a delicate, nuanced performance as the frail, unsure widow who eventually recovers her confidence. Winner of the Palme d'Or at the 1973 Cannes film festival. The subtle but powerful underscore is by Marc Wilkinson. With Peter Egan and Elizabeth Sellars.