The Ruling Class

Is it a musical? Is it a comedy? Is it a horror film? One thing that can be said with certainty is that Peter Medak's 1972 epic The Ruling Class, penned by Peter Barnes, is a Peter O'Toole tour de force. O'Toole stars as the demented Jack, 14th Earl of Gurney, who--were it not for the 13th Earl of Gurney accidentally hanging himself (while wearing his tu tu)--would have happily spent the rest of his days in an insane asylum believing he was Jesus. In order to ensure control of the estate, however, the avaricious Gurney family springs him long enough to marry and (hopefully) produce offspring. Although Jack struggles to hold on to his delicately imbalanced mind ("I must learn to keep my mouth shut, my bowels open, and never volunteer"), a psychiatrist manages to destroy the Jesus personality, leaving what appears to be a perfectly reasonable and well behaved Jack--Jack the Ripper, that is. The Oscar-nominated O'Toole's final oration as an accepted member of the House of Lords is a stinging send up of the British class system. Lovingly restored to its original full-length version, and presented in a crisp new digital transfer on DVD, the disc includes a commentary track featuring O'Toole, Medak and Barnes; Medak's silent home movies made during production; and a collection of publicity and production stills. While it plays somewhat frantically today, the wicked script and O'Toole's luminous performance still make this well worth watching. Recommended. (R. Pitman)