Lewis Gilbert
Alfie

THE REVIEW

When it comes to the pain I'm like any other bloke - I don't want

to know.”

Michael Caine is Alfie. He is tall, with blue eyes. His golden hair is carefully combed on his forehead. A proud look. A sly, unrestrained smile.
Michael Caine is Alfie. A man who never has to ask. A charming driver in 1960s London, a London that still smells of dreams and romance. In this city, Alfie lives, loves. Loves too much. He moves from one woman to another, unable to stop. He loves young women, old women. Married, single. Blondes, Brunettes. He loves them all. But he loves them without heart.
Alfie has no moral restraints. When the heart is not involved, it is easy to play without getting burned. It's easy to hurt others without hurting oneself. But the heart cannot remain silent forever.

Having everything but actually possessing nothing, abandoning oneself to wild pleasures only to find oneself alone, renouncing morality for pleasure, are themes often addressed. But never treated as in this film. The atmosphere constantly oscillates between drama and comedy. The viewer is deeply involved in the unfolding of events, living it entirely from the protagonist's point of view.
Alfie looks us in the eyes, talks to us, reveals himself. He freely dialogues with us, like an old friend.
He is amoral, sometimes cruel, petty. Yet we can't help but love him, feel tenderness for him. We remain enchanted as we listen, with a slight smile on our face. We would like to be close to him, to advise him, save him from the abyss. But we can't.

“I have never sought happiness. Who wants happiness? I have sought pleasure” said Dorian Gray in Wilde's famous novel. And Alfie is indeed a modern Dorian Gray. With a significant difference. Alfie could not make a pact with the devil, could not save his beauty from the merciless effects of time. Everything he has is based on his current appearance, but when this fades, all that awaits him is to remain alone. Alone like a dog.

"Alfie" is a wonderful film. Astonishingly ahead of its 1966. A terribly tragic comedy yet so light, almost comic. A film unfortunately much less known than the 2004 remake that does not possess even a shred of the poetry of the original.