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      Bartleby

      1970 1h 19m Drama List
      Reviews 60% 500+ Ratings Audience Score This unconventional British film, based on the renowned novella by Herman Melville, follows the employment of the eccentric title character (John McEnery). Working in an accounting office, Bartleby is withdrawn and calm, but, one day, when his boss (Paul Scofield) asks him to complete a task, he flatly refuses to do it. Soon the disconnected Bartleby becomes increasingly noncompliant, perplexing his unusually patient employer and leading to increasingly odd circumstances. Read More Read Less

      Audience Reviews

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      Audience Member The film explores the meeting of weirdness and depression, on on hand, and decent common sense on the other. It is haunting! I saw it as a student 40 years ago and remember it. The acting is so good that the film is painful to watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member Marvellous black comedy based on Herman Melville's novella, about a strange young man who finds a job as an accounting clerk but politely refuses to work. Wonderful performances from John McEnery as Bartleby and Paul Scofield as his exasperated boss, and tangentially a poignant snapshot of the world of work in 1970s London. If you loved Harold and Maude or O Lucky Man! this is for you. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Little known English production bringing Melville's classic tale of the timid clerk who would 'prefer not to do so' transfers the location from 19th century Wall Street to London of the 1970's. Original themes exploring individualism and non-conformity taken to an absurd degree are given a new spin to include modern anxieties of dehumanization, automation, and isolation, leading to the protagonist's 'tuning out' of society. Story builds slowly and seems a bit padded at time with extraneous visuals of soulless office buildings, but remains engaging, mainly due to Paul Scofield's bewildered performance as Bartleby's perplexed employer. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review Audience Member Paul Scofield is excellent but the main character is both sad and a dullard and you quickly lose patience with him and the story. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This film is probably an aquired taste. The frustrations of working with a colleague who "preferes not to"! It's quite sad really... Don't watch it when you want a "mood lifter". Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member oh god. flashbacks to gomez's class! Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/29/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Bartleby

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      Critics Reviews

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      Christopher Lloyd The Film Yap The story of one meek man's quiet rebellion, Bartleby is a small, largely forgotten gem. Rated: 4.5/5 Nov 18, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis This unconventional British film, based on the renowned novella by Herman Melville, follows the employment of the eccentric title character (John McEnery). Working in an accounting office, Bartleby is withdrawn and calm, but, one day, when his boss (Paul Scofield) asks him to complete a task, he flatly refuses to do it. Soon the disconnected Bartleby becomes increasingly noncompliant, perplexing his unusually patient employer and leading to increasingly odd circumstances.
      Director
      Anthony Friedmann
      Production Co
      Pantheon Film Productions
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 16, 2018
      Runtime
      1h 19m