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      The Ruling Class

      PG Released Sep 13, 1972 2h 34m Comedy List
      77% 13 Reviews Tomatometer 85% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score When the Earl of Gurney (Harry Andrews) dies in a cross-dressing accident, his schizophrenic son, Jack (Peter O'Toole), inherits the Gurney estate. Jack is not the average nobleman; he sings and dances across the estate and thinks he is Jesus reincarnated. Believing that Jack is mentally unfit to own the estate, the Gurney family plots to steal Jack's inheritance. As their outrageous schemes fail, the family strives to cure Jack of his bizarre behavior, with disastrous results. Read More Read Less Watch on Max Stream Now

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      Audience Reviews

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      Alene F Far out, fabulous. British satire at its best and Peter O'toole who is always at his best. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/02/24 Full Review g j I like Peter O'Toole, but judged on its primary merit as a comedy... it just isn't funny at all. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/15/24 Full Review Alec B Both the movie and its source material were written at a time when merely being outrageous was considered subversive so several sequences feel like mediocre late period Monty Python sketches. Still, its worth seeing for O'Toole who holds the movie together with a hilarious and occasionally terrifying performance. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/09/24 Full Review dave s Jack Gurney (Peter O'Toole), the 14th Earl of Gurney, is a paranoid schizophrenic who believes that he is God, much to the chagrin of his staid, upper-class family, who are committed to having him committed in order to protect the family's reputation and financial fortune. The Ruling Class is a raucous and stinging satire, an indictment of Britain's aristocracy, filled with outrageous set pieces, irreverent song and dance numbers, and some truly outlandish dialogue. O'Toole, as usual, steals the show in one of his lesser known and under-appreciated roles. On the downside, it feels inconsistent in tone at times and, with a running time of over 150 minutes, there are a lot of scenes that feel like unnecessary filler, but it remains relevant and totally original fifty years after its release. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review delysid d weird enough but too long man Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/22/21 Full Review steve d A really funny satire with some great performances. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Ruling Class

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      Critics Reviews

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      Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times We get no real feeling that it knows where it's going, and every good comedy needs a certain headlong conviction. Rated: 2.5/4 Oct 23, 2004 Full Review Roger Moore Movie Nation It bowls the viewer over with ham-fisted, theatrical excess, a grandiose exclamation point on the tail end of the Golden Age of screen satire. Rated: 2/4 Feb 9, 2023 Full Review Dick Lochte Los Angeles Free Press The Ruling Class is that rarity, a successful, satiric film. No other genre is so plagued by good intentions and regrettable results. Jan 4, 2020 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews In spots a very amusing and irreverent tongue-in-cheek satire on class that features a tour de force performance by Peter O'Toole. Rated: B Jun 18, 2008 Full Review Jake Euker F5 (Wichita, KS) Rated: 2/5 Mar 18, 2006 Full Review Mark Athitakis Filmcritic.com Rated: 3/5 Mar 11, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis When the Earl of Gurney (Harry Andrews) dies in a cross-dressing accident, his schizophrenic son, Jack (Peter O'Toole), inherits the Gurney estate. Jack is not the average nobleman; he sings and dances across the estate and thinks he is Jesus reincarnated. Believing that Jack is mentally unfit to own the estate, the Gurney family plots to steal Jack's inheritance. As their outrageous schemes fail, the family strives to cure Jack of his bizarre behavior, with disastrous results.
      Director
      Peter Medak
      Screenwriter
      Peter Barnes
      Distributor
      Nelson Entertainment [us], AVCO Embassy Pictures, Image Entertainment Inc., Criterion Collection
      Production Co
      Keep Films
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Sep 13, 1972, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Oct 15, 2020
      Runtime
      2h 34m
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