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      The Scapegoat

      Released Aug 6, 1959 1h 32m Mystery & Thriller List
      Reviews 52% Audience Score 50+ Ratings Vacationing in France, disenchanted British teacher John Barrett (Alec Guinness) meets nobleman Jacques De Gué (Guinness), who could be his twin. Fascinated, John accompanies Jacques to his hotel for drinks and passes out. The next morning, Jacques has vanished. His chauffeur mistakes John for him and takes him to the De Gué chateau. There, John is drawn into the lives of Jacques' bedridden mother, unbalanced wife and lovely mistress, unaware of the nobleman's nefarious plans for his double. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Sep 01 Rent Now

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      Critics Reviews

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      Isabel Quigly The Spectator Sir Alec's performance seems to be caricaturing the Guinness style: cold, correct, restrained almost to the point of self-extinction, he underacts in a cast of rip- roaring overactors till the contrast between him and them becomes grotesque. Mar 14, 2018 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's a one-idea film involving a case of mistaken identity. Rated: C Apr 21, 2003 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Steve D Lumbering. With some of Davis's worst work ever. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 04/10/24 Full Review Audience Member The premise is contrived to begin with: a British professor vacationing in Paris happens to meet a French count who looks and sounds just like him. They converse in a bar, and the professor admits having a dull and empty life while the count has had a very full life. The count tricks the professor into staying at a hotel room, and in the morning, the count disappears, leaving the professor to be mistaken for the count. The professor tries to convince the count's family and associates that he is not really the count, but nobody believes him, and he is forced to play the count's role, dealing with his family, the glass foundry the count owns, and the count's friends and mistresses. The professor's behavior and attitudes differ than that of the real count, but only one of the mistresses puts two and two together. Akin to Monty Python, the movie is played straight, and the performers all play their parts well. The movie would undoubtedly have come crashing down if it weren't for that. The movie is in fact based on a novel by Daphne DuMarier, whose plot is quite more complicated. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/22/23 Full Review Audience Member It's a one-idea film involving a case of mistaken identity. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review s r Guinness always impresses. I enjoyed this romantic take on a a twilight zonesque plot that ends well. Although it is slow and you need to pay attention at times, it is beautiful and captivating. Everyone wants to have the chance to lead the life of an aristocrat, and this story works it out for this lonely Englishman. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member pretty good mid-career stuff here from Davis and I think the last film of Davis' that I have scene/reviewed Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Audience Member 6.5/10. It would be hard to go wrong with a movie starring Alec Guiness and Bette Davis. Good story, but the plot doesn't always make sense. Still, the stars expert acting pull it off and the are a pleasure to watch. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Scapegoat

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis Vacationing in France, disenchanted British teacher John Barrett (Alec Guinness) meets nobleman Jacques De Gué (Guinness), who could be his twin. Fascinated, John accompanies Jacques to his hotel for drinks and passes out. The next morning, Jacques has vanished. His chauffeur mistakes John for him and takes him to the De Gué chateau. There, John is drawn into the lives of Jacques' bedridden mother, unbalanced wife and lovely mistress, unaware of the nobleman's nefarious plans for his double.
      Director
      Robert Hamer
      Production Co
      Du Maurier-Guinness
      Genre
      Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Aug 6, 1959, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Sep 1, 2009
      Runtime
      1h 32m
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