THE BLACK TOWER (DALGLEISH: THE BLACK TOWER)

UK, 1987, 300 minutes, Colour.
Ray Marsden, Pauline Collins, Art Malik.
Directed by Ronald Wilson.

The Black Tower is an excellent adaptation of a P.D. James murder novel. P.D. James writes murder mysteries - but they are much more than the mysteries of Agatha Christie and other writers. They are really novels which include murder. P.D. James establishes a particular world with great detail, situates a range of characters, portrays their characters and interactions - and introduces deaths. The mystery generally cannot be solved on the way through because P.D. James wants the mystery to be like life, mysterious events, strange characters - but the covering up of the truth which is finally uncovered.

The adaptor of this novel is William Humble (Hancock). There is also a very strong cast with Ray Marsden as P.D. James' policeman hero, Adam Dalgliesh. The supporting cast includes Art Malik and Pauline Collins (before she was Shirley Valentine). A strong supporting group of character actors brings the range of personalities alive.

The setting is an old British mansion which has been turned into a strange home for a small group of ill people. There is the staff. There is the genial neighbour - and the unravelling of a complex story and mystery.

1.The popularity of the novels of P.D. James? Her creating particular worlds with detail? Situating her characters? Interactions? The difficulties in solving the mystery - but the uncovering of complex truth? The adaptation of a long novel to the telemovie?

2.The settings of the mansion, the black tower, the coast and the cliff? The atmosphere of the house? The creation of a world and audiences identifying with the world and its characters? Musical score?

3.The title, the focus, the events that happen in the black tower?

4.P.D. James' hero, Adam Dalgliesh: the background of the case and his being wounded, health? The visit from Michael and the past friendship? His hospitalisation? Going for recuperation? Michael's death, his encountering the various characters? His interest, curiosity, investigations? The local police? His alertness to clues, his interrogations of people? His not being able to resolve the mystery? Learning, listening to hypotheses? The departure of the group for Lourdes? His realisation of the truth, the confrontation with Julius, the melodramatic fight and his being shot? The resolution of the case?

5.The house, Wilfred's story about inheriting it, his eccentric and religious grandfather? Millicent and her resentment at not having access to the house? The wearing of the religious habit? His miracle? His relationship with the staff? His lack of tact? The patients? Management? His clashes with people, his retiring to the black tower, the fire and his having to be rescued? Audiences suspicious of him? The buying of the mansion? It being named after him? His not being on the staff? His taking the group to Lourdes? The fact that he was not involved in the plots - but in his own eccentric world?

6.The staff: Dot and her efficiency, her loyalty, Wilfred taking her when she was out of work for hitting somebody who was injured in the hospital? Her supervision, her protection of Wilfred? Her suspicions? Helen, the efficient nurse, her relationship with Eric, the affair, the clash with Maggie? Albert and his police record, working sullenly around the grounds? The final confrontation with Julius and his being shot? Dennis, his being subservient, his suspicions? His work with the talcum powder? Interviews with Adam? His concern about his homosexuality? His friendship with Ursula and her attachment? His relationship with Julius? The discussions, his work? His wanting to leave? His going on the pilgrimage - and the irony of his being the processor of the heroin?

7.The patients: Ursula and her arrival with her husband, audiences identifying with this introduction to the place and the tour? Her illness, religious background, lack of faith? Her attachment to Dennis? Her being disillusioned by him? Jenny, her tantrums, heart disease, the clash with Dot and wanting to be treated like an adult? Her being unmasked as the callous letter-writer? Victor, being confined to a wheelchair, his bitterness, the visit to London, the bad news, the argument on the clifftop with Maggie and Henry, his joke about leaving money to the institution, to Maggie? His will and its cantankerous comments on the patients? The mystery of whether he was murdered or committed suicide? The emergence of the suicide? Henry, cantankerous, initially asleep, waking up and criticising? His relationship with Peter? His friendship with Grace, yet continually taunting her? His remarks in bad taste? Casting aspersions on people? Going to the court, discussions with Adam? A lonely old man? Grace, the friendly woman, her working for the prisoners association and having the list? Her friendship with Michael, going to confession? Her memory of whom Michael had telephoned - and her death?

9.Eric as doctor, his being struck off the register for his relationship with his patients? His love for Maggie? Her feeling isolated in the institution? Clashes with Wilfred? Her drinking? Her jealousy of Helen? The affair? Maggie and the confrontation with them both? Eric and his work, Maggie and the information dash from the hospital? Her being hanged? Eric's grief?

10.Millicent, her relationship with Wilfred, next door to Michael, her evidence? Her finding Adam's badge and alerting the police at the end?

11.Michael, the chaplain, his religious background? Suspicions and going to Adam? His relationship with the staff and with the patients? Talking to Grace, what he saw from the black tower? His heart attack? His death? Julius and his framing of Michael, the other letters?

12.Julius, the Foreign Office background, independent wealth? His home? Friendship with Wilfred? Concern about the institution? Relationship with Dennis? In and out of the home? Discussions with Adam? His taking him to his home, explanation of his background and education? The destruction of his statue? The irony of the truth, his control of the drugs? His murders, the letters? Killing Albert, the confrontation with Adam? His death?

13.The local police, their investigations, the fire in the black tower, the pornography? The assistant and his speculations about a cover-up? Their contribution to unravelling the mystery?

14.The skill of the murder mystery in establishing a credible world, credible characters that audiences could understand? The truth covered over - and evil unmasked?