The Blue Lamp
Commentary
Directed by Basil Dearden, The Blue Lamp (1950) was inspired by the contemporary public perception that new forms of youth culture in the major cities were giving rise to a wave of criminality. Here the murderer Tom (played by Dirk Bogarde) is shown in his flat with his girlfriend. The disorder of the interior and the gash in the plasterwork represent their moral dissolution. Here and elsewhere, the film also reflects through such interiors the equally common perception that young working-class women were abandoning traditional female roles and virtues.
Themes
Consumer Practices
Gender / Sexualities
Human Relationships
Social Position
Dominant Representational Strategies
Elements
Context
Dwelling
- Type
- Residential
- Detail
- Tenement
- Historical Terminology
- Specified Social Level
- Unspecified
Activities
- Type
- Physical States and Actions
- Detail
-
Standing
Talking
Crying
Rooms
- Type
-
Kitchen
Multifunctional Living Space
Social and Sitting Spaces - Historical Terminology
Inhabitants
- Type
- People
- Detail
- Adults
-
Male
Female
Objects
- Type
-
Coverings and Hangings
Furniture
- Detail
-
Supporting, Storage and Display
Bibliography
Direct Cross-References
1950
Moving Image, QC1081
1950
Moving Image, QC1082
1950
Moving Image, QC1083
1950
Moving Image, QC1089
1950
Moving Image, QC1091
1950
Moving Image, QC1092
1950
Moving Image, QC1093
Indirect Cross-References
- Names
- Date(s)
- 1950
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Historical Region
- Description
- Format
- Moving Image
- Type
- Film Still
- Genre
- Interior View
- Publication
- Copyright
- copyright 1950 Canal + Image UK
- Location
- Record ID
- QC1090
