The Heart of the Matter is a 1953 British drama film based on the 1948 book of the same name by Graham Greene. It was directed by George More O'Ferrall for London Films. It was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.
Contents
Plot
Harry Scobie, Deputy Commissioner of the Sierra Leone Police in Freetown during the Second World War, is unhappily married to fellow-Catholic Louise: both mourn the death of their only daughter. Despite his having been a police officer in the country for 15 years, when the Police Commissioner announces he is to retire, Scobie is overlooked in favour of a younger man sent out from the UK.
On a search of a neutral Portuguese ship, the Esperança, he finds an envelope addressed to Germany. When he confiscates it, the captain begs him to do nothing because the letter is to his daughter. Feeling pity, Scobie burns it. His wife does not like the climate or the other expatriates and keeps begging him to let her go to South Africa by sea but they cannot afford the fare. Eventually he accepts a loan from Yusef, a suspected smuggler.
Called up country because a local District Commissioner is in trouble, he finds the man has committed suicide because of his debts. While he is there, survivors of a ship torpedoed by the Germans are brought ashore by the Vichy police of neighbouring French Guinea. One is Helen, a young widow who reminds him of his dead daughter. Back in Freetown, he finds she has been given a hut near his house and, after he pays her a visit, they commence an affair. After an argument, he writes her a love letter but it is intercepted by a servant in Yusef's pay.
He learns that Louise is returning and Yusef tells him that he must give a packet of contraband diamonds to the captain of the Esperança or he will give his wife his letter to Helen. He complies. However, someone tells Louise about the affair.
Scobie is in torment between his love for Helen and his responsibilities to his wife, his wartime role and particularly his religious faith. He contemplates suicide but is then killed trying to stop a brawl.
Cast
Trevor Howard as Harry Scobie
Elizabeth Allan as Louise Scobie
Maria Schell as Helen Rolt
Denholm Elliott as Wilson
Peter Finch as Father Rank
Gérard Oury as Yusef
George Coulouris as Portuguese Captain
Michael Hordern as Commissioner
Peter Burton as Perrot
Earl Cameron as Ali
Judith Furse as Dr. Sykes
Evelyn Roberts as Col. Wright
Colin Gordon as Secretary
Orlando Martins as Rev. Clay
Cyril Raymond as Carter
Gillian Lind as Mrs Carter
Production
It contains no original score, but instead features indigenous music from Sierra Leone in West Africa, where location filming took place. The interiors were filmed at Shepperton Studios in London. The film's sets were designed by the art director Joseph Bato. The black and white cinematography was by Jack Hildyard.
Differences between film and book
The main difference between the film and the book is in the ending, which is almost equally bleak, but reversed from Greene's original story. In the book, Scobie's servant is killed (apparently an act of revenge by Yusef, here played by Gérard Oury). Scobie commits suicide. In the film, Scobie intends to kill himself, but is interrupted by a fight breaking out. He intervenes and is shot. The servant (Earl Cameron) does not die, but instead Scobie dies in his servant's arms.