Product: Inspector Morse [VHS] (1988)
Rating: 4.0
"Give me chastity and continence, oh, Lord, but not yet."
One of the more complex plots in the Morse mysteries, this episode is also one of the bloodiest, with six deaths, including that of a child. The church warden at St. Oswald's Church, the first to be murdered, was deeply in debt, though he had substantial cash with him at his death, and he is suspected of robbing the church collections. The priest may have a secret, kinky past, and the church organist has been having a torrid affair with the church warden's wife. Other complications involve the twin brother of the priest, a new love interest for Morse, a tramp who has been loitering in the church, a character with a secret love life, and the celebration of a Mass for St. Augustine which is not part of the church calendar.Morse is attracted to Ruth Rawlinson, who takes care of the church and provides him with information, when she is not working or taking care of her mother. Two passionate kisses, rare in the series and initiated by Morse, suggest a romance in the offing. We see dramatically that Morse suffers terribly from acrophobia during his scenes in the church belltower. John Thaw (Morse) and Kevin Whately (his assistant Lewis) are as outstanding as ever in their roles, and one wishes that the plot had given them a better vehicle for their talents this time out.Though the plot can be followed without much difficulty for most of the episode, the ending presents a jumble of new revelations in very short order and solves the mysteries in totally unexpected ways, leaving the viewer blinking in disbelief. The brilliant cinematography by Clive Tickner, who did seven of the Morse series, makes the whole episode worth watching, however, despite the fact that some of the most startling scenes involve close-ups of bloody bodies. Tickner uses color in ways that most cinematographers do not. He sets off a golden crucifix with soft green and red shadows, and shows colorful reflections in the priest's glasses during a scene that is otherwise mostly black and white, for example. Reflections in windows show indoor and outdoor scenes simultaneously, and shots from odd angles provide visual excitement.Though this is not the best of the series, plot-wise, it does contain the usual fine acting by Thaw and Whately and an outstanding supporting cast, especially Angela Morant as Ruth. Combine all that with some of the best cinematography in the entire series, and this is an episode well worth watching. n Mary Whipple