A trio of us gathered to discuss Withnail and I, with no Zoom callers to join us this week. For those of us who had seen the film before, we gained more from the experience. We weren’t convinced it was one of the best British films, but perhaps it could be in the top 100. The music background (‘needle drops’ was a new phrase we learnt) just fitted the visuals so well.
One of our discussion group summarised the unsettling and edgy feeling of the film as, “you feel you’re the only sober person in a roomful of drunks.” Although there was humour, it was dark and awkward. We wondered if we should be laughing at certain points. We also talked about Withnail and I’s relationship in the context of the times and whether there were repressed feelings between them. The tension from Withnail when ‘I’ got an acting job felt very real.
To conclude, we did feel the film had sticking power and we were pleased to see it, despite its air of despair.
Anne
We enjoyed the fruits of Rachel's labours, just as they did in the film
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