There are certain breakthroughs that you suspect just wouldn't be allowed to happen. Society runs in a certain way, capitalism needs continuous meat put into the machine to make the sausages, and contentment and sustainability often get in the way of that. It's why there's so much money to be made in medicine, why so many struggle to get paid a living wage, and why, as The Man In The White Suit tells us, nobody wants a fabric that is indestructible and never needs cleaned.
Alec Guinness plays Sidney Stratton, a determined young scientist who keeps trying a variety of experiments and formulae in his quest to create a brand new fabric. Some view him as a liability, especially when his presence in any workplace increases the chance of a random explosion, but some see him as a brilliantly progressive thinker who just needs some time and space to turn his theories into a reality. The closer he gets, however, the more people start to think of him as a serious threat to the status quo. Because dirty and damage clothing ensures that people are repeat customers, not to mention the laundry and repair services that rely on such wear and tear.
Another Ealing comedy from director Alexander Mackendrick, who also worked on the screenplay with John Dighton and Roger MacDougall (creator of the original play), this is a slightly lesser, but no less enjoyable, title that often feels unfairly forgotten in the shadow of some films that have retained their status as being some of the very best of British cinema. There's less focus on quirky characters here, although our lead is amusingly nervy and naive throughout, and more time spent hammering home a commentary on the battle between scientific progress and ongoing business interests.
Guinness delivers another effortlessly wonderful performance, doing enough to hold your attention at all times as he turns from a minor inconvenience to a much sought after commodity. Joan Greenwood is a delight as the young woman who takes an interest in him, although her character also happens to be the daughter of a powerful factory owner (played by Cecil Parker), and both Michael Gough and Vida Hope stand out as two individuals on either side of the employer/employee divide.
Although it will be 75 years old next year, it's sad to think of just how insightful this remains. We just need to look around us to see how many of the super-rich are desperate to stop people from latching on to an idea that will save them both money and resources, from sustainable fashion items to methods of generating electricity, to name just a couple of main examples. The Man In The White Suit remains slightly far-fetched when it comes to the central invention, but it remains all too realistic and depressing when it comes to how the rich and the powerful would want to handle such a thing.
8/10
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