Coinciding with the 40th-anniversary Blu-ray of A Clockwork Orange, arguably Malcolm McDowell’s best known film, Warner Brothers has released Never Apologize: A Personal Visit with Lindsay Anderson. A renowned British film director, Anderson gave McDowell his first big break in film, casting him as the rebellious schoolboy Mick Travis in 1968’s If…. He and Anderson (who died in 1994) made three subsequent films together, but none would resonate as widely as that first collaboration, a tale that, in the director’s words, “stuck a knife at the heart of the establishment” — something Anderson enjoyed immensely.
Featuring McDowell alone on a stage, his monologue is culled from personal memories, Anderson’s diaries, and of David Sherwin, who scripted the three movies the pair made together. Clearly heartfelt, Never Apologize plays out like a loving, funny, occasionally touching, but never maudlin eulogy to a friend. McDowell shares lots of anecdotes about their time spent together; both creatively and personally. Legendary stars including John Gielgud, Laurence Olivier, and Bette Davis, make appearances via archive footage, and McDowell does impressions of them. The best is that of a confused John Gielgud on the set of Caligula (“Please tell me: are they pubescent or shaved?”).
McDowell is his usual engaging self here, but Never Apologize will likely have narrow appeal. The subject matter is so specific—I’d imagine only the biggest of Lindsay Anderson fans will have a desire to add this to their personal collection—and the production so simple, it feels like something that might get seen by a wider audience if it were released as a special feature on a DVD or Blu-ray of a Anderson/McDowell collaboration.
Never Apologize appears to have been shot on video, and the full screen presentation on this DVD uncovers all the flaws. Colors are faded and dull. There’s an overall haziness to the image throughout. Since even the clips from Anderson’s films look subpar, one can only assume little if any care was taken to make Never Apologize look good on DVD.
The audio is mixed in Dolby Surround, though it’s a one-man show recorded live, so there is not much mixing to be done. The soundtrack is clear and dialogue is easy to understand, so it does the job.
Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hearing impaired are available, as are subtitles in French and Spanish. (These aren’t listed on the packaging, but they are on the DVD menu.)
There are no special features.
