Hireling Blu-ray

'The Hireling' Director: Alan Bridges (1973) Indicator Limited Edition Blu-ray | HD remaster

Robert Shaw and Sarah Miles star in this devastating exploration of emotional repression, trauma, and class relations.

In the years following the First World War, the widowed Lady Franklin establishes an unlikely friendship with her working-class driver, Ledbetter, a traumatised former sergeant major. But, as Lady Franklin develops a relationship with a scheming former officer, Ledbetter’s precarious mental state rapidly deteriorates.

Adapted from the novel by L.P. Hartley by acclaimed playwright and screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, The Hireling was awarded the Palme d’Or at the 1973 Cannes Film Festival.

Limited Edition contents:
- 32-page booklet with new essay by Peter Cowie, selected archival interviews with screenwriter Wolf Mankowitz, an overview of critical responses, and film credits

Special features include:
- The Driving Force (2020, 12 mins): actors Sarah Miles and Ian Hogg, composer Marc Wilkinson, production manager Hugh Harlow, wardrobe mistress Brenda Dabbs, and production accountant Maureen Newman recall the making of the film
- The Lady and the Chauffeur (2020, 12 mins): Miles, Hogg, Harlow, Dabbs and Newman discuss the lead actors of The Hireling
- The BEHP Interview with Phyllis Dalton (2000, 105 mins): archival audio recording, made as part of the British Entertainment History Project, featuring the costume designer in conversation with Rodney Giesler
- Larry Karaszewski trailer commentary (2021, 4 mins): short critical appreciation