History Film / TheRulingClass

The film co-stars Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour, James Villiers and Creator/ArthurLowe. It was produced by Jules Buck and directed by Creator/PeterMedak. The film is a "commercial failure [...that] has since become a cult classic"; Peter O'Toole described it as "a comedy with tragic relief".

The film co-stars Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour, James Villiers, and Arthur Lowe. It was produced by Jules Buck and directed by Creator/PeterMedak. The film is a "commercial failure [...that] has since become a cult classic"; Peter O'Toole described it as "a comedy with tragic relief".

* TheBadGuyWins: A very strange example, but he does. Strange as [[spoiler: the main character starts off as a harmless madman and becomes a bloodthirsty madman who earns both political and social standing by spouting his hate speeches while conveniently hiding his delusional thoughts and gets away with at least one murder out of puritanical obsession. The film actually closes after he commits his second one, leaning more into NoEnding.]]

The film co-stars Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour, James Villiers, and Arthur Lowe. It was produced by Jules Buck and directed by Peter Medak. The film is a "commercial failure [...that] has since become a cult classic"; Peter O'Toole described it as "a comedy with tragic relief".

* MassiveMultiplayerScam: The 14th Earl of Gurney is convinced he's married to a woman who's been dead for years. His unscrupulous uncle brings him a Mole who plays along. The Earl immediately sees her as the genuine article.

* StrawmanPolitical

* CerebusSyndrome: The first half of the movie is pretty light and humorous, with some fun musical numbers. Then about half way through, [[spoiler: they "cure" Jack in a nightmarish scene that destroys his mind. After that, we see him descend even further into madness, believing himself to be Jack the Ripper and actually committing murder. By the end of the movie, he's making a passionate speech supporting capital punishment in front of the house of Lords... which he hallucinates is a dark cobwebbed room full of skeletons.]]

* CerebusSyndrome: The first half of the movie is pretty light and humorous, with some fun musical numbers. Then about half way through, [[spoiler: they "cure" Jack in a nightmarish scene that destroys his mind. After that, we see him descend even further into madness, believing himself to be Jack the Ripper and actually committing murder. By the end of the movie, he's making a passionate speech supporting capitol punishment in front of the house of Lords... which he hallucinates is a dark cobwebbed room full of skeletons.]]

* CerebusSyndrome: The first half of the movie is pretty light and humorous, with some fun musical numbers. Then about half way through, [[spoiler: ]]they "cure" Jack in a somewhat nightmarish scene that causes him a lot of pain. After that, we see him descend even further into madness, believing himself to be Jack the Ripper and actually committing murder. By the end of the movie, he's making a passionate speech supporting capitol punishment in front of the house of Lords... which he hallucinates is a dark cobwebbed room full of skeletons.]]

''The Ruling Class'' is a 1972 British black comedy film, and adaptation of Peter Barnes' satirical stage play which tells the story of Jack, a paranoid schizophrenic British nobleman (played by Creator/PeterOToole) who inherits enormous power and privilege in Great Britain. His family (and neglected heirs) attempt to steer him into siring an heir which they can look after (along with the massive estate) while Jack, the 14th Earl of Gurney, is tucked back into a straightjacket. The biggest obstacle: He's convinced he's Jesus Christ.

The film co-stars Alastair Sim, William Mervyn, Coral Browne, Harry Andrews, Carolyn Seymour, James Villiers and Arthur Lowe. It was produced by Jules Buck and directed by Peter Medak. The film is a "commercial failure [...that] has since become a cult classic"; Peter O'Toole described it as "a comedy with tragic relief".

* TheBadGuyWins: A very strange example, but he does.Strange as [[spoiler: as the main character starts off as a harmless madman and becomes a bloodthirsty madman who earns both political and social standing by spouting his hate speeches while conveniently hiding his delusional thoughts and gets away with at least one murder out of puritanical obsession. The film actually closes after he commits his second one, leaning more into NoEnding.]]

* BlackComedy: The Butler drunkenly discovers [[spoiler: Lady Claire]] dead on the floor. Instead of showing horror, he shouts and cheers for joy that there's one less Gurney in the world.

* BreakThemByTalking: The Earl of Gurney receives this from an equally mad Old Testament 'God', re-inforced by his psychiatrist.

* CloudCuckoolander: The 14th Earl of Gurney firmly believes he's Jesus Christ, and a loving god. Harmless as the trope implies [[spoiler: until he starts believing he's Jack the Ripper, instead]].
* DarkMessiah: Once he's 'cured', the 14th Earl gains political standing by calling for Old English Values, severe punishments, and decrying anything resembling modernity or change. "Bring back fear!!"

* AGodAmI: The 14th Earl of Gurney in spades. Shared with and contested by another delusional who believes he is the angry, Old Testament God. Its actually ok as long as he believes that God is love. [[spoiler: Its different once he believes that the world and God works by cruelty and not by love.]]

* IJustWantToBeLoved: Sadly the whole reason that Jack has this whole J.C. delusion is because he was neglected and bullied in his formative years so he needed to believe that he was someone special who is love incarnate so that he can feel exactly what he missed all his life.

* LoveAtFirstNote: The 14th Earl of Gurney recognizes his 'wife' the second she arrives, singing. He joins her in a duet.
* LyricalDissonance: The 'cured' Jack leads a rousing rendition of 'Dem Bones'... singing about the bones he'd like to break if you put a toe outside Old English Values. It doubles as a brief VillainSong with members of the community like Dinsdale, Mrs Treadwell and Mrs Piggot-Smith joining him.

* MindRape: Dr. Herder after speaking with Claire recruits a madman who believes he is the angry, Old Testament God, to break the 14th Earl of his delusions of Christhood. [[spoiler: They succeed, to their peril. Unusually the MindRape is about showing him the reality and taking him out of his comfort zone rather than driving him nuts. It is still unspeakably painful for him.]]

** In fact even the first half had a few brief sombre moments like the doctor explaining that the emotional trauma and feelings of abandonment and abuse lead Jack to adopt the J.C. persona, or even more whenever the Gurneys and the Doctor ganged up on him and forced him to face the unpleasant truth.

* OnOneCondition: A clause protects the 13th Earl of Gurney's will from being contested. Any attempt to do so, and the entire estate will be broken up and the proceeds donated to charity.

* ScrewTheRulesIHaveMoney: The 14th Earl of Gurney is *deeply* insulated from the consequences of his actions, thanks to controlling a massive amount of wealth.

* TherapyBackfire: In the second half, Charles Gurney tries to get the Earl committed. Instead, the psychiatrist JOINS HIM IN SONG and gives him a clean bill of mental health.

* WordSaladHumor: Jack's prone to this in the first half. Many of the things he says are rather random about places, animals and people and show his abstract thoughts of love for the whole world.

* TheBadGuyWins: A very strange example, but he does.

* LyricalDissonance: The 'cured' Jack leads a rousing rendition of 'Dem Bones'... singing about the bones he'd like to break if you put a toe outside Old English Values. It doubles as a brief VillainSong with members of the community like Dinsdale, Mrs Treadwell and Mrs Piggot joining him.

* ArmorPiercingQuestion: A psychiatrist asks the Earl one in the second half. The Earl replies with an Armor Piercing Statement, and seconds later, they're both singing an old college boating song.

* MindRape: The Gurneys recruit a madman who believes he is the angry, Old Testament God, to break the 14th Earl of his delusions of Christhood. [[spoiler: They succeed, to their peril.]]
* MoodWhiplash: From playful, lighthearted, musical absurdity in the first half to bleak, borderline horror in the second.

* SexIsEvil: Jack believes this after his 'treatment'. [[spoiler: He kills the two women who try to arouse him, as Jack the Ripper.]]

* WordSaladHumor: Jack's prone to this in the first half.

* LyricalDissonance: The 'cured' Jack leads a rousing rendition of 'Dem Bones'... singing about the bones he'd like to break if you put a toe outside Old English Values. It doubles as a brief VillainSong with members of the community like Dimmersdale, Mrs Treadwell and Mrs Piggot joining him.

* MoralGuardians: After his 'cure', Jack becomes one of the lethal variety.

* TherapyBackfire: In the second half, the Gurneys try to get the Earl committed. Instead, the psychiatrist JOINS HIM IN SONG and gives him a clean bill of mental health.

* UpperClassTwit: Dimmesdale. "Oh please help! I'm stuck in the brambles!"

* AGodAmI: The 14th Earl of Gurney in spades. Shared with and contested by another delusional who believes he is the angry, Old Testament God. Its actually ok as long as he believes that God is love. [[spoiler: Its a different story once he believes that the world and God works by cruelty and not by love.]]

* LyricalDissonance: The 'cured' Jack leads a rousing rendition of 'Dem Bones'... singing about the bones he'd like to break if you put a toe outside Old English Values.

* TheMusical: Certainly qualifies, as characters burst into choreographed numbers on several occasions. Some of the singers are even sane.

* AGodAmI: The 14th Earl of Gurney in spades. Shared with and contested by another delusional who believes he is the angry, Old Testament God.

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* [[spoiler: TheButlerDidIt: Tucker is framed for this to keep Jack out of prison after he murders a lover.]]

* [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper: The delusion that replaces the 14th Earl's far more benevolent Christ role. He murders two women, including his wife.]]

* WordSaladHumor: Jack's prone to this in the first half.

* UpperClassTwit: Dimmesdale. "Oh please help! I'm stuck in the brambles!"

* [[spoiler: JackTheRipper: The delusion that replaces the 14th Earl's far more benevolent Christ role. He murders two women, including his wife.]]