I've been meaning to post about this film for a while. I bought the DVD from The Video Beat about a year or more ago, but probably didn't watch it until this past winter, a few months ago, and again this week. I'm a big Oliver Reed fan and thought the plot sounded like it could lend itself to some fun scenes. Being the kitschy 50-60s youth subculture fan that I am, I was really pleased. If you're going for a film critic's perspective, you won't get one here because I went into this film wanting exactly what it delivered.
First - it delivered Oliver Reed at the height of his bad-guy appeal and charm. Oh yeah. This film is the epitome of why I always like Oliver Reed in films, even when he plays a bad guy he oozes charisma ... sex appeal .. something Oliver Reedish. Amazingly enough this film was only four years before he played Bill Sykes in Oliver! the musical, and he plays both parts wonderfully, it's amazing to imagine him generally the same age in both films, though, he seems MUCH younger in The System. (I hate the alternate title The Girl Getters shown on the video box in the picture here, The
System is a much better title and fits with the theme song "(Get Into) The System" sung by The Searchers. It also works better with the plot of the film which has more layers to it than "Girl Getting".)
Second - the music, the clothes, the scene, the flip-talk, the haircuts, beautiful girls, the guys are attractive, a great little piece of 60s mod culture captured in this film. It isn't all glossy and made out to glamorize the youth, but it captures the good and bad aspects of their lifestyles.
Third - interesting dual plot. You can get into the fun stuff, the "system", the parties, the girl-getting, but there's a deeper thing going on. Without giving away the entire film, Reed's character finds that there may be another truth to his lifestyle living on the beachfront, that instead of preying on the tourists, maybe they are the ones being used by the tourists, this statement can be appreciated not just within their small confined experience but in wild lifestyles in general where those who tend to believe that they are the ones doing the taking end up emptier at the end of the day and may actually be the ones who have been used. Some pretty emotionally volatile scenes and good acting, nice shots, the beach scene at the end with the torches is exceptionally good.
Fourth - now I admit I'm not old enough to have lived during the time the film was shot and can say for sure, but I can imagine this as a much more accurate picture of youth culture in the 60s (at this particular kind of setting) than many other films that claim to be representative of the era.
I have to now correct every single review I have seen on the web about this film.
Brief synopsis on The Video Beat website: says that the group of guys use their cameras to pick up women - Oliver Reed is the only beach photographer in this group of guys, the other guys have various other jobs throughout this resort town in strategic places to meet women.
Hal Erikson, All Movie Guide: I don't think this guy even watched this film. First he says that "Oliver Reed plays a girlie-magazine photographer". No, he plays a beach photographer, taking pictures of tourists and selling the photos to them. "One of the group, jealous of Reed's success, uses their "system" to hoist the leader on his own petard." I don't even know what movie this guy was watching now. This doesn't happen on purpose, it happens but not because of a jealosy or rivalry, He also writes that "Michael Winner ... displayed his utter contempt for the pretty young people he depicts." I'm not sure what gave this reviewer the idea that this director had utter contempt for the young people he was depicting. Certainly the film doesn't show that - rather he shows a deeper emotional turmoil underneath the free-wheeling party lifestyle and shows the pain and heartache that goes with the swingin' wild young party lifestyle, making who might normally be characters without depth, basic predators without conscience, who the audience is normally unable to identify with into the protagonists - real, vulnerable, as much in need of love as the people they vow they are so unlike. In addition, if this guy knew anything about Michael Winner's history and personal life they would probably find that to be an absurd comment to make. Winner was known in the beginning of his career as a "young" director - making hip films for youth culture - he also has no problem with "pretty young people" seeing as he has probably dated or slept with the prettiest and youngest in cinema - from Joan Collins to Sophia Loren, Jenny Seagrove, and currently Paola Lombard (30 yrs younger than he is). He has also been quoted as saying "When I tell people I've slept with more than 130 women, they are
appalled but, you know, I've 
been doing it for 55 years so I don't
think that's bad going!". I have to say my favorite quote from Michael Winner that I've found is this: “I think it's rather an insult to dogs. Men are awful: arrogant, nasty creatures.”
Believe it or not, Amazon (VHS avilable only, get DVD from The Video Beat) may have one of the most accurate synopsis I've seen, in all it's basic simplicity, "In a seaside village, a group of local young men mingle among the
seasonal tourists in search of sexual conquests. Near the end of one
summer, the leader of the group, Tinker, a strolling photographer, aims
to conquer a fashion model from a well-to-do family, but he finds
himself unexpectedly falling in love. The tables thus turned, Tinker
begins to see that maybe it's not the tourists who are being used in
these sexual games."
right now.
