Killer counts on a prevailing prejudice against the mentally ill THE OCTOBER MAN is a good British film noir starring John Mills, in which we have a main character who is said to love life. He goes through a terrible ordeal and then experiences post-traumatic stress. It affects the amount of confidence he has in himself, and his ability to rebuild his life, which won't be the same as it was before.
He's involved in a terrible bus crash, and it sets in motion a series of events that nearly overtake him. Mills plays this man continually on the brink of suicide. His troubled psyche is shown in how he reacts to screeching train whistles and a tied handkerchief, which may be a symbol of his inner torment.
The film shares themes with RANDOM HARVEST because of the mental block that Mills' character suffers after the accident. Also, it's a bit similar to THE BLUE DAHLIA because of the head injury trauma that's depicted. In THE BLUE DAHLIA, William Bendix plays a returning serviceman who has experienced brain damage in battle. We don't quite get that in THE OCTOBER MAN with Mills' character, though it might be suggested that his condition is similar to men who've just come back from the war.
Mills gives an honest performance; a very understated and graceful performance. The way he conveys the barely suppressed hysteria of the main character is outstanding.
Unlike many of his contemporaries, Mills was successful in avoiding being typecast in his motion picture assignments. With THE OCTOBER MAN, he's channeling a wounded hero in his portrayal-- physical recovery and mental recovery, after a traumatic event. The bus crash stands in for the disaster and fatalities that men saw first-hand in the war; though his character is a civilian, and he's a chemist. He carries this wounding with him throughout the rest of the story, until the very end.
We see him lose everything in the beginning. Then he gradually rebuilds his life. Settling into a room at a hotel, he begins a new job, then starts meeting new people. Eventually, we see him falling in love, regaining his confidence. Then it's all in jeopardy again when a murder occurs.
I found Joan Greenwood to be most effective as the love interest. She doesn't have oodles of screen time, but her role is essential, especially when it comes time for the plot's denouement.
Meanwhile, we have Edward Chapman in the role of another hotel resident. He is revealed as the killer two-thirds of the way into the drama, which isn't too surprising. This sets up a final sequence with Mills hurrying off to a train station to stop Chapman and prove his own innocence.
There's a very tense scene where Mills confronts Chapman, in order to out him as the killer. This is where we see how twisted Chapman's character is. He's defiant, and he thinks he will get away with murder. He is counting on a prevailing prejudice against the mentally ill to trap Mills' character and ensure that Mills is blamed. I love how deranged and bold Chapman plays it is during this confrontation, and how nihilistic it is for Mills' character. Mills will take the fall for the killing, unless he fights back and does something. Truly excellent acting from both these men.
Of course the mistake Chapman's character makes is he should have gone off to Glasgow, long enough for Mills to be arrested. Then he could have made his way to Lisbon from Glasgow. The one thing where I think the plot stretches credibility is that the police wait a rather long time before they decide Mills is their man and go to arrest him. I don't think we're supposed to feel the police are exactly incompetent. But they are being thorough, and they take their sweet time.
Perhaps the story needs to have the police act slowly, so that Mills is free to confront Chapman and figure out where he's going. But I felt the police would have been more aggressive. Also not once does Mills' character even consider finding an attorney to consult with, because he's more interested in either going back to the hospital for treatment, or else killing himself...before he develops the resolve to nab the true culprit.
Ultimately, Mills does become self-empowered enough to prevail. And after the main crisis has been resolved, we know that he will end up with Greenwood. She's someone who has supported him and has been there for him through it all.