This short is definitely one of the funniest short films ever created. It is easy to consider it a simple, stupid slapstick with a guy acting drunk, and/or making fun of old people, but then you miss the point. This is not primarily about drunkenness or age, it is about British conservatism. And maybe that's why the British people never cared much for it, while other Europeans love it.
Note that Miss Sophie is not suffering from senile dementia. She knows exactly what she wants: She wants things to be just like they always were. The poor James does his best to fulfill her wishes, and as he gradually drops out of his role, while miss Sophie still insists that everything should be done after the "same procedure as every year" things get truly hilarious.
The sketch actually exists in two different versions, one slightly shorter than the other (11 or 14 minutes). The shorter one has better planned close-up shots, while the longer includes the "Must I?" questions, which clarifies that miss Sophie knows very well what she is doing. So both have strong points.
No matter what version you see, you are likely to enjoy it... unless you are British, I guess. It is a British humor gem about British conservatism.
Note that Miss Sophie is not suffering from senile dementia. She knows exactly what she wants: She wants things to be just like they always were. The poor James does his best to fulfill her wishes, and as he gradually drops out of his role, while miss Sophie still insists that everything should be done after the "same procedure as every year" things get truly hilarious.
The sketch actually exists in two different versions, one slightly shorter than the other (11 or 14 minutes). The shorter one has better planned close-up shots, while the longer includes the "Must I?" questions, which clarifies that miss Sophie knows very well what she is doing. So both have strong points.
No matter what version you see, you are likely to enjoy it... unless you are British, I guess. It is a British humor gem about British conservatism.