Bartleby

Based on Herman Melville’s celebrated short story ‘Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street’, Anthony Friedman’s unduly neglected film relocates the action to 1970s London and stars Oscar-winner Paul Scofield, John McEnery, and Thorley Walters. When a young office clerk, Bartleby (McEnery), becomes increasingly defeated by the pressures of modern life, he gradually opts out of all forms of social engagement and his frustrated employer (Scofield) does all he can to stop him from withdrawing entirely into his own world. Superbly acted and exquisitely photographed, Bartleby is a rare gem of 1970s British cinema. (Powerhouse Films)