The Fallen Idol

Neglected by his father who is the ambassador of a French-speaking country in London, the eight-year-old Philippe befriends the butler Baines (Ralph Richardson), who tells him stories, takes him for walks and helps him get around his wife's draconian house rules. The boy finds out that Baines is having an affair with the young interpreter Julie (Michèle Morgan). When Mrs. Baines dies under mysterious circumstances, the little boy who is thought to be a witness, becomes the focus of the police investigation. This subtle crime film, which is set largely inside a house and told from a child's perspective, explores themes such as trust, innocence, betrayal and truth. Reed employed a visual style that would become his trademark—oblique camera angles, chiaroscuro lighting and depths of field.