Storey's nasty depiction of the desuetude of the British Empire as symbolized by five denizens of a mental asylum. The fact that the audience is not, for some time, fully aware of the nature of the situation parallels English obliviousness. The original cast (led by Sir John Gielgud and Sir Ralph Richardson) brought a sense of dignity and pathos that was probably not fully intended by the author, who clearly indicated that his characters should be middle-aged. It's my sense that Storey was likely more interested in conveying moral asthenia as opposed to rampant senility. But I, for one, will certainly not argue with the outcome, as preserved on video and available through Netflix. ( )

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