It’s very rare that a film with a love triangle narrative leaves you entirely engrossed by one of the two suitors. Most of the time, the narrative will focus on the person in the middle of this triangle; torn between on two romantic choices, unsure which one is right for them. In Cage of Gold, though, the love triangle is almost tangential compared to the engrossing story of deception and unfettered sliminess that emerges from one of its supporting characters.
On the surface, Cage of Gold is about Judith (Jean Simmons), a woman torn between her doctor boyfriend Alan (James Donald) and former love Bill (David Farrar). The former love rival bursts back onto the scene, lavishing Judith with fancy meals and gifts, all with the goal of convincing her to marry him. But as it becomes clear that Bill’s intentions aren’t as holistic as they initially seem, we start to learn a lot more about his lifestyle and hidden motives.
It’s this in-depth exploration of Bill’s life—his deceit and the way he connives people out of money across the entire globe—that forms the most engaging axis of Cage of Gold‘s narrative. It’s thanks to an exceptional performance from David Farrar, who perfectly captures the sheer sliminess of a well-to-do man that only sees people for the value they provide to him, willing to do whatever it takes to maximise that.
Pretty much all of the film’s second act focuses on Bill’s wider escapades away from Judith – proof again that the love triangle really isn’t the focus here, but instead the heartless, self-centred greed that drives a certain kind of man. It’s wryly fascinating to see him flit from country to country, worming his way into relationships to eke out enough money from his partners to always remain on the move. Director Basil Dearden fortunately knows what the most engaging element of Cage of Gold is, and holds nothing back in diving head-first into that.
It gears up to a third act that’s part police procedural and part whodunnit, with enough twists and turns to really keep you guessing right up to the end. It’s around this part where the tragedy of Judith’s life becomes clear: she’s spent her entire adulthood as the bargaining tool in a tug of war between two men, driven to the point where she feels wholly empty as a result. The pace does drop in this final half-hour, but it’s here that plenty of bait-and-switches ensure you’re never quite sure what each character’s motivations really are.
It’s a ride well worth taking, if not for the love triangle and twisty finale, then for the odious but intensely watchable performance from David Farrar. It feels like an apt companion piece to Nothing But the Best, as both films unpack the artifice of high-flying lifestyles and the lengths people go to attain it, though Cage of Gold has a slightly less acerbic view on the innocents swept away in the frivolity.
This new release from Vintage Classics looks great, with the image scrubbed up and looking incredibly sharp in certain points. That said, the audio mix was something to contend with, as the dialogue tended to be either quite muffled or too quiet compared to diegetic audio. You may want to turn on the subtitles to catch every small aside or witty quip from characters going back and forth at one another.
Cage of Gold is a surprise to be sure, and a film that starts off with you expecting one thing before pivoting into a different ride entirely. Each act has its own distinct tone and even genre, making for a 90-minute ride that’ll always keep you entertained and ready to see just what will happen next.
★★★½
Cage of Gold releases on September 16, 2024 on Blu-Ray, DVD, and on digital from STUDIOCANAL Vintage Classics.
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