The Man in the White Suit is the kind of film that simply wouldn’t be made today. Not because of risqué humour or outdated views, but rather due to the sheer wackiness of its concept. It’s a drama that dips its toes equally into comedy, and while there may not be enough narrative to sustain its 90-minute runtime, it’s an interesting insight into 50s British cinema.
The film stars Alec Guinness as Sidney Stratton, a down-on-his-luck chemist passed between jobs in industrial Britain’s textiles boom. He’s something of a side character as magnates vie for market share and tighten their grip over their proudly unionised workers. That is, until he invents a textile that never gets dirty – an invention that threatens both the industry and the working-class seamstresses with jobs at risk.
It’s a unique concept that director Alexander Mackendrick very tightly weaves into the context of a highly unionised Britain, which forms the backbone of The Man in the White Suit‘s conflict. Akin to Jordan Belfort’s headiness in The Wolf of Wall Street, he becomes everything he initially wanted to subvert – a titan in his own right, desperate to monopolise without considering the human impact. In a sense, the suit (which glimmers under Douglas Slocombe’s lens) becomes a status symbol, more important as an invention than the initially well-meaning man wearing it.
Speaking of invention, The Man in the White Suit is just as interesting as a time capsule to a Britain far different from ours. The whir and clang of manual sewing machines becomes a staccato soundtrack, the analogue equipment churns along in the background of scenes, and everything feels a lot simpler in the pre-digital age.
It’s equally just as timely a reminder of the old mantra that just because we can do something, it doesn’t mean we should. His invention takes Stratton to lengths that leave him isolated, a bargaining chip for both sides of a dispute that he’s seemingly ignorant to. Guinness is great in the role, with the kind of doe-eyed naivety mixed with ambition and charm that make him the film’s most irresistible presence.
That said, The Man in the White Suit is a film that takes its time to achieve, narratively speaking, not a huge amount. It gets to the end of the first act for Guinness to even perfect his magic molecule, let alone don the eponymous garment, leaving the experience feeling quite thin.
It’s not helped by a script – penned by Mackendrick alongside John Dighton and Roger MacDougall – that lacks any engaging supporting characters. Stratton (and by extension, Guinness) do enough to hold it together, but his is the only journey you care about. It means that any time he’s not torn between his two possible trajectories, you’re left wondering whether the film’s done enough to make you care about everything else.
Despite this, The Man in the White Suit is interesting enough as a window into 1950s Britain and the political tensions boiling under the surface. It doesn’t need such a complex plot when the subtle wit of the script and Guinness’ engaging performance do most of the heavy lifting.
While it doesn’t break the mould or stand out as anything particularly genre-defining, there’s enough to The Man in the White Suit‘s conceit to make it worth watching. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, the lead performance is great, and the sheer purity behind the filmmaking is quite refreshing. For an easy watch on a lazy day, you can’t go wrong.
★★★
The Man in the White Suit releases on 4K Collector’s Edition from STUDIOCANAL Vintage Classics on September 15, 2025.
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