Dance with a stranger (1985)
The Brits have a passionate relationship with the protagonist of this show, Ruth Ellis. Ruth Ellis was the last lady to be hung for murder in the United Kingdom in 1955.
Ruth Ellis had the unenviable penchant to fall in love with all the wrong guys. It appears like she goes all the way to fall flat for guys who are abusive in their relationship. This, together with the influence of alcohol and the need to care for two young kids proved too much for this 28 years old lady who ended up at the gallows.
Ruth was working as a manageress in a nightclub taking care of her 2 kids when she met David Blakeley. At that time, she was going through a divorce from her husband, an alcoholic and abusive dentist. She goes beyond her call of duty as a hostess to entertain men for extra income. She also had a passionate relationship with a quiet man, Desmond Cussen, who went out of his way to care for her and her children, financially and emotionally. David was a dashing and suave race driver who charmed ladies with his flamboyant lifestyle. In reality, however, he was broke, abusive and was engaged when he met Ruth.
She was conveniently had a two timing relationship whilst Cussen stood at the fringes seeing her got her in the painful affair. Somehow, Ruth appears not to come out of the relationship despite all the beatings and the bruises. It looked like a classic case of battered 'wife' syndrome. She always went back to David.
The hay that broke the camel's back moment came when Ruth suspected David of infidelity. She shot him at point blank outside a pub.
The movie just ends here without highlighting the post murder social discourse and court case that rocked the British society afterwards.
Actually, she kept her silence but admitted killing her lover in cold blood. The jury did not have much to deliberate about her guilt and sent her to the gallows for premeditated murder.
At that time, in the UK, there was no provision for crime of passion and murder after extreme provocation. The society wanted to punish someone to make the streets a safer place. The origin of her gun was not discussed much but apparently Cussen had taught her to use a gun and Cussen himself had an axe to grind after many violent outburst with his 'competitor'. The court decided not to pursue the matter into Cussen's involvement as Ruth had been hanged by then.
Cussen migrated to Australia. Ruth's son committed suicide at the age of 38. In the late 60s, the country moved away from capital punishment and Ruth Ellis remains the last woman to be hanged in UK.
The Brits have a passionate relationship with the protagonist of this show, Ruth Ellis. Ruth Ellis was the last lady to be hung for murder in the United Kingdom in 1955.
Ruth Ellis had the unenviable penchant to fall in love with all the wrong guys. It appears like she goes all the way to fall flat for guys who are abusive in their relationship. This, together with the influence of alcohol and the need to care for two young kids proved too much for this 28 years old lady who ended up at the gallows.Ruth was working as a manageress in a nightclub taking care of her 2 kids when she met David Blakeley. At that time, she was going through a divorce from her husband, an alcoholic and abusive dentist. She goes beyond her call of duty as a hostess to entertain men for extra income. She also had a passionate relationship with a quiet man, Desmond Cussen, who went out of his way to care for her and her children, financially and emotionally. David was a dashing and suave race driver who charmed ladies with his flamboyant lifestyle. In reality, however, he was broke, abusive and was engaged when he met Ruth.
She was conveniently had a two timing relationship whilst Cussen stood at the fringes seeing her got her in the painful affair. Somehow, Ruth appears not to come out of the relationship despite all the beatings and the bruises. It looked like a classic case of battered 'wife' syndrome. She always went back to David.The hay that broke the camel's back moment came when Ruth suspected David of infidelity. She shot him at point blank outside a pub.
The movie just ends here without highlighting the post murder social discourse and court case that rocked the British society afterwards.
Actually, she kept her silence but admitted killing her lover in cold blood. The jury did not have much to deliberate about her guilt and sent her to the gallows for premeditated murder.
At that time, in the UK, there was no provision for crime of passion and murder after extreme provocation. The society wanted to punish someone to make the streets a safer place. The origin of her gun was not discussed much but apparently Cussen had taught her to use a gun and Cussen himself had an axe to grind after many violent outburst with his 'competitor'. The court decided not to pursue the matter into Cussen's involvement as Ruth had been hanged by then.
Cussen migrated to Australia. Ruth's son committed suicide at the age of 38. In the late 60s, the country moved away from capital punishment and Ruth Ellis remains the last woman to be hanged in UK.
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