Judith Hearne (Maggie Smith) is an Irish spinster who has recently taken occupancy in a small boarding house in Dublin. A profoundly lonely woman, she has been forced to be constantly on the move due to her diminishing funds, and the fact that her career as a piano teacher is hardly enough to sustain her, and her wealthy aunt’s recent death makes it even more difficult for her to find a place to reside for very long. The other residents of the house are polite but secretly very cold towards the friendly woman, with the exception of James Madden (Bob Hoskins), who represents everything that Judith never knew she needed in life. Apparently a savvy businessman who has returned to his motherland after decades making a life for himself in New York City, he strikes up a friendship with Judith, whose elegance and class deceives him into thinking that she is a wealthy woman. Judith doesn’t realize that this man she is falling so deeply in love with is only trying to take advantage of her, and even though those around her point towards her beau’s manipulative ways, she simply refuses to believe that his intentions are anything but pure and portrayals of his earnest adoration for her. Judith is only in search of some sense of belonging, someone who appreciates her and does not look down on her with the same disdain as everyone else throughout her life had, and if this means ignoring all the signs that point towards her being the victim of cruel manipulation, then so be it – in the end, Judith sees it as ultimately being worth it, even if the subsequent heartbreak only worsens her despair.

It would appear as if we have another addition to the canon of remarkable acting performances – Maggie Smith, who has been someone I have admired for a very long time, delivered one of the greatest female performances I have ever encountered. The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne, an elegant and meaningful drama, centres solely around her, allowing her to deliver one of her finest performances in a film that is truly an impressive achievement. Jack Clayton, a wunderkind of a director who just never peaked in the way his talents indicated he would, leaves us with a memorable, poignant film that is a perfect blend of melodrama and heartwrenching tragedy, caught somewhere between Tennessee Williams and Ken Loach, featuring the potent despair and heartbreaking agony that comes with seeing a protagonist suffer through life in a way that would be unfit for even the most deplorable of individuals. It is bewildering that The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne hasn’t received much more acclaim as a mature, fascinating character study that blends its direct, unflinching story and some deep thematic concepts, and has been mostly forgotten, relegated to relative obscurity as a film that has one of the most impactful leading performances of the 1980s (and perhaps of all time) at the core, and a sense of empathy and understanding of the human condition that very few works of art manage to muster up with such conviction. In no uncertain terms, this film is a towering masterpiece of character-driven drama, and one of the more underrated films of its era.

Smith has proven herself to be incapable of giving a bad performance – she may be accused of relying on the same archetypal character of the prickly elderly grand dame in a variety of her recent roles (even if some of them, such as The Lady in the Van, are amongst her best work) – but earlier in her career, when she found the right role, no one could do it better than her. The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is perhaps her crowning achievement – it may not be as well-known as some of her more influential films from the previous two decades, but it is undeniably one of her best. The only reason I can imagine for this not frequently being cited as a moment of revelatory genius in her career is due to the fact that it is harshly underseen, because nearly every instance of someone seeing this film has brought nothing but overt acclaim for Smith, whose performance as the lonely Irish spinster has more resonance than nearly everything else she has ever done. This film operates as a film focused entirely on her journey, as we are presented with her as a reserved woman whose past is tightly-guarded, with the audience being given glimpses into her life before the present moment that slowly unveil the story of a life defined by one tragic event after another, and we watch as she navigates a hostile world that is unaccepting of people such as her – despite having done absolutely nothing wrong (or at least that we know of), she is frequently downtrodden and rejected by nearly everyone, especially after she is no longer useful to them.

A film like The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne works mainly as an intimate character drama, even though it does have underlying shades of melodrama and romance. From the first moment, it serves to be a portrait of one woman and her various interactions with other characters, which slowly lead to a complete unravelling that stands as one of the most profoundly heartbreaking in all of cinema. The way Smith carries this film is almost miraculous – whether it be in moments of calm reservation, quiet awe or, in the case of the latter part of the film, unhinged despair, the actress is unquestionably great, getting to the core of the character in a way very few performers are ever able to do, and there is not a single false note to be found in this awe-inspiring depiction of one of literature’s most perpetually tragic figures. We feel every potent emotion, and believe every sensation that pulsates throughout the titular character as she searches, unfortunately in vain, for some sense of belonging in a world where she clearly does not fit in, no matter how hard she tries. Smith has never been as good as she was here, with her performance in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne proving to be one of the most intense portrayals she has ever given. She is simply brilliant, taking on one of the most challenging characters of her entire career, engaging with the titular role with a ferocity rarely glimpsed in cinema, emerging triumphant in what should be seen as one of the most extraordinary turns ever put on film. This is not hyperbolic – the authenticity Smith brings to the role is simply unprecedented, whether it be as a woman pleading for a second chance at the beginning, or at the end, where she finally gains the self-confidence to love herself and embrace that she too is worthy of life’s fortunes that have evaded her throughout her entire life. What the actress does in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is just beyond remarkable, and warrants more than just the fleeting acclaim it has received throughout the years and deserves more recognition as an incredible example of true acting brilliance.

Despite the might of her performance, there is more to The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne than just Maggie Smith. The original novel is known for being one of the most tragic works of twentieth-century fiction, with the story of a woman trying to find some meaning in a harsh world being one that resonates with anyone who has ever felt alone. Catholicism plays a pivotal role in this regard, as the main character is devoutly religious, and has always depended on her undying devotion to her faith as a way of helping her deal with life’s innumerable challenges. This isn’t the only work that does this – there are entire industries built upon reaffirming the belief that faith in God will help an individual surmount any challenge. It’s not my place, nor the place of anyone else, to question the effectiveness of this message, but we can point out that The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is one of the few that takes a somewhat cynical glance at blind faith without dismissing the importance religion can play in one’s life. Religion is not the cause of Judith Hearne’s suffering, but it certainly appears that it isn’t the cure either, or at least not in the way she sees it. Faith plays a pivotal role in her life, which is precisely why the third act of this film, where she calls into question the root of her beliefs, is one of the most effective and heartwrenching portrayals of religious despair ever committed to film. Religion is always a difficult concept to represent in film, especially when it takes a standpoint that may not necessarily be against belief, but rather critical of the effects of blind faith, and how it can be both a liberating source of comfort, but also a deeply limited force when it impinges upon an individual’s growth.

This film is one fundamentally rooted in the idea of journeys, – Judith is a character constantly moving, whether it be to new homes, or to church, or to visit any of her supposed friends that merely tolerate her. She falls in love with a man whose tales of travel excite her. It is clear that Judith is a woman meant to be moving forward. Yet, there is always something holding her back: the past, and what it represents. She holds onto the strict Catholic virtues instilled in her as a child by her vicious aunt, where she was constantly forced to suppress every bit of personality she had in favour of respecting the sanctity of her faith. It doesn’t mean that someone shouldn’t believe – but unlike Judith, everyone else around her uses their faith as a guideline to life, not the definitive instructive text. Ultimately, all Judith has is her faith, and when she finally starts to question it and see that the supposed sacrosanct nature of her beliefs was actually the cause of her despair, it results in one of the most harrowing breakdowns in all of cinema, a poignant, heartbreaking moment of pure, unhinged agony. Yet, despite everything, this film is not against religion at all: it doesn’t deride believers, nor does it criticize the church. It rather shows how someone’s beliefs, whether based on religion or not, can both guide and limit them. As heartbreaking as her breakdown, where she begins to question her faith may be (I dare anyone to find a more chilling moment than when Smith runs into an abandoned church and collapses onto the altar, screaming “I hate you” at a tranquil representation of Christ), it is the moment when the film is the most daring, because this is the precise point where her life begins to change. She finally realizes that she was not only the victim of bad luck but also someone who limited herself through her own lack of confidence or self-worth. Judith Hearne doesn’t become a happier, more confident person because she lost her faith in God, but because she gained faith in herself. If there is a more poignant way to represent this message, I have yet to find it.

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is a beautiful film. It is a simple but effective portrait of a middle-aged woman finally rebelling against the society that has treated her so poorly her entire life, and finally going in pursuit of what she believes she is entitled to. It is a film that feels both intimate and broad – anyone who has ever felt alone will undoubtedly relate to Judith’s plight in some way, and find her heartbreaking journey to self-worth resonant. Maggie Smith gives her finest performance to date, bringing the titular character to life with a blend of genial charm and heartwrenching compassion. This is a film that revolves entirely around her portrayal, and she does something truly extraordinary (as does Bob Hoskins, who should also be cited, albeit not quite on the same level as Smith, who delivers one of the all-time great female performances). A small but meaningful drama about finding your place in a hostile world, The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne is an extraordinary achievement, and Clayton’s swan song proves that he was a director with a great deal of potential, because even when tasked with crafting a film as straightforward as this, he does so with finesse, elegance and astonishing grace, it leaves an indelible impression and proves to be truly unforgettable for all those fortunate enough to bear witness to the tragic tale of Miss Judith Hearne, and her journey from despair to self-love and all it took was a heartbreak and a few breakdowns for her to realize her own worth. Don’t neglect this gem of a film, it is truly an extraordinary experience.