Bartleby is a 1970 British drama film directed by Anthony Friedman and starring Paul Scofield, John McEnery and Thorley Walters. It was written by Rodney Carr-Smith and Friedman adapted from the 1857 short story "Bartleby, the Scrivener; A Story of Wall-street" by Herman Melville. The film relocates the narrative from New York in the 1850s to London in the 1970s.
Bartleby, a young audit clerk, is defeated by the pressures of modern life; he gradually opts out of all forms of social engagement and withdraws into his own world.
It was shot at Twickenham Studios and on location around London. The sets were designed by the art director Simon Holland.
The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote:
Variety wrote:
The TV Guide reviewer commented that "the film is brooding, slow, and annoying at times, but the vision of McEnery as Bartleby is not easily forgotten. Scofield...gives a supremely intelligent portrayal of a man caught between logic and emotion."
Stanley Kauffmann of The New Republic called Bartleby "a poor film but with superb acting in it".
The Radio Times Guide to Films gave the film 3 out of 5 stars, writing: "Herman Melville's short story makes for a unremittingly downbeat yet fascinating movie, mainly due to the riveting interplay between its two stars. ... A mysterious, chilling allegory."