Bold, provocative, controversial but yet an important British film that help decriminalize homosexuality. Basil Dearden’s film is British cinema intended on making a difference and it succeeded. A magnificent inclusion to Criterion Collection’s latest Eclipse series, “Basil Dearden’s London Underground”.
Image courtesy of © Carlton Film Distributors 1961. © 2010 All Rights Reserved.
TITLE: Victim (as part of the Basil Dearden’s London Underground – Eclipse Series #25)
RELEASE OF FILM: 1961
DURATION: 100 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Black and White, Monaural, 1:66:1 Aspect Ratio
COMPANY: Janus Films/The Criterion Collection
RELEASED: January 25, 2011
Directed by Basil Dearden
Screenplay by Janet Green and John McCormick
Produced by Michael Relph
Co-Produced by Basil Dearden
Music by Philip Green
Cinematography by Otto Heller
Edited by John D. Guthridge
Art Direction by Alex Vetchinsky
Starring:
Dirk Bogarde as Melville Farr
Sylvia Sims as Laura
Dennis Price as Calloway
Nigel Stock as Phip
Peter McEnery as Barrett
Donald Churchill as Eddy
Anthony Nicholls as Lord Fullbrook
Hilton Edwards as P.H.
Norman Bird as Harold Doe
Derren Nesbitt as Sandy Youth
Alan MacNaughton as Scott Hankin
Noel Howlett as Patterson
Charles Lloyd Pack as Henry
John Barrie as Det. Inspector Harris
John Cairney as Bridie
David Evans as Mickey
Peter Copley as Paul Mandrake
Frank Pettitt as Barman
Mavis Villiers as Madge
Margaret Diamond as Miss Benham
Alan Howard as Frank
Dawn Beret as Sylvie
After mastering the mix of comedy, suspense, and horror that helped define the golden age of British cinema, Basil Dearden (along with his producing partner Michael Relph) left the legendary Ealing Studios and struck out on his own. In the late fifties and early sixties, he created a series of gripping, groundbreaking, even controversial films that dealt with racism, homophobia, and the lingering effects of World War II, noir-tinged dramas that burrowed into corners of London rarely seen on-screen. This set of elegantly crafted films brings this quintessential figure of British cinema out of the shadows.
Victim – An extraordinary performance by Dirk Bogarde grounds this intense, sobering indictment of early-sixties social intolerance and sexual puritanism. Bogarde plays Melville Farr, a married barrister who is one of a large group of closeted London men who become targets of a blackmailer. Basil Dearden’s unmistakably political taboo buster was one of the first films to address homophobia head-on, a cry of protest against British laws forbidding homosexuality.
Basil Dearden, may not be one of the bigger names of classic British Cinema but in his 30 year career, the filmmaker has created 35-films.
With each film, Dearden had an emphasis on storytelling and creating an atmosphere and character but also boldly taking on sensitive issues at the time which include racism, homophobia and middle-class malaise.
And while many may not be familiar with the filmmaker and possibly know more about his son James Dearden (director of “Fatal Attraction” and “A Kiss Before Dying”), Basil Dearden along with writer and producer Michael Relph had managed to create a good number of films which many consider today as British cinema classics but unfortunately were not as accessible on video for viewers in America.
That is until now, as The Criterion Collection will be releasing “Basil Dearden’s London Underground – Eclipse Series #25”, a four DVD set which include his films “Sapphire” (1959), “The League of Gentlemen” (1960), “Victim” (1961) and “All Night Long” (1962).
To set the context for his film “Victim” (1961), its important to let the viewer know that since 1885, homosexuality was outlawed in Great Britain.  As depicted in Dearden’s film “The League of Gentlemen” shot a year earlier of a homosexual man having to pay blackmail money to one who sought to expose him, this was a common problem in Great Britain. Many blackmail cases at the time were against those who were homosexual and many who had to suffer and pay blackmail money or risk losing their livelihood.
They were seen as sexual deviants and many who could not afford the blackmail, would become informants to assist blackmailers by providing them names of those who were homosexual and those who would go down by them and thus chose to end their life by committing suicide.
Both director Basil Dearden and producer Michael Relph wanted to contribute to the national dialogue and effect change and thus “Victim” was created.
Needless to say, a film about this controversial topic was not going to be easy for the filmmakers. In fact, the film was slapped with an X rating because of the controversial topic. In the USA, the MPAA demanded that the word “homosexual” be removed from the soundtrack. Dearden and Relph refused and thus the film was shunned by the public.
But 50-years later after this film was released, many know how important this film was for British cinema and although controversial and shunned at the time, it was a perfect example of Basil Dearden taking on controversial topics and wanting to make things right in his country. Britain eventually would accept the 1967 Sexual Offences act which decriminalized homosexuality but for many viewers, “Victim” gives today’s audience an idea of how many gay men lived their lives in fear, were blackmailed and the repercussions that they had to face because of the law at the time.
“Victim” revolves around a successful lawyer named Melville Farr (played by Dirk Bogarde). He is married to a beautiful wife named Laura (played by Sylvia Sims) and all seems to go right in his life.
Meanwhile, a young man named Barrett (played by Peter McEnery) seems to be on the run. The young man is wanted by authorities for stealing money and he tries to contact a few friends to ask if he can get money but none have 20 quid to give him that day. When Barrett goes to visit one friend, a heterosexual man who is with his girlfriend, the man’s girlfriend shows disdain towards him. Telling him that he should be around people like himself.
Barrett tries to make a final call to the lawyer Melville Farr but he is not home. But the police are on to him and when Barrett goes to a restaurant, he tries to flush contents of a scrapbook in the toilet but it’s too late, he is caught.
The police learn that the man is being blackmailed because he is homosexual. The police want to know who is blackmailing him but Barrett refuses to speak and that night, in his jail cell, Barrett chooses to commit suicide.
As for the police, they managed to piece together the scrapbook that Barrett was trying to flush and it’s a scrapbook on the lawyer Melville Farr. The police contact Farr and tell him the circumstance about the scrapbook and how the young man died and Farr is shocked.
When the police ask him about his relation to the victim, Farr tells them that he has picked him up and would give him a ride but the man would keep calling him, writing him and that’s when the communication stopped.
Of course, no one would suspect the successful lawyer Melville Farr from being with a young gay man. After all, he is a successful lawyer in the public eye and he has a beautiful wife.
But the truth is that Melville Farr is a gay man behind-the-closet. Knowing the law against homosexuals, he has lived his life living a facade but of course, no one…including his wife should know the truth. Melville cared for Barrett and he will do all it takes to take down the blackmailers who led to his death.
Or will he?
VIDEO:
“Victim” is presented in an aspect ratio of 1:66:1 black and white. The film went through a major restoration back in 2006 and was released on DVD in the UK, while I don’t own that version and can’t provide a comparison, the film does look very good for a 50-year-old film. You do see occasional dust and scratches and it’s important to note that Eclipse Series releases do not get the same attention in clean up as their Criterion Collection counterparts but still, blacks and white levels look very good as do the grays. I felt the presentation of “Victim” looked very good!
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
“Victim” is presented in monaural. Dialogue is clear and I didn’t hear any pops, crackle, hiss or any audio problems.
Subtitles are in English SDH.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
Eclipse Series do not come with special features but included on each DVD case insert is a background of Basil Dearden and how “Victim” was controversial at the time.
Prior to watching “Victim”, I was not aware that homosexuality was outlawed in Britain. But after watching film, I felt that the efficacy of “Victim was remarkably captured through Dirk Bogarde’s performance and Dearden’s direction. And what makes it things so sad, even 51-years-later, despite homosexuality not being outlawed today, many gay men and women are still bullied and continue to take their own lives.
“Victim” is yet another bold and provocative film by Basil Dearden and producer Michael Relph, but it’s this film that created a nationwide discussion. Slapped with an X-rating and even in the USA, where the MPAA did not want the word “homosexual” to be used, Dearden was aware of what homosexuals were facing under this law and how 90% of all blackmail cases were about homosexuality.
At the time, one who was gay had to make a choice…pay the blackmail the money or lose everything once your outed because homosexuality was a crime and there were harsh jail sentences for breaking the law. So, many chose to take their own lives or live their lives paying their blackmailers.
There are not too many films that have an effect on society but that is what made Basil Dearden so special. He never looked at himself as an activist but he and Relph wanted to make a difference, creating a dialogue and hopefully make things right in their country and possibly create dialogue for countries that screen his films.
The performance by Dirk Bogarde and Sylvia Sims is absolutely wonderful. Bogarde playing the closeted gay man, Melville Farr who tries to create a happy facade that he married to his wife Laura and you can tell when he kisses her, she feels this sort of disconnection. She loves him, he says he loves her but you can tell that she feels incomplete.
The scene when Melville decides to come out and confront his wife about the victim and that he loved the man, you expect to see horror in Laura’s face but you can tell she knew. When she asks him if the victim was alive and was right next to her, who would he pick?
“Victim” is unique, non-formulaic, bold and provocative. It’s a true Basil Dearden film with a touch of noir, not blatantly preachy and a fascinating timepiece of British cinema.
Another film that is a magnificent inclusion to the Criterion Collection’s latest Eclipse series “Basil Dearden’s London Underground”.
Note: The review is for the film and not the entire DVD box set for “Basil Dearden’s London Underground”.
