VICTIM is an atmospheric and highly suspenseful British crime film that's gone down in history for being the first film to explicitly tackle the subject of homosexuality. Even the word 'homosexual' hadn't been uttered in the cinema until this time. Of course, the theme of sexuality is only part of an otherwise traditional crime story, but it's the bit everyone remembers.
The affable Dirk Bogarde expertly channels his own inner darkness for his central role as a lawyer investigating a blackmailing plot which has driven a man to suicide. Derren Nesbitt (BURKE & HARE) is suitably nasty as the guy who makes his living from exposing homosexuality - which, of course, carried a jail sentence in those days.
VICTIM is blessed with strong direction from the veteran Basil Dearden who makes a compelling thriller with some starkly lit black and white photography. The supporting cast, which incorporates Sylvia Sims, Dennis Price, and Charles Lloyd Pack, is exemplary. Okay, this isn't the most entertaining film out there - aside from the extraordinary subject matter the story is relatively familiar - but it has gone down in history as a document of its time.
The affable Dirk Bogarde expertly channels his own inner darkness for his central role as a lawyer investigating a blackmailing plot which has driven a man to suicide. Derren Nesbitt (BURKE & HARE) is suitably nasty as the guy who makes his living from exposing homosexuality - which, of course, carried a jail sentence in those days.
VICTIM is blessed with strong direction from the veteran Basil Dearden who makes a compelling thriller with some starkly lit black and white photography. The supporting cast, which incorporates Sylvia Sims, Dennis Price, and Charles Lloyd Pack, is exemplary. Okay, this isn't the most entertaining film out there - aside from the extraordinary subject matter the story is relatively familiar - but it has gone down in history as a document of its time.