Victim (1961)

Director:

Basil Dearden

Writers:

Janet Green (screenplay) and
John McCormick (screenplay)

Release Date:

11 October 1961 (Denmark)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A prominent lawyer goes after a blackmailer who threatens gay men with exposure (homosexual acts still being illegal). But he's gay himself...

Plot Keywords:

Social Commentary | Blackmail | Courtroom | Homosexual | Bisexual

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Dirk Bogarde	...	Melville Farr
Sylvia Syms	...	Laura
Dennis Price	...	Calloway
Nigel Stock	...	Phip
Peter McEnery	...	Barrett
Donald Churchill	...	Eddy
Anthony Nicholls	...	Lord Fullbrook
Hilton Edwards	...	P.H.
Norman Bird	...	Harold Doe
Derren Nesbitt	...	Sandy Youth
Alan MacNaughton	...	Scott Hankin (as Alan MacNaughtan)
Noel Howlett	...	Patterson
Charles Lloyd Pack	...	Henry
John Barrie	...	Det. Inspector Harris
John Cairney	...	Bridie

Runtime:

90 min | 100 min (pre-censored version) | 96 min (video version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:15 (video rating) (1986) | UK:12 (video rating) (2004) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:18 (bw) | UK:X (original rating) (cut) | UK:PG (re-rating) (2005) (uncut)

Filming Locations:

Cambridge Circus, Covent Garden, London, England, UK

Company:

Allied Film Makers (AFM)

Trivia:

Many performers refused roles in this film because of the subject matter.

Goofs:

Boom mic visible: When Melville is stood outside the Counsel & Clerks office, the shadow of the boom microphone is visible beside the sign, on the wall behind him.

Quotes:

Frank: Well it used to be witches. At least they don't burn you.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in A Kind of Loving (1962)

The gays' raven.

Henri-George Clouzot's "le corbeau" (the raven,1943) always comes to mind when it comes to slanderous mail.The principal differences between the French movie and Dearden's one is that in the former,the raven was not a blackmailer,he was not in it for the money ,but out of pure wickedness,and he would "punish" not the gay-it was too soon- but the adulterer,the abortion and other little sins.

Dearden's work is a bold move for the time.The movies dealing with homosexuality were very rare then.It was one of the first to fight against intolerance. Of course this topic was in Tennessee Williams' plays ,but it was not really militant .We can mention in the sixties the almost contemporary "children's hour" (Wyler,1963) "the fox "(Mark Rydell,1967) and "the staircase" (Donen,1969).

Dearden's work suffers from a certain inflation of secondary characters which weakens the drama.(Dennis Price's part does not seem much relevant.)Consequently,the best moments are to be found in the first twenty minutes:Peter MC Ennery (who would be Rasputin's assassin in "j'ai tué Raspoutine"(1967) ,and coincidence,this Yusupov was also a gay)'s escape ,recalling sometimes James Mason's in "odd man out" ,is breathtaking:alone in a world gone hostile and threatening,his phone calls remain unanswered,and everybody turns his back on him:his buddy's girlfriend's attitude is telling ,full of contempt and repulsion.The scenes between Dirk Bogarde -I do not need to add to the praise he has already received- and his wife are also great moments of true emotion.Had Dearden focused on the husband/wife/young man,his film would have gained in strength.Nevertheless,this courageous plea is still worth watching.