SYNOPSICS
Victim (1961) is a English movie. Basil Dearden has directed this movie. Dirk Bogarde,Sylvia Syms,Dennis Price,Anthony Nicholls are the starring of this movie. It was released in 1961. Victim (1961) is considered one of the best Drama movie in India and around the world.
A plea for reform of England's anti-sodomy statutes, Melville Farr (Sir Dirk Bogarde), a married lawyer, tries to locate a blackmailer who has photos of Farr and a crying young gay man (who is being blackmailed and later commits suicide) in Farr's car. After the suicide, Farr tracks down other gay men being extorted for money by the same blackmail scheme. Worldly Police Detective Inspector Harris (John Barrie) considers the anti-sodomy law nothing more than a license to blackmailers, and eventually is contacted by Farr to capture the malicious blackmailer. The movie, far ahead of its time, ends with Farr and his loving wife coming to terms with his homosexual tendencies in advance of the public exposure he will face in the team of blackmailers' trial.
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Victim (1961) Reviews
Extraordinary for its era....
1961 in England. Homosexuals were routinely jailed just because they were homosexuals. It was still the love that dare not speak its name. Blackmailers had a terrific open season on gays - extorting funds for silence. It is incredible that this movie was made - on two levels. One being the obvious, who would want to star in such a controversial film? Enter one Dirk Bogarde, putting both his reputation and his career on the line. He moved deliberately beyond his "Doctor in the House" series of light romantic leading men to make this benchmark film. It may seem dated today to some eyes, but it captures an authentic London of 1961 and is filmed on location in the streets for most of it. One can see the barriers, goofophiles, holding the passersby back from the location shooting! "Flower Drum Song" is featured on a marquee in one of the scenes. The suspense is carried along beautifully, you are never sure how it is all going to turn out, there are no easy solutions, there are some wonderful sub-plots, unexpected little surprises, like the childhood friend of a victim staunchly loyal against his wife's homophobic wishes. The husband and wife story is beautifully depicted and completely non-formulaic. I love the rush and buzz of London surrounding the taut, tense story. Groundbreaking film. 8 out 10.
A Striking, well shot and memorable film
Set in 1950's Britain at a time when homosexuality is against the law, a top Barrister ( Dirk Bogarde) puts his career on the line to tackle the outrageous blackmail of London's homosexuals. Impressive cast and outstanding performance by Dirk Bogarde as the troubled barrister whose anguish and pain one can see in his face throughout the film. Watching this now in the 21st century, it seems unbelievable to think that homosexuality was illegal here forty years ago. This is not to say that homophobia is not a concern now, because it still is, however there have been large strides forward for the acceptance and tolerance of homosexuals in mainstream society. This film is an excellent historical snippet at a time of contentious laws as well as being a fine piece of art. Basil Dearden directs brilliantly and the script maintains a gripping interest throughout. In addition it was nice to see many parts of London as they were in the fifties before factories were knocked down and the hordes of yuppie apartments where built along the Thames.
Ground-breaking movie
It would be easy to view this movie as nothing more than a somewhat dated film. However, for it's time, this movie was ground-breaking, for any number of reasons, including its superb acting. Dirk Bogarde and Sylvia Syms, in particular, were perfect in their parts. What many don't realize is that this movie is credited with helping to decriminalize homosexuality in Britain. When "Victim" was released, it started a nationwide discussion about homosexuality and associated blackmail. At the time, approximately 90% of all blackmail cases involved homosexuals, and Bogarde's character was a classic example of a blackmail "victim". The point of the movie wasn't that all homosexuals were victims, but they could only be victims so long as the law permitted it. The blackmail wasn't merely because they were homosexual, but due to the harsh prison sentences a homosexual could (and often did) receive. How often does a movie get the opportunity to help create such a profound change in society?
Predator And Prey
From what I have read, this was the first British film ever to use the word "homosexual" in the dialogue. That may, or may not, be technically true. Regardless, in 1961, overt gay references were risky to filmmakers, at least in Britain and the United States. Thus, the most amazing thing about "Victim" is the simple fact that it was made. The film's theme is anything but subtle. Viewers in 1961 learn that government laws punish gays and encourage blackmailers, who function as predators to extort money from those whose instincts are out of sync with societal "norms". The film thus portrays gay men as prey, and tending to be secretive, scared, nervous, and sad. Dirk Bogarde gives an excellent performance as a powerful married barrister, secretly gay, who thinks he himself is on the verge of being blackmailed. But while the film thus has obvious educational benefits, it is also quite entertaining, thanks to the plot rationale, which revolves around trying to guess who the blackmailer is. It's a whodunit mystery. Well into the film, a rather strange looking young man appears on a motorcycle and proceeds to chastise a barber for trying to escape from impending blackmail payments. But is this young man the real blackmailer, or just an envoy? Adding to the entertaining plot line is the wonderfully off-kilter, noirish lighting from DP Otto Heller. The B&W cinematography conveys an appropriately moody, sometimes sinister, tone, consistent with the film's theme. Some films try to be educational but end up preachy. Other films succeed at being educational, but lack entertainment value. "Victim" succeeds both as education and as entertainment, owing to its daring and absorbing screen story, its excellent direction, its good performances, and its effective cinematography.
Still a powerful movie
This drama is well acted and beautifully shot, with gorgeous, dramatic lighting and some interesting camera angles and movement. The story is cleverly written as a thriller, keeping the audience guessing, and building up sympathy for the characters before explaining their "abnormality" (probably a necessary tactic in 1961). Like other British movies of the time period, the film is not action-packed by today's standards, but the suspense is maintained, and I never found my attention wandering. Some of the dialogue is didactic, but is usually well-enough handled that it doesn't destroy the line of the story. I didn't agree with another IMDB viewer that the movie portrayed homosexuality purely as "an affliction": my impression was that the writers were trying to show the common view of the time. Certainly most homosexuals in that era would have been affected by the general attitude and internalized the idea that they are abnormal and shameful, and the movie shows this. (Some of the dialogue may be difficult for gay people today to watch, since it is very insulting.) However, I wasn't convinced the authors fully agreed with the straight characters who were sympathetically condescending, partly because of the pains they took to create strong gay characters, and also because of the glimmers the film offers of a better future. [NEXT SENTENCES may contain slight SPOILERS] Listen to the trio of characters Bogarde confronts toward the end of the film: are they all filled with shame? What about the reaction of Bogarde's law assistant? The handling of a particular photo also supports this idea: it is hidden for most of the story, and then turns out to contain a more poetic and sympathetic image than we'd expected. Some viewers think "Victim" is no longer socially relevant, but I disagree: not only are many parts of the world still very anti-homosexual, but the idea that homosexuality is a choice is current in America, and this movie is one of the few I've seen that explores what happens when someone tries to force himself to lead a "normal" life. Is that character happy in his "choice"? Are the people in his family better off because he made that decision? The film presents a complex story and lets the viewer decide. One thing I did find outdated was the impression the authors give that homosexual men are more sensitive and fragile than straight men. However, this provides an opportunity for several scenes involving tears or held-back tears, which are well-acted. I can understand why some people thought the film had too many secondary characters, but I thought most of them were colorful and interesting, so I wouldn't have wanted to cut them out. All in all, an interesting movie for those who like to consider social issues.