christopher-underwood Of course this is bold, brave, daring and ahead of its time, but it is also a thrilling and emotional ride. I had rather expected this to be earnest and prejudiced, presenting the case against the then law against homosexuality, as if to a child. But, this opens at a gallop and barely pauses as we struggle to find out what is causing the young lad to run for his life seeking help from old colleagues. Along the way we catch fantastic glimpses of late 50s/early 60s London, particularly St Martins Lane, Cambridge Circus and Chiswick Mall. There are several scenes shot inside The Salisbury pub which apparently was a gay pub at the time, although not openly presumably. Dirk Bogarde is great in what can't have been an easy role, particularly at that time. He plays well off Sylvia Syms, who also does well and even Dennis Price puts his head on the block with a similarly brave performance. It would be nice to think todays film makers might be able to make a film with something to say that is also a thrill to watch. Fat chance.

Leofwine_draca 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.

fishersofmenvideo Just watched the film last night, and then started doing some background research this morning. I was absolutely floored to discover that homosexuals were going to prison in England up to the time a homophobic criminal statute was repealed in 1967.I was especially floored because so many prominent English actors were gay, going back to my knowledge to the 1930s. Noel Coward's name often appears in film biographies as "encouraging" this or that young, handsome actor, back in those good old days. Coward, if anything, flaunted his homosexuality. He was never arrested. Nor was John Giulgud. The U.K. police evidently left famous personalities quite alone, while selectively prosecuting other people, as portrayed in this movie.Mind you, the social safety net of a gay man marrying a woman was commonplace. Many actors, but not all, resorted to this strategy, although to his credit, not Dirk Bogarde.In this particular film, the character of Farr's wife is pivotal. It seems the woman in the life of a gay man receives very little sympathy, so again this film is a milestone in portraying the anguish of the spouse. Many women are, by nature,loving and nurturing and supportive. This is another reason why some of these inappropriate marriages take place. A gay man can draw on some very deep and genuine feminine feelings in this kind of relationship.It is well-known that gay men are extremely close to their mothers. Personally, I don't think these relationships in any way cause homosexuality later in life. On the contrary, a sensitive, intuitive, empathetic boy child may actually elicit the same special emotional response from a mother as he will later elicit from a future wife. The mother does not suffer from excessive love for her son. The wife, however, will pay a steep price.In the film industry, Laurence Olivier's marriage to Vivien Leigh is perhaps the most tragic example of how a woman's love for a brilliant gay man can turn to tragedy. Everyone knows that Vivien Leigh suffered nervous breakdowns. But it is seldom explained that she succumbed to Olivier's charm completely, absolutely adored him...when, by the way, he was married to another woman. The two of them braved scandal when he got a divorce and then married her immediately. But then, Vivien Leigh, the beautiful and idolized star of the entire world, after "Gone With The Wind," endured an 'open' marriage where Olivier would invite young men to dally with him in one of the rooms of their gorgeous manor house, while Leigh was in the other room.Another eminent British star was Michael Redgrave, father of Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave. Like Dirk Bogarde, he had a decades-long relationship with another man, whom he set up, believe it or not, in the house next door to his wife and children. Vanessa Redgrave had a poor relationship with her father, and then married famous director Tony Richardson -- whose homosexuality let to their divorce prior to his death from AIDS.Sylvia Syms gives a strong, many-faceted performance. But it still is only a bare outline of the torment some women live with all their lives.

wes-connors London construction worker Peter McEnery (Jack "Boy" Barrett) is tracked by blackmailers and police. Desperate, he turns to successful barrister Dirk Bogarde (as Melville "Mel" Farr). The men had been having car sex, but Mr. Bogarde, who married Sylvia Syms (as Laura Hankin) and intended to give up homosexuality, called off the affair. Now, Bogarde avoids the younger man, fearing exposure. When Mr. McEnery hangs himself in jail, Bogarde decides to risk his marriage and career to track down the blackmailers who are preying on the city's secretive gay community...Not knowing what to expect here, the plot completely eluded me until Bogarde's excellent performance put the pieces together. Fortunately, it didn't take too long, and the story being about the blackmailing of gay men becomes obvious. This is a fine production; however, the "sympathetic" approach to the subject matter leans perilously close to pity. Still, it was released at a time when sexual contact between people of the same gender was illegal - and, if things were different, they'd be no basis for the blackmail plot. Bogarde and Basil Dearden deservedly won honors.******** Victim (8/31/61) Basil Dearden ~ Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Syms, Peter McEnery, Dennis Price