lasttimeisaw Half a century's age, this hidden curio from UK cinema revolves around a series of homosexual blackmailing cases (while men could be put in jail simply for being gay), an eminent married lawyer in the closet decides to expose the extortion on account of his "young admirer" commits suicide in order not to comprehend him into the dark corner, so as to prompt to unseat the discrimination inside UK's legislative system and which will inexorably end his prominent career. The film counts in a flock of various characters, among which mostly are gay men (of divergent ranks), under the milieu of repression, some are diffident and dodging, some are well-off and laissez-faire, and depicts a vivid gay scene at then with a briskly unobtrusive measure (in spite of multiply exploiting unsettling close-ups of faces to attenuate the dramatic currents), deftly projects Dirk Bogarde's heroic lawyer as the knight in shining armor to rescue the gay sub- culture being bullied and threatened. Bogarde is bold (off the screen) and instinctively mesmerizing (on the screen) in the film, even subconsciously one could dive into his dilemma and being shepherded until the exit of the maze, remarkably it is not a common whodunit trickery, no actions, no noir atmosphere, it is a moral lecture with a cogent victory of defending oneself's nature. Sylvia Syms is steadfast in her role as the wife, knowingly indulging her marriage and naively believes there is an alternative, the two-hander between her and Bogarde is the zenith of this film. The film's laconic 90 minutes length does seep some coerced discontentment, but frankly speaking the story has no loose end, one could divine its subsequent development in his own aftertaste.

ha-rob Looking at this film from today's perspective it looks very tame, the story is a group of gay men from different social economic groups being blackmailed, but this film was made in 1961 6 years before the 1967 Sexual Offences Act which decriminalised sex acts between men over the age of 21 in private, the film was made during the period which became known as the British new wave when British films wanted to become more realistic and challenge the accepted view of society and the establishment but this was still a brave move at the time, the film treats the men sympathetically (who at the time would've been regarded as perverts and criminals) and argues (as much as it dares) for the law to be changed, Dirk Bogarde plays a successful barrister who decides to take on the blackmailers and let the chips fall where they may, knowing that that decision will destroy pretty much every aspect of his life, the film is well acted and very well made, i think because of its time and subject matter the film will always be very interesting as a period piece more so as time goes by, to think that less than 50 years ago there were laws like this and people were persecuted and prosecuted for their preferences is a disgrace and i think that's what most of todays audiences will think.

audiemurph This is a great British drama. Most of the other reviews focus on the homosexual context of the film, which is certainly important from a social standpoint; however I would like to focus on how great this movie is, aside from the gay angle.What impresses me most about this film is how tight and taut it is. Not a word is wasted. Every actor moves with incredible precision; not a pinky wiggles unnecessarily at any moment. The effect is mesmerizing. The script is fast-paced and constantly moves the plot forward. The camera-work is sublime, masterfully and carefully zooming in here, gracefully panning there; a true masterpiece of art from the director.Dirk Bogarde plays the upper class barrister with the true stiff-upper lip that we associate with the Britain's best class. His wife, played by Sylvia Sims, does not overdo her part as the humiliated wife; this is a role that could easily have slid into over-ripe dramatics, but she is as equally reserved and in control as her husband.All of the supporting cast are top tier as well. The blackmailer, who we meet not too far into the movie, is particularly sleazy and slimy, in a manner reminiscent of some of Dirty Harry's lead criminals. And don't assume you know everything that is going on either; the script has a number of twists and surprises at the end that will leave you very satisfied and entertained - you will be pleasantly surprised at how easily you have been misdirected! There are a couple of delicious ironies in the film. First, look for, in the apartment of the man who is blackmailing homosexuals, a sketch of Michelangelo's (nude) David. Very cute and clever. And second: hey, who is that actor in the tiny role of George, the assistant to the hairdresser? Its Frank Thornton, better known as "Captain Peacock" of the great British comedy, "Are You Being Served"; you will remember that the funniest cast member of that series was John Inman, playing the hilariously flamboyant and openly gay Mr. Humphries! A highly recommended drama.

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