The Servant - 1963 ***

The first thing I noted about this film was how completely risque it was for a film of it's time. The second thing I thought of was that I couldn't for the life of me get to grips with what was going on. I sensed that because it was Harold Pinter related it would be a bit bizarre but still!

I get that there were class divides, and obviously Dirk Bogarde initially plays the 'servant' to James Fox's 'master' but then it all got a bit confusing for me. What it seemed however was that there became a drastic shift in class, with Bogarde appearing to take over the more overpowering role, and James Fox cowering into the lower class one. There are also added complications when Bogarde brings his 'sister' to the house as a maidservant, and falls out almost immediately with Fox's fiancee.

However if you watch closely, it's clear that Bogarde effectively owns the scenes. He has a gentle way of manipulating both the owner and his partner without them really understanding what he is doing. That to me is rather terrifying. It's definitely a psychological thriller at the very least, and certain other subjects including homosexuality and incest are touched upon which had me amazed for a 1960s film. However obviously the 60s was full of free love and new and exciting things so I shouldn't really be surprised.

Bogarde is an amazing actor, I respect him a huge amount, but think that I would probably have to watch this again to really appreciate the nuances.