British: Joseph Losey " The Servant" Comment
comment:
The esthetic beauty of a black and white film like this one is very effective. It tells a story about class differences on the verge of dissolution .... Keeping up the roles is not easy and requires a social structure like the one we see in "The Upstairs Downstairs"Tv series.
The Servant (1963 film)
| The Servant | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Joseph Losey |
| Produced by | Joseph Losey Norman Priggen |
| Written by | Robin Maugham (novel) Harold Pinter (screenplay) |
| Starring | Dirk Bogarde Sarah Miles James Fox Wendy Craig |
| Music by | John Dankworth |
| Cinematography | Douglas Slocombe |
| Edited by | Reginald Mills |
| Distributed by | Landau Releasing Organisation Elstree Distributors Limited |
Release date
| 14 November 1963 |
Running time
| 112 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £135,000[1] |
The Servant is Harold Pinter's 1963 film adaptation of a 1948 novelette by Robin Maugham. A British production directed by Joseph Losey, it stars Dirk Bogarde, Sarah Miles, Wendy Craig and James Fox. It opened at London's Warner Theatre on 14 November 1963.[2]
The first of Pinter's three film collaborations with Losey, which also include Accident (1967) and The Go-Between (1971), The Servant is a tightly-constructed psychological dramatic film about the relationships among the four central characters examining issues relating to class, servitude and the ennui of the upper classes.[3]
Contents
Plot[edit]
Tony (James Fox) a wealthy young Londoner, hires Hugo Barrett (Dirk Bogarde) as his manservant. Initially, Barrett appears to take easily to his new job, and he and Tony form a quiet bond, retaining their social roles. Relationships begin shifting, however, and they change with the introduction of Susan (Wendy Craig) Tony's girlfriend, who seems to be suspicious of Barrett and to loathe all he represents.
Barrett brings Vera (Sarah Miles) whom he presents as his sister, into Tony's household as a maidservant, but it emerges that Vera is actually Barrett's lover. Through Barrett's and Vera's games and machinations, they reverse roles with Tony and Susan; Tony becomes more and more dissipated, sinking further into what he perceives as their level, as the "master" and the "servant" exchange roles. In the final scene, Tony has become wholly dependent on Barrett, and Susan is exiled permanently from the house.
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