Reviews (9)

Joseph Losey's masterpiece
Joseph Losey overtook the landmark with this corrupt,sordid,struggling and deacednt gotic atmosphere created where the human condition exposes all its nasty nakedness.
Harold Pinter and Losey worked in other themes like Accident but I've never seen any other film with the only exceptions of Mephisto and Vatel such kind of perversion level.
Losey never before directed so well any other film. It deserves to mention a very usual forgotten film of Losey : Mr. Klein where Losey intends a close approach but the script doesn't help him due its predictableness.
Bogarde as the servant makes the greatest role of his winner career; James Fox also shares honors and Wendy Craig is worthy too.
Losey made a celebration film ; not only you remember Welles (The stranger) ,the sinister shadows of the glorius age of german expressionism (Murnau and Wiene) but the employement of the famous crossed mirror image sequence , so many times adapted for a lot of film makers of second rate.
This is not only a cult movie; it's a reference example for all those people interested in how to make a film, but also a must for those cinema lovers and even a sociological study of the fall of the will and slow process of moral decay in any age; it's a no mercy view of the brittish society in that unusual decade.
It's not for all tastes, but you are in front (in my personal opinion) of the most sinister movie made in the sixties and one of the best in Brittish filmography ever filmed.
Overwhelming!

Deliciously Dark!
What a creep fest! This film is fantastic.

The idea of having a manservant, like the main character does, is frightful in itself- I certainly wouldn't want anyone lurking around picking up after me & every movement I made. Shiver!

So, when this particular hired helped (played to perfection by Dirk Bogarde), brings his sex kitten 'sister', into the household, & the sinister sex & drinking begins- watch out!

It's enthralling to watch, & brings up thoughful (albiet dark) ideas about class, & friendship & working relations- a definite thriller & one of the best I've seen.

Highly Recommended!

Acting masterclass served on a silver tray
There are no axe murderers lurking in the closet, but Joseph Losey's decadent class-struggle allegory "The Servant" matches Polanski's "Repulsion" as a classic of psychological horror. Dirk Bogarde delivers a note perfect performance as the "manservant" hired by snobby playboy James Fox (in his screen debut) to help him settle into his new upscale London digs. It soon becomes apparent (to the viewer) that this butler has a little more on the agenda than just polishing silverware and dusting the mantle. Actors talk about giving the character "an inner life"-just watch Bogarde's facial expressions and see a craftsman at work! A young (and quite alluring) Sara Miles is memorable as Bogarde's "sister" who is hired as the maid. If you've seen "Wings Of The Dove" or "Days Of Heaven" you will likely figure things out early on, but you'll enjoy the ride all the same. The expressive chiaroscuro cinematography sets an increasingly claustrophobic mood as the story progresses (Watch for the clever use of convex mirrors to "trap" the images of the principal characters). By the way, if you are a fan of 1960's British folk music, you'll want to keep your eyes (and ears) peeled for a rare, unbilled (and all-too-brief) glimpse of legendary (and reclusive) guitarist Davey Graham, playing and singing (live-not dubbed!) in a scene where James Fox walks into a coffeehouse. The DVD is bare-bones, but picture and sound are excellent. A must-see.

All-time British classic
The social metaphors may be a little worn nowadays, but Joseph Losey's film has lost none of its drama and intensity.

Dirk Bogarde stars as the butler who responds to rather foppish architect James Fox's advertisement to find a servant. Enter Sarah Miles, and a complicated love triangle ensues. Order eventually descends into chaos as servant-master roles become blurred in this riveting allegory of social disintegration.

It is the sheer brilliance of the ensemble here that makes this film a true classic: Much of the credit must go to the skillful black-and-white photography of Douglas Slocombe, one of the most talented British cinematographers of all time. Stylistically, this is quintessential sixties British realism. Also noteworthy are John Dankworth's jazz-oriented score and Harold Pinter's screenplay. It cannot be denied, however, that the film stands or falls on the strength of the performances, and the cast here are on top form, especially Bogarde in perhaps his finest role.

who's the master, who's the servant?
Dirk Bogarde is great in this role!! Role reversal,(or was it role rectification?) ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An amazing film
Joseph Losey's early masterpiece, The Boy With Green Hair, deserves a first-class DVD treatment. This is not it. The DVD quality is very, very bad.
Other Losey films, such as his version of M and Secret Ceremony need to be released on DVD also.

AWFUL DVD PICTURE FOR A FIRST-RATE FILM
This movie has been a favorite of mine since childhood. It covers an important time in American history -- World War II, Macarthyism, xenophobia ... and love. Fine acting, superb screenplay by a talented writer ... and it deserves a first-rate recording. The picture is almost impossible to see, the colors are dull, the sound is dull ... One must strain to see and hear this delightful film. Give us a Re-Mastered Version and I'll pay anything for this heartbreaking, life-affirming piece of art that has become a (cult) classic!

Everybody Has Green Hair
This DVD is one of the worst transfers in my collection. The picture has an overall greenish tint to it and it seems to be "fuzzy" or out of focus. Little care seems to have been taken in producing this DVD. Printing on the case looks unprofessional. Stockwell's acting is first-rate, but the supporting cast does a walk-on, at best. I recommend this movie only for the most avid, diehard Dean Stockwell fan.

The little movie that caused a lot of trouble
Joseph Losey's radical film, "The Boy with Green Hair" (BWGH) (RKO Radio Pictures, Inc., 24 November 1948) never got a fair shake. World events of the time haunted it, and powerful men argued about it. It was an expensive production for RKO and a showcase for cutting edge Technicolor film. I believe the film should be seen again and appreciated, if only in the context of it's time.

The film would hardly stir a ripple today but not in 1948. Like the film, "The Search", it centered on the plight of war orphans in postwar Europe. After World War II, the United States began to disarm, seeking the halcyon isolationist peace it knew before. However, by 1949, the political reaction in the US to international Communism led to the jingoistic Red Scare. It became an example of the kind of film some in and out of government didn't like: (1) it was made by Communists in Hollywood, (2) its theme was pacifist, and (3) it expressed racial and ethnic tolerance.

When Howard Hughes, the armaments manufacturer, purchased RKO in May 1948, half the staff quit (including BWGH's producer and studio VP, Dore Schary) and others were fired. Hughes tried to change BWGH in several ways, including screaming at 12 year old Dean Stockwell to change his lines to a call for a stronger military. But Stockwell, though terrified of Hughes, believed in the film's message and refused. Allegedly, Hughes was unable to re-edit or change the film to his liking. So, he likely sabotaged it in other ways. The film was banned in some places, and Hughes soon pulled it from distribution and shelved it. Its box office is difficult to determine, though Variety reported it did respectable to fair business but not "socko". If critics understood it was a parable, then they were okay with it. If they thought it was literal, then they didn't understand it at all. Generally, they thought the story tepid and uneven. Both the director and a co author, Ben Barzman (who'd adopted a war orphan), were blacklisted. Other careers were hurt over this film, and even Stockwell stated in a 1990 interview that he's surprised he wasn't blacklisted, too, because of the fury over BWGH.

It opens in the period following the war. Twelve year old Peter Frye (Stockwell) is telling his story to a psychiatrist. Peter has a bald, white head. He is a sad, lonely boy whose parents were killed in the war and has been shuttled among relatives. Finally, he goes to live with a distant relative he calls Gramp (Pat O'Brien), a retired entertainer. Peter displays an active imagination and a tendency to exaggerate. But Gramp's Irish tall tales, gentle wisdom, and magic tricks are a fair match for Peter's little fibs. There is genuine affection between them. Then, while bathing one morning, Peter discovers his hair has turned emerald green. Peter first thinks it's one of Gramp's magic tricks, but it seems that the transformation is inexplicable and Peter hates it. So does almost everyone else. Eventually, Peter learns that the green hair is a mark that there must never be another war, and he delivers this message to the town. The town doctor tells Gramp that "Peter will discover it's a dangerous thing for a man to have green hair." Peter becomes an enemy of the people and hunted as an outcast.

It's quite rich in subtext. The story follows the pattern of the mythic Hero's Journey, during which Peter, like the postwar US, loses his illusions and innocence. He accepts the necessity of his parents' mission to save children from war and their deaths. He is complete now and happy in Gramp's love Further, I see the green hair as an image of the Green Man, the ancient Celtic icon of spring and rebirth after winter. The Green Man appears as a face adorned with green leaves and sometimes wearing a cap of stag antlers. This is forecast with Peter's baseball cap, which has a design like two horns on it, and when he is playing with his green hair in the bathroom mirror he forms two antler-like spires out it. Peter, in the spring of his life, is a symbol of the promise of new life, peace, and tolerance.

There are also plausible clues about Peter's green hair and his peace message. Peter may be an unreliable narrator, considering his imagination, history of exaggeration, and belief in Gramp's magic tricks. We also recall he washed his hair with a bar of green soap that morning. At the denouement, we may wonder, like the psychiatrist, whether Peter's hair turned green. Was it imagined, magic, a miracle, or an accident? Still, Peter has his message to sustain him.

Despite its troubled past, the film is a cult classic. It has been released again on vhs, when I would've preferred a dvd. The transfer might've been better. The new release from Terra Entertainment also has an acceptable image, probably on par with an internet version I've seen. Though I'm certain Losey sometimes shot in subdued light to fit the mood. Perhaps Stockwell might've offered commentary for a dvd. He's almost the last survivor of the principal cast. Though he viscerally hated acting as a child, he gave a very mature, thoughtful performance. Variety's review commented on Stockwell's "absorbing and sensitive" performance, as did others. Few juvenile performers today can match him. His home studio, MGM, now aware they had a standout juvenile star after "Genleman's Agreement" (he'd won a Golden Globe award) and BWGH (he'd won the Parent's Magazine award), exploited his talent. His famous roles in "Down to the Sea in Ships", "The Secret Garden", "The Happy Years", and "Kim" followed immediately. I believe it should be restored. It was the little film that caused a lot of trouble.

A classic, mostly unknown....and unnappreciated.
I first saw this movie when I was a child, and was immediately fascinated by it. I have seen it many times since, and enjoy it each time. It is a war story, (WWII) about a little boy, Dean Stockwell, (Peter) who loses both his parents and goes to live with his grandfather, Gramps, wonderfully played by Pat O'Brien. Gramps is a magician by nature and a waiter by trade, and he must work nights, consequently leaving young Peter home alone. The boy is terrified at first, but Gramps reassures him with the sentence: "There's nothing in the dark that wasn't there when the lights were on." He amuses the boy with magic tricks, and eventually wins his trust and love. One day at school there is a paper drive for war orphans, and it is then, from a classmate, (with the typical cruelty of children) tells him he resembles a boy in one of the war posters, and Peter responds: "I do not look like him; anyway, he's a war orphan." And the classmate says, "So are you." And that's how he finds out his parents are never coming back, and he really is a war orphan, and feeling betrayed, mistrusts Gramps and his teacher, and everyone else. Then he wakes up one morning and finds his hair has turned green. He is astonished, as is Gramps, who finds the color is permanent and will not wash out. When he goes to school that day, he attracts a great deal of attention, and at first, it's interesting; then people start to panic: "It's the milk, it's the school," etc. and fear spreads. So finally, the milkman complains and everyone shuns Peter and Gramps takes him to the barbershop where he has his head shaved completely bald. He wears a cap, but still the kids at school plague him, and one day, on the way home from school they chase him into the woods. They go away, he loses them, and finds himself in a glade, and flings himself down on the ground, crying...he looks up suddenly, aware that he is not alone, and sees a group of poor, bedraggled children, all sorrowful, all terribly thin, with torn, ragged clothes. The tallest and oldest of the children, a boy of about fourteen, speaks and tells him why his hair turned green...and why it is of such importance. The performances are fantastic, and the musical score is superb, a song written by a true original, **Eden Ahbez, the real First Hippie/rebel:

(**he was a legend in Hollywood for his unusual life style. Even after he and Jacobsen had a son, they kept on living out under the stars, with not much more than a bicycle, their sleeping bags, and a juicer to their name. The story may be apochryphal, but it's said that once, when Ahbez was being hassled by a cop who assumed from his wild appearance that he deserved to be hauled off to a mental institution, he remarked calmly, "I look crazy, but I'm not. And the funny thing is, that other people don't look crazy, but they are." The cop thought it over and responded, "You know bud, you're right. If anybody gives you any trouble, let me know.")

and it is called, aptly, "Nature Boy", sung beautifully by Nat King Cole. Haunting melody. It should be required viewing in all schools, and should also be released on DVD. Buy the VHS and see it, you are in for a great night's entertainment and more. ... Read more

Amazon.com

A pop-art explosion that makes Austin Powers look demure, Modesty Blaise is a bizarre relic from the heyday of Swinging London. Based on a comic book, the movie is strong on psychedelic art direction, long on camp (especially Dirk Bogarde's aristocratic, white-haired villain), and thin on plot--and what plot there is cannot possibly be deciphered. Italian actress Monica Vitti, the ennui-weary star of many Antonioni classics, makes an odd choice for stylish spy Modesty Blaise (a female 007 without portfolio), especially given her uncertain command of English. The gifted director Joseph Losey, not noted for his humor, apes various New Wave techniques in his approach, even allowing Vitti and costar Terence Stamp to warble an off-key song. But the most coherent contribution is the jazzy swing of John Dankworth's score, which you won't be able to get out of your head, even if you want to. --Robert Horton ... Read more

Reviews (16)

enjoyable hotch-potch of [stuff]
MODESTY BLAISE is an enjoyable, campy little gem that is quite fun. High in style and low in plot, the cast obviously had a ball working on this great film.

Based on the popular long-running comic strip character, the story concerns high-class jewel and art thief Modesty Blaise (played bewitchingly by Monica Vitti) who is called upon to investigate the actions of reclusive millionaire and criminal Gabriel (Dirk Bogarde) who lives on a foreboding island.

Modesty enlists the help of her associate and some-time lover Willie Garvin (Terence Stamp) and soon Modesty is up to her neck in psychedelic espionage and sexy costumes! However, there is always Gabriel's assistant to contend with: the man-eating, sadistic Mrs Fothergill (Rosella Falk)...

The plot is as wafer-thin as Modesty's silken dresses; between the time that Modesty is recruited to the final showdown on Gabriel's island, there is about 90 minutes of plot that I cannot even fathom. Dirk Bogarde relishes his role as the decadent Gabriel, wearing a John Inman-esque fright wig and drinking out of impossibly-sized glasses. Another hilaious scene is where Mrs Fothergill is holding "diving lessons". During the climactic battle, Modesty and Willie have a time-out to sing a rather annoying love song, and somehow Arabs on stallions are mysteriously transported to the island to assist Modesty in her showdown with Gabriel!!...Totally unbelievable and only possible in the 60's.

Nontheless, MODESTY BLAISE is a charming piece of fluffy eye-candy and should be savored as the harmless schlock that it was meant to be.

Highly recommended. (Single-sided, single-layer disc).

BLAZING SPIES.....
ENIGMATIC MONICA VITTI [dead-ringer for a svelte Bette Milder] leads us into this visually mind-numbing frolic of a spy-spoof! An Art-Director's dream - as ARE the continuous costume changes for Ms. Vitti! Quite sensational along the lines of "Casino Royale" - another must-have of this period.

Plot? None really - just a series of delicious and sometimes deadly encounters as Spy vs Spy vs Spy vs Spy ..... in dear old Amsterdam, and then later aboard ships [yachts] and that odd island with the spectacular Arabian finish - [Modesty it seems was adopted!] The petard [mino cannon a Gift to Modesty - pointing at Buckingham Palace - off-lens - is a hoot!]

DIRK BOGARDE has a field-day as Gabriel - the oh so chic and campy bad guy with an umbrella for all occasions - possibly to augment each outfit!

A breathtaking Terence Stamp [still has those 'baby blues'] is Modesty's trusty sick-kick - also with the mandatory hair color change[s].

Quite delightful to behold - but be warned - this one needs eye-shades occasionally - it is in VIVID color.

Great to have on DVD!

The best spy spoof ever!
Modesty Blaise is the best spy spoot ever!! You folks who don't like it need to get a life. Relax, on your plush sofa. Roll a doobie and enjoy Ms Blaise. I dig her the most, baaby!!

Huh?
There's a great moment here where Rosella Falk strangles a mime to death with her knees--and that's about it. Monica Vitti smiles charmingly and looks great in the various odd costumes she's asked to wear, and Dirk Bogarde and Terrence Stamp saunter through as if they haven't a care in the world and are not only going to forget this film after they're done, but might very well be forgetting it as they go along. Joseph Losey added to the list of film he really needed to apologize to the general public for . . .

One of the better Bond spoofs...
This movie is so CHIC, I haven't got the exact words to describe it. The cast is sort of chi-chi: Monica Vitti, Terence Stamp, Harry Andrews, Dirk Boarde and Clive Revill, with Jospeh Losey directing, (Joseph Losey??) A hoi-polloi audience was almost assured! I saw this film in 1966 when it came out and was immediately struck by how different it was from the other Bond spoofs, such as "Our Man Flint" and those awful Matt Helm movies. "Modesty" is avant garde in that notoriously sanitized, late sixties style that made psychedelia palatable for the masses, with op art wallpaper everywhere and decadence celebrated by way of the villains portrayed by Bogarde and "Mrs. Fathergill".

The jazzy score is very reminiscent of the one for "The Tenth Victim", though the lyricked theme song used in the opening credits should do WITHOUT the words, since they're just a WEE bit too arch! The instrumental side, however, is done beautifully, and adds to the "chic" feel of the movie.

The fact that Monica Vitti has an accent so thick, you could choke on it, only adds to this flavor, as does Terence Stamp's prophetic "Alex the Droog" portrayal of her sidekick, Willie Garvin. The casual use of Ferraris, Rolls Royces, Citroens and multi-colored cigarettes make this a fashion-mongerer's wet dream.

It's been stated that this film had no plot....oh, it's got a plot, alright, but there's so much OTHER business going on while it's unraveling, you can miss it! Modesty and Willie's briefs are to make sure fifty million pounds of foreign aid, in the form of diamonds, are delivered to an arab sheikh without the inimitable Gabriel, (Bogarde,) getting his superciliously foppish hands on them. Revill plays his fawning sidekick, accountant and condifante, McWhorter.

Everybody involved seems to be having the time of their lives being in this flick, especially Stamp and Vitti.

Chic, funny, and unique, a DEFINITE change of pace for the classic Hollywood director who helmed it, (if he indeed ever existed)....this movie joins "Help!", "Lord Love A Duck" and a few other zany flicks as icons of sixties aesthetics and cinematic philosophy.

A museum piece of late sixties culture....

(Why ...does she have to be called "Modesty Blaise"?? How about "Modesty Ace" or "Modesty Aqua"?) ... Read more

Description

Both a thriller and a Kafkaesque dissertation on identity, Joseph Losey's Mr. Klein stars Alain Delon (Le Samorai, Le Cercle rouge) as Robert Klein—a charming and unscrupulous art dealer in Nazi-occupied France. As Jews flee Paris, Klein exploits them, preying on their desperation by buying their valuables at a fraction of their worth...until he finds his name is shared by a Jewish criminal who is a member of the anti-Nazi resistance. Klein reports this to the authorities only to find he is uncontrollably sinking into the quicksand of mistaken identity. Co-starring Jeanne Moreau (La Femme Nikita), Mr. Klein is an award-winning suspense classic that studies the ever-changing relationship between victim and oppressor.
... Read more

Reviews (5)

A tragedy of mistakes
Mr. Klein is a bitter tale about an exquisite marchand, in the middle of the war. Suddenly he's caught for burocratic mistake for other Klein from jew ascendence .
This is the dramatic focus of this dark picture. Joseph Losey once more swims in his favorite theme : the cruelty and moral decline in the nazi environment.
Delon makes a magnificent performance as the disturbed Mr. Klein.
The ending is unforgettable!
Acquire this jewel.

A beautiful film made by genuises
Joseph Losey entered college at Dartmouth at age 16, went on to be a successful stage director, and then headed off to Europe before McCarthy could summon him. He is known as an international director. And to this day he is greatly overlooked. Thank god for the release of MONSIEUR KLEIN.

This is a film made by a genius, assisted by geniuses. I still can't believe this film was made in 1976! The look of it is extraordinary, with brilliant cinematography by Gerry Fisher (who photographed 7 films for Losey), and art direction by Alexander Trauner. With a script by Franco Solinas, who also wrote the powerful THE BATTLE OF ALGIERS, MR KLEIN is a film that doesn't explain itself, or hit you over the head with a philosophy, or message. Delon is incredible, as he is in Losey's other, much less graceful ASSASSINATION OF TROTSKY, although Delon is striking, and you would be pressed to not look at him. His face is amazing in this film, as it captures the confusion, bewilderment of the character as he is stripped of his identity. This film is atmospheric and dreamy.

This is a must for any serious film enthusiast. THE SERVANT should be next, then ACCIDENT, THE GO-BETWEEN, and the rest of Losey's oeuvre. Great books on Losey are Conversations with Losey by Michel Ciment and Joseph Losey by David Caute. Incredibly insightful and informative.

GREAT FILM/ EXCELLENT DVD
For those who have seen all of Joseph Losey's significant films, MR. KLEIN is the greatest after THE SERVANT. Some even call MR. KLEIN Losey's finest achievement. It's telling of our fragmented film culture that such an accomplished work of art remains unknown, even to many serious film buffs. For years, we had to settle for an English-dubbed, panned & scanned VHS tape. But the greatness of MR. KLEIN showed through even that medium.

Now the film is available on a high-quality DVD from Home Vision (which manufactures Criterion DVDs). The transfer is very fine, with the broad color pallette ringing out. And the widescreen aspect of the film can be appreciated by many who have never seen it look so good.

MR. KLEIN is a work of which its director should have been proud. It's intelligent, intriguing, moving, funny, and beautiful. Like THE SERVANT, it has at its center an ambiguous hero by whom one is, at turns, repelled and attracted.

This may also be the greatest acting achievement of Alain Delon. The charismatic French actor's still-stunning good looks sometimes can distract from appreciating his genuine talent. Delon probably never gave a bad performance in any film. But MR. KLEIN provides him with a wide range and depth that he is more than capable of handling. It's mostly a quiet performance, with few outbursts. Delon is required to react, which he does brilliantly at several points, or to express the meaning of scene through posture and facial expression alone. One subtle example is the scene early on, where the mistress is on the bed in the background, wondering if she should get up. Delon is seated at his desk, half-listening to her trivialities. He has far more pressing issues on his mind. The actor perfectly conveys the ambivalent, trapped situation through small body gestures and tone of voice. When he finally rises to address the mistress's concerns, his forced tone is also exactly right for the moment. Later, Delon plays Klein's mixture of desperation and arrogance with so much conviction, it's easy to forget he is, after all, acting.

MR. KLEIN is a film of rich interiors, and eye-catching, but not ostentatious, location shooting. It looks tremendous on DVD and it can leave the viewer devastated, but undeniably impressed by the genius of Joseph Losey and Alain Delon.

A trailer for MR. KLEIN is also included

Best fiction film representation of the Holocaust...
...because it avoids facing the issue head-on, thus falling into cliche; I have not seen the DVD yet, so I can't vouch for quality, but Losey's film is Hitchcock meets Kafka meets film noir -- a riveting study of what happens when a Gentile who fleeces Jews in occupied Paris c.1943 is mistaken for a shadowy Jewish Resistance fugitive who happens to share his name; step-by-step, the "wrong" Mr. Klein gains every attribute of the Jew, shedding his safe and comfortable bourgeois identity, as he searches for the "real" Mr. Klein; the climax is shattering. By treating his material as an allegorical thriller, Losey paradoxically avoids sensationalizing the subject, ala "Schindler's List." Plus, it's Alain Delon's best performance.

Losey at his best
While less famous than his collaborations with Harold Pinter, "Mr. Klein" may well be director Joseph Losey's best work. A chilling parable that tends to leave viewers speechless, it offers a brilliantly sustained vision of life in a decadent, futureless society. Perhaps most importantly, this is a film about the Holocaust that does *not* focus on its horrors. Instead, these are taken as a given that surround the central story, smothering all concerned in a blanket of complicity.

The most remarkably insidious aspect of "Mr. Klein" is the clever way we are put in a position of sympathy with a basically unlikeable, corrupt character, as he struggles to prove he is not Jewish. Because we know what the consequences of failure in the effort will be, viewers too are implicated in the situation, forced to confront how *we* would behave in similar circumstances. Instead of the easy moralizing encouraged in most treatments of this subject, the film presents a thoroughly political, unblinkered examination of guilt and denial.

Like most of Losey's work, the film is slow-moving, distinctively designed and more than a tad opaque. In his less ambitious efforts, that opacity can often irritate. Here, with a real subject worthy of his talents, the director's famously menacing atmosphere seems absolutely right, the only way to tell this story. Losey's penchant for implying something nasty under the surface makes sense when we know that at any moment a jack-booted member of the SS may appear from off-camera. It is this threat, this constantly over-hanging possibility, that generates the fear which is the real subject of the film.

All concerned are working in top form. Delon manages the awkward task of making us care what happens to Klein, even as we are repulsed by his actions and attitudes. Gerry Fisher's cinematography is the opposite of beautiful: cold, clammy, it superbly conveys a sense of dank decay. And special mention should be made of Egisto Macchi's spare, dissonant music. If only Hollywood understood such understatement!

The transfer for this tape is adequate, but I profoundly wish this superb film were available on DVD. ... Read more

Description

The Hard-Boiled Crime Classic From The Director Of THESERVANT And THE GO-BETWEEN.Stanley Baker (HELL IS A CITY, ZULU) starsas underworld kingpin Johnny Bannion, sprung from prison by his bestfriend Mike Carter (Sam Wanamaker) to mastermind a daring racetrackheist. But when Johnny is sent back to jail shortly after hiding thestolen loot, he must survive an ordeal of brutality and betrayal at thehands of his fellow convicts and former accomplices in this gritty dramathat was originally advertised as "The Toughest Film Ever Made InBritain!"

Patrick Magee (A CLOCKWORK ORANGE) co-stars in this grim crime classic(also known as THE CONCRETE JUNGLE) directed by American expatriateJoseph Losey from a powerful script by Jimmy Sangster (FEAR IN THENIGHT) and Oscar TM -nominee Alun Owen (A HARD DAY'S NIGHT), andfeaturing a haunting score by John Dankworth and Cleo Laine. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

neglected masterpiece
This film has seemingly been forgotten, it's not usually mentioned in the pantheon of 'great' british gangster films or even the best work of it's director.

often called a 'realistic' film it's more an expressionist handling (minus the shadowy lighting of hollywood film noirs) of typical material, this makes it a bit of a shock on first viewing and might explain why it isn't as highly regarded as it ought to be. It's setting is a cold, snowy winter in london, there is no night time neon city lighting, the action outside prison takes place almost entirely during the day or indoors when darkness falls. It is also a quiet film (except of course when the violence and the screaming erupt), that added to the setting and the stark photography create a very a alien world in which the central character just doesn't belong.

Johnny Bannion (Stanley Baker) reminds me of Pacino's Tony Montana in 'Scarface' (however unlike pacino in that film Baker's stature isn't symbolic of his impotent rage given his heavy build and large frame), he's an irish hoodlum who has risen fairly high but doesn't have what it takes to get to the very top. In Tony's case he isn't ruthless enough and is guarenteed to fall as quickly as he rose due to his own weaknesses. Likewise Bannion is guarenteed to fall, he's a hard nut capable of taking anyone on but he just doesn't belong with the morons and treacherous schemers in his line of work. His appartment is decorated with modern art, it's implied he has a gift for maths and he doesn't really seem at home at a party his fellow mobsters throw for him. He's impatient with everyone, when he erupts in anger it is tinged with petulant sorrow (Baker's thuggish profile and stoic hardness belies a feral, anxious, wounded yet restrained performance), so much so that it arouses contempt in his gangster friends who comment behind his back. When he rebukes Sam Wannamaker's character repeatedly he seems a frustrated child, frustrated at both the life he leads and having to associate and rely on characters such as this. He is totally unaware that wannamaker's sly smile and constant glances betray a man itching to usurp him. And like in Scarface, where Montana can never be his boss Sosa, Bannion just isn't as ruthless as his underlings or his superiors, they're big time, he's small time. His being able to beat two men senseless in his prison cell is nothing compared to the cold hearted deviousness and ambition of his lieutenant who does not have his strength or capacity for physical violence. Both Tony and Johnny possess a dubious sense of honour that those around them do not, in both films there is no honour among thieves and they fail to grasp and adhere to that. Neither of them can accept the system around them. In Tony's case he's endlessly railing against capitalism, in Bannion's he is unable to hide his dismay and anger at the actions of the selfish, corrupt, manipulative and sadistic head warder, something i can't imagine would ever bother the other crime bosses in the film. But then the warder would never dream of moving against them because he can tell the difference between those with real power and those without, even if they are at similar levels in the hierarchy

In 'The Criminal' all this is subtlely conveyed despite and because of what would seem outlandish and anachronistic direction for a crime drama made in the second half of the 1960s.
Losey's way of impressing this man's alienation on us are brilliant, the film has a dreamy quality due to the snowy landscapes and the way he incorporates almost expressionist techniques and performances in his film without it destroying it's hard nosed feel. The insane scottish inmate played by Tom Bell has a tortured monologue where the the prison around him goes black and in close up he explains why he is different to those around him. The camera pulls back and light returns to reveal that Bannion, to whom he is supposedly talking is not listening.

When Bannion falls he falls hard, the cell block he commands turn against him having been fooled into thinking he is an informer (although this is also a part of bannion's scheme to escape and unfortunately his 'friends' scheme to kill him). The grass/snitch/tout he has beaten by a crony in the opening of the film even gets to turn the tables on him. The prison sections at the beginning and end seem to me a forerunner of Alan Clarke's 'Scum'. Patrick Magee (in a non horror role for once) is very much a hysterical yet melifuous 60s predecessor of the warders in that film.

A word must go to the music, that adds to the chilly wintry feeling, so quiet a film that when the light jazzy score by John Dankworth plays seemingly inappropriately it adds to the overall effect. The prison ballad sung by Cleo Laine over the title credits is haunting, never has a song seemed so apt at the start of a film. It is a promise of a unique experience, a promise that the film then makes good, i can't quite think of another like it. Losey's greatest achievement on screen, so different to the hollow, stylistically flat and totally stereotypical English rubbish he is perhaps best known for (although his curio for Hammer studios 'These are the Damned' is excellent too, if uneven). It goes beyond the smart little film noirs he made in Hollywood like 'the Prowler'.

'Get Carter' and 'The Long Good Friday' seem to be the benchmark of British organised crime movies these days, a major difference between them and 'the Criminal' is that it is a great film. It's different, but it rewards in bleakness, nuance and brutality.

Question is: This DVD has been available a long time, how come i'm the first to review it?? ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Bad sound and no subtitles
Despite its interesting subject this DVD release is a technical failure. The sound is bad and forsomebody that English is not his mothertongue it is very difficult to understand. Why the producer of this important DVD did not work a little bit harder to to put a subtitle feature for hearing impared people as well for less knowledgeable people in English. The subtitle feature should be a routine feature no matter what language is spoken in the movie. I was very disappointed by its quality.

a very powerful anti-war film
The horrors of real war experienced by soldiers are vividly explored in this excellent movie. There are few, if any, neutral scenes as the film shows typical conditions that fightingmen go through. And, Courtenay's performance as a normal person in uniform is credible and compelling. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Elegant and lush, and filmed in Venice, Rome, and rural Italy, JosephLosey's Eva (released in the U.S. and Britain as Eve) is a cold,cruel film about crippling insecurity and sexual manipulation. Burly Stanley Baker simmers as a swaggering but self-loathing Welsh author happily indulging in the continental high life, covering up a devastating secret with braggadocio and sneering machismo; Jeanne Moreau has never been icier as the cruel, manipulative, high-rent prostitute Eve who becomes his obsession. They never become more than fascinating enigmas, but they send off sparks in an indulgently fatalistic film that wallows in human weakness and emotional self-destruction. Beautifully filmed and elegantly scored, with Billie Holiday tunes weaving a sad sense of loss through the picture, Eva became a showcase for Losey's arresting visual style and electrifying direction, and the springboard for such later, more restrained masterpieces as The Servant, Accident, and The Go-Between.

The producers recut Losey's final version of the picture by 16 minutes, redubbed it, inserted lines, and changed the music (they "destroyed the rhythm and the comprehensibility of the picture," accuses Losey in an interview). The DVD includes both the release version and the 119-minutedirector's cut, mastered from the only surviving copy, an English-languageScandinavian print with Swedish and Finnish subtitles. It's frustrating thatKino didn't use the tools of digital technology to marry the two prints, usingonly the necessary footage from the subtitled version, and instead thedirector's cut is marred by subtitles throughout. Nonetheless, it's an important preservation of director Joseph Losey's vision. --Sean Axmaker ... Read more

Reviews (2)

........MORE about EVE ...... OR RATHER
LILITH? [Mrs. Adam # 1?]... yes, she is probably just a little too cold - with her Billie Holiday Records, her haute coutoure, those delightful pointy shoes and perky poitrines, and the ever-present cigarette dangling from those sensuous, disapproving lips and the tired eyes ...... Oh, yeah, this dame has it in for both sexes and totally annihilates our brawny hero, the very overlooked Stanley Baker - this time the ex-Welsh coalminer [another sordid story] turned screenwriter - in of all places Italy, complete with a devoted, virginal and stunning VIRNA LISI as the mutual love-interest.

In many ways this one ranks with the later "Last Tango In Paris", "NightPorter", "Crimes of Passion" etc .... but the 'err, 'deed' is never done here, instead we experience magnificent villa interiors, great photography of Rome [early morning] and not forgetting the spectral vapourousness of beloved Venice ...... dreamy or nightmarish?

Highpoints? Moreau alone in her flat with her records, booze and cat ....Baker leaving a wedding party for the nightmarish tryst with Moreau, and naturally Baker ala buff in Moreau's bedroom being rejected and humiliated ....

Great stuff!

Downpoint - those damn subtitles in the extended version - like watching Ingmar Bergman backwards!

BUT, Bravo Kino - a Perfect find!

[Interesting to muse how MELINA MECOURI would have tacked 'Eve"]

A GREAT DVD for a very interesting film.
For anyone who has seen "The Servant" or any other of Joseph Losey's films, Eva is a must-see. Losey is at his most playful while still delving into the "Loseyesque" level of emotion on proud display in the brilliant "The Servant", his most famous. Jeanne Moreau is simply fabulous and an absolute treat to watch--easily the highlight of the film. The other remarkable issue is how frank the sexuality is. Some of the scenes actually play quite shockingly, even though there is minimal nudity and they play off different standards of the day. The disc comes with 2 versions of the film, a theatrical release and a director's cut which is 15 minutes longer. The transfer for the theatrical release is as good as you can hope for. Very nice. The director's cut poses a problem, but not where the DVD is concerned. The only print in existence is one with Swedish subtitles, so it detracts from the film. Most of the film is in English, but there is some important scenes in Italian, so in this version you don't know what the characters are saying. What I recommend is watching the theatrical cut, then skimming through the director's cut to see the differences--apparently, Losey wasn't happy with the theatrical cut at all, so it's nice that Kino at least included both so we get a rare look into the mind of a cinematic genius. ... Read more

Description

Tension rises to a fevered pitch in Joseph Losey’s ingenious thriller about an alcoholic who has one day to save his son from the gallows. The distinguished cast features Michael Redgrave (The Browning Version) in the lead role and Leo McKern (A Man for All Seasons) as the demented millionaire who will hide the truth at any cost. Moody cinematography by Oscar®-winner Freddie Francis and dynamic imagery create an atmosphere thick with panic. The first film Losey made under his own name after McCarthy-era blacklisting, Time Without Pity is both an impassioned plea against apathy and a shining example of film noir.


Oscar® and Academy Award® are the registered trademarks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
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Reviews (1)

Heroes
"Galileo" is one of those movies people serious about cinema more or less "have" to have or see, less for its cinematic achievements than for its pedigree. After all, how many films start with a play by Bertolt Brecht, based on a translation by Charles Laughton, directed by a preeminent film maker (Joseph Losey) with a cast that includes luminaries like John Gielgud, Tom Conti, Edward Fox, Michel Lonsdale, Colin Blakely, Margaret Leighton, and on and on? The results are almost secondary. What matters is who participated.

Fortunately, "Galileo" offers more than a laundry list of Big Names. While it is not a hallmark of cinema, it is an entertaining, frequently lively and at the same time, tragic look at the interplay between private conscience and public responsibility. People familiar with Brecht's work need no introduction to this, one of his most famous plays. Those unfamiliar with his name can enjoy a largely straightforward, suspenseful exposition on Galileo's complex relationship to the history of science.

With the large exception of Topol, in the lead role, the cast is extraordinary, providing one plum moment after another. John Gielgud offers a witty walk on as an apoplectic cardinal, while the scene between Galileo, Cardinal Bellarmin (Patrick Magee) and Cardinal (eventually Pope) Barberini (Lonsdale) is a playful feint, a series of verbal parries and thrusts, dextrous, but deadly serious. My favorite scene, however, is the famous "dressing of the Pope" sequence in which the Cardinal Inquisitor (Fox) convinces the Pope to force Galileo to recant.

Viewers who know Losey's work only through his movies may be surprised at the idea of him directing such a project. Aside from the fact that he had a parallel career in the theater, however, he was also the director of the play's first production, in Los Angeles and New York in the forties, starring Laughton. His adaptation of some of Brecht's "alienation effects" is, for the most part, simple and clean, such as using superimposed titles instead of Brecht's on-stage signs announcing the forthcoming action, or having Galileo occasionally speak directly to the camera. There are even one or two trademark "Losey" moments, such as the fraught, nerve jangling scene between the Inquisitor and Galileo's daughter. As with the director's more famous work, there is nothing explicitly violent in the scene, even at a verbal level, yet you sense the implicit threat in every moment.

Most of the time, however, the director is clearly serving the playwright, and when the results are this successful, no one should complain. ... Read more

Description

Award-winning director Joseph Losey assembled a star-studded cast—Isabelle Huppert (La Cérémonie) and Jeanne Moreau (La Femme Nikita)—for this sex comedy. Frederique (Huppert) is a free-spirited and impish woman who has made an art of using her sexuality to get precisely what she wants from men. On a whim, Frederique leaves her disinterested husband and the family trout farm to travel to Japan with a wealthy businessman. Her enchantment soon gives way to reflection, navigation of the swiftly-changing sexual freedoms and responsibilities of a new era, and the quest for satori, the "world of ecstasy" experienced by her friend. But has Frederique grown up too fast, or not fast enough?
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