Not A Gentleman

The Servant (1964) – A self involved, vacuous member of the upper class is oblivious to the chicanery of the man he hires as his man servant.

Directed by Joseph Losey

Starring – Dirk Bogarde, Sarah Miles, James Fox

Why I Liked It – A chilling tale of deceit, told with a touch of subtlety.

A tense psychological thriller.  The script, written by playwright Harold Pinter, is a less than complimentary look at the British class system at a time when there was a major cultural shift going on. The old social hierarchy, where everyone knew their place, was moving towards collapse in the post-war era.

Tony (Fox) arrives in London intending to set up a place to live while he works on several “big plans”. He doesn’t seem to understand how those plans will come to life, or what’s needed to turn a rundown townhouse into a livable space. To take care of the boring details of his life, he hires a servant, Barrett (Bogarde), who steps quickly into his role. Tony’s fiancee, Susan, doesn’t like Barrett one bit. That’s followed by the arrival of Barrett’s sister, Vera. The battle for control of Tony’s life between Susan, Vera, and Barrett is the center of the conflict. A conflict that doesn’t work out the way anyone expects. Or does it?

Bogarde was a big star in England who went to Hollywood and never took off. This movie gave his career a boost showing a range that was unexpected by the audience. The depth of his villainy is revealed a layer at a time. All the primary cast members are wonderful in their roles. Some are trapped by their social preconceptions, while others use those biases for their own profit.

The tempo is a little slow, but the tension grows and grows. This is a slow burning fuse, and will feel odd to some modern viewers. Understand that this is intentional, you’re supposed to wonder what will happen next. In the end, the movie delivers a chilling finish.

You can stream this movie on Amazon Prime and Freevee.

Rating – *** Worth A Look