Melville Farr is a lawyer who has it all – there's nothing to stop his promising career, and his beautiful wife Laura fully supports him. The life of a man who is valued for his orderly life organised around the right values suddenly shatters after a tragic event: the suicide of young “Boy” Barett, with whom he used to have a secret affair.

When Farr, played by the excellent Dirk Bogarde, learns about the circumstances of Barret’s death, he decides to risk both his marriage and reputation to get the blackmailers who terrorized Barret because of the affair. The complex and sophisticated approach to the issue of queerness made Victim a controversial film: it was banned in the USA, but helped to decriminalize homosexuality in the UK. Still valued today, the social drama boasts not only a powerful topic, but also rich film language and noir style.

United Kingdom / 1961
101 min / DCP
English
Subtitles: Czech
Directors: Basil Dearden
Writers: Janet Green, John McCormick
Cast: Dirk Bogarde, Sylvia Sims, Dennis Price
Park Circus

Prague 8 Nov 2016 / 8:30 pm / Lucerna Cinema - big screening hall BUY