The Servant (1963)

The Servant

By People  Jan 10, 2002 | 2 out of 2 found this The Servant (1963) review helpful

1963's 'The Servant' can be viewed either as a depection of manipulative cruelty, or as a black comedy of the darkest shade. Former British matinee idol Dirk Bogarde stars as Hugo Barret, a contemptous and cunning manservant. James Fox, in his first ...major film role, appears as his young employer. Throughout the course of the film Barrett slowly breaks Fox's spirit until he is left an emasculated, humiliated shell of his former self. Harold Pinter's script adapted from Robin Maugham's novel is an intricate work that moves as insidiously as it's title character. Adept direction from Joseph Losey, the American expatriate, serves (no pun intended) Pinter's script quite well. Add to all these elements a brooding trad jazz score by John Dankworth and the spell is cast. Additional info about 'The Servant' is available at the excellent tribute site.. 'The Servant's Quarters'While I am happy that 'The Servant' has resurfaced on video after almost 15 years (Thorn-EMI released it on VHS in the mid 1980s and it was sometimes found as bootleg tape), I am a bit disapointed by the picture quality. While the picture is superior to the aforementioned video tape, the picture quality is nowhere near where I believe it could be, if the various parties had undertaken a restoration process. The black and white film is, at many points in the film, lacking in sharpness and contrast. The images appears mildly grainy throughout the film and looks as though it was filmed in the late 1930s or early 1940s. This certainly does not appear as well preserved as one may expect for a motion picture filmed in 1962 (The film sat on the shelf for over a year)The films extras consist of Bios of Messers Bogarde, Losey and Pinter and therefore ignores the invaluable contibutions of James Fox, Wendy Craig and Sarah Miles, and an original, somewhat misleading, theatrical trailer. Anchor Bay has released 'The Servant' in it's original aspect ratio of 1.66.1. The cover is much less attractive that the artwork for Thorn- EMI's VHS release of years past. The original VHS release featured the well known image of Bogarde's hand wiping a mirror that reflects his own image and Fox's duped emloyer in the background. The still used a fisheye lens that conveys the dread involved. Anchor Bay's artwork shows only what is either a chalky sketch or a Photoshop altered picture of Bogarde's sinister backlit face. All in all, 'The Servant' is worth owning on DVD but a minor letdown at the same time. Read more Less