The Servant

The Servant(1963) directed by Joseph Losey

It is difficult to know where to start with Joseph Losey's brilliant film The Servant. Perhaps a little background information Joseph Losey is in order.

Losey was a victim of the McCarthy era, relegated to England under the pressure of being blacklisted and the prevalent political climate of the time. The vast majority of his work would be categorized within the B movie genre, but despite the limitations he faced, his films often far exceeded the B movie label. Not very well known, even among those fairly knowledgable in film, Losey is the director's director. The likes of Scorcese, Godard, Kubrick, and Quentin Tarrentino all make reference to Losey as being a masterscraftsmen and for some a major influence in their own work. Of all the films Losey made, The Servant is one of his best.

The film focuses on 4 characters. The two male leads are played by James Fox(Tony) and a Losey favorite, Dirk Bogarde(Hugo Barrett). The female leads are played by Sarah Miles(Vera) and Wendy Craig(Susan).

The plot centers around the relationships of these four characters. Specifically, Barrett is hired by Tony to be his "man servant". Barett moves in, and slowly takes over the entire house. Trouble ensues as everything is not as it seems with Barett's sister Vera, and Tony's fiance Susan becomes increasingly threatened by Barett's intrusion into Tony and her's life.

The plot, however, is merely surface material for the actual content of the film. Through the direction of Losey almost everything is left in doubt for the viewer. Is Vera really Barrett's sister? Are the events actually taking place or is this just a dream, or even a play of the mind? Is Barrett or Tony real? One could easily argue that either of them is merely an apparition, a figment of the mind of the other.

Losey makes masterful use of the resources available to him, constructing the entire house that most of the film is shot in. During the film he actually plays with the dimensions of the house, moving walls in and out, changing spacial relationships and creating a sense of disorientation for the viewer.

There are multiple moments within the film, that if you stop to consider what you are viewing, you will find yourself questioning how in the world Losey managed to actually make the shot, since it is seemly implausible that the camera would not be visible in some fashion.

It is a drama in the highest order and it pulls you in as it follows the apparent collapse of Tony into a state of potential mental instablility. Then again, maybe Tony is simply an aspect of Barrett's mind. That decision is left up to you.

*** 1/2 Three and a half stars