Pinter and Film: A Brief Reflection on The Servant (1963)

Abstract

Written by Harold Pinter, directed by Joseph Losey, The Servant (1963) was and continues to be a masterpiece. Restored in 2013 in honor of its fiftieth anniversary, I had the opportunity recently to see a screening of the film in a small theatre. Of course, the screening was pre-COVID.The film was introduced by James Fox, who plays the young, aristocratic master to Dirk Bogard's devious servant. He agreed to let me print his words in The Harold Pinter Review: Thank you for asking me to introduce The Servant tonight and for screening it. I'm delighted it still has such a permanent place in the affection of film lovers, after over fifty years.Many happy coincidences went into my being cast as Tony; Sarah was wanted for Vera, and we were going out at the time, Dirk had seen me recently in a TV play, my father, also my agent, was a partner of Leslie Grade, who supplied the needed funding for the film.More to the point, what are the factors that have given The Servant its enduring appeal? I am hardly qualified to add more than that, on reading Harold's script, I intuitively felt its power, drama, and entertainment value. And I think most of the credit must go to Joe Losey and the producers, who gave him the freedom to give us the treatment and interpretation he wanted.As we know, Joe was a fugitive in Europe from the American anti-communist purge.And something gave him an artistic perception into the English characteristics of Tony's incorruptible privilege and Barrett's personal, socially disruptive revolution. And what he delivered is a visibly and technically perfect rendering of dominance and submission, which has the power to affect us today. I hope you enjoy the film. The film did not disappoint, and it grows more relevant as the financial disparities among classes widen. It opens optimistically. Tony, the young, entitled, upwardly mobile member of the British upper class, begins acquiring the trappings of success. To oversee his recent trophies and treasures, he hires a servant named Barrett, brilliantly played by Dirk Bogard, who won a BAFTA for the film. Barrett not only becomes indispensable, he infuses himself into Tony's life. He brings Vera, played by Sarah Miles, into the house under the pretense that she is his sister. Barrett and Vera, however, turn out to be the serpents in Tony's idyllic garden. They quickly erode his will, leading him to a life of indolence and sin, all on his money, of course. Tony's fiancé, Susan, played by Wendy Craig, offers Tony one last chance at a “normal” life, but Barrett's powerful depravity overcomes her conventional morality within moments. The film ends with a hauntingly perverse image that may inspire viewers to go home and take a shower.What is remarkable about this effect is that the film was made while censorship was still in place, so all the depravity is suggested, implied, and nodded toward. The cinematography and direction are brilliant, and the film's restoration ironically brings out a brilliant crispness and clarity in a film that blurs the lines between and among class, gender, and power. If you have not seen It or have not seen it since its restoration, it is worth a look.