The Movie Victim Created

the Movievictimcreated

Xu8jing Xuenglish 15mr Dewaldoctober 16 2018the Movievictimcreated

Xu8jing Xuenglish 15mr Dewaldoctober 16 2018the Movievictimcreated

Xu8 Jing Xu English 15 Mr. Dewald October 16, 2018 The movie; Victim created in 1961 In the early sixties, when director Basil Dearden made Victim , public exposure meant not only disgrace but possibly jail. Victim was then perhaps the most daring film to appear on the British screen. it was the first film in which the word "homosexual" was spoken. Victim was a surprise hit at the box office, and many regard it as the work that finally stirred Parliament to begin amending Britain's cruel and archaic laws against "homosexual acts." (Film/DVD: Review) The impact of the Victim movie on homosexual culture and societal culture are, helped to change the law on homosexuality in the UK, (Kelly) it represent gay community’s oppressed situation in 1961, and it changes film industry. Before 1967, most homosexuals were criminalized and discriminated by society. In old-school Britain, homosexuality was considered a crime and people who had such a sexuality experienced stigma. According to Emma Lake, an author for ‘The Sun’ website, homosexuality in the United Kingdom was considered indecent and the punishment was spending two years in prison. (Lake) The sentence would either include hard labor or not, the article said. The culture before 1967 and especially in 1885 recognized marriage between people of different gender only. One victim of Labouchere Amendment punishment is Alan Turing a scholar who is recognized for solving the enigma code. To avoid being thrown to jail and/or undergoing castration, Turing committed suicide. Victim movie released in 1961 tried to display the suffering of a gay community. The movie is said to have contributed to the Amendment of 1885 Labouchere amendment in 1967 to legalize homosexuality in Britain. (Lake) The new act is still celebrated by gay individuals, but it received criticism from several parties. The movie Victim was classified as a suspense film and was released in 1961 in Britain. The director was Basil Dearden, and his movie upon release was faced with criticism and legal problems. Legal problems such that its plot and storyline went against the British Board of Film Censors, and also the Labouchere Amendment of 1885. The Victim movie is cultural and tends to display problems which gay people went through at that time. The Victim movie tells a story in early 1960s London, barrister Melville Farr (Dirk Bogarde) is on the path to success. With his practice winning cases and a loving marriage to his wife (Sylvia Sims), Farr's career and personal life are nearly idyllic. However, when blackmailers link Farr to a young gay man (Peter McEnery), everything Farr has worked for is threatened. As it turns out, Farr is a closeted homosexual -- which is problematic, due to Britain's anti-sodomy laws. But instead of giving in, Farr decides to fight.( the guardian) A culture had been established before 1967 of discriminating and stigmatizing homosexuals not only in Britain but also in the whole world. The culture included gay people hiding their real identity and playing normally in front of everybody to avoid criticism. The gay culture was faced with the following problems as depicted by ‘Victim ’ : Gay people before had to remain secretive otherwise people would discriminate them or the government arrests them for practicing their sexuality. Barrett had to pay off blackmailers so that they would not expose him. Such a culture had forgotten that homosexuals are also human beings who have rights and don’t need to live a life of fear. (JOURNEYS IN CLASSIC FILM) Homosexuals also experience blackmail a crime which is recognized by law and was punishable at that time. In fact, a whole gang of blackmailers came up to extort money from gay people including an actor who refused to talk to Farr to achieve justice. Homosexuals lacked support from any entity whatsoever. Religion, government, and society refused to acknowledge the existence of homosexual people and that is why there were discrimination and laws which displayed sexuality as evil and punishable. In the movie, Farr was played by Dirk Bogarde, as a smooth, skilled barrister who projects a surface of strength and calm. He only raises his voice two or three times in the movie, but we sense an undercurrent of anger: He finds it wrong that homosexuality is punished, wrong that gays cannot go to the police to complain of blackmail. Also There is a moment in the movie when he unexpectedly hits someone who has just insulted him, and it comes as a revelation: Beneath his silky persona is a wound, a resentment, and a fierce determination to act at last on his convictions. The director was trying to tell the audience, the gay community has been oppressed for a long time, the whole society is unfriendly to them. After the film’s release, actors in real life also affected. For example, Dir Bogarde, Before Victim, he was “the idol of the Odeonsâ€, the biggest movie star in the land. But he willingly relinquished that status for Victim. As an actor who would remain closeted for his entire career, his anguish was doubtless heartfelt. (the guardian) This movie perfectly conveys the gay man’s plight in a bygone era. Watching Victim in 1961, audiences would have been shocked to hear the word “homosexual†– the first time it had been uttered in a movie. What shocks when watching Victim today is hearing the words “convicted homosexualâ€. Actors like Dirk Bogarde, they give up their “ reputation†and help gay community to redeem their dignity. Victim opened the door the new world. It made people gradually accept homosexual movies. In the following year, more and more directors followed Basil Dearden, many LGBT movies release after the Victim. For example, In Britain, a movie called The Leather Boys released on 1964. Nighthawks in 1978 made by a gay director. In America, The Watermelon Woman released in 1996, it was the first feature film directed by a black lesbian, this 1996 film is one of the more recent landmarks in queer cinema. Director Cheryl Dunye discovered a lack of information about black actresses in early film, noting that many of their names weren’t even included in the credits. Often when black actresses were included in films, they were in horrifically stereotyped roles.(Davidson) The Victim movie made a huge impact on film industry, before 1961 it is impossible to see the homosexual movie in Britain or any other countries because the whole society is traditional. The Victim as the first movie talking about gay community in public, it made great contributions on film industry. A culture which involves same-gender sexuality has been criticized since time immemorial and the society has labeled it a taboo. Myths have also come up to crucify homosexuality with some diseases like Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) being associated with gay people more than normal people. A world full of cultures like these inspired Basil to write a movie then and after that several other gay movies have come up urging people to respect homosexuals and accepting them for their behaviors. Watching ‘Victim’ was an eye opener for many people during that era. According to ‘Letterboxd’, the gay rights were actively recognized and that is why people rumor the movie as influential for the 1967 amendment which ensured gay people are respected and not criminalized. (letterboxd) According to reviews in ‘Letterboxd’, people recognize Farr as a brave actor for agreeing to star as a gay person. (letterboxd) The impact of this on the world of movie making is that other actors changed their perspectives about gay people and with time since 1961 people have started acting gay movies. For example in Spartacus a New Zealand Television show accepts homosexuality and most of the episodes have intimate homosexual acts. (DeKnight) Such a culture was not acceptable in and before 1961 and the production of a gay movie was usually met with a lot of criticism. However, after the creation of ‘ Victim’ movie governments were able to see another side of gay people and that led to the legalization of gay rights in many countries starting a new culture of accepting the existence of gay people in the community. As recognized in the introduction, prominent and intelligent people were being incriminated of practicing homosexuality to such an extent a mathematician Turing had to commit suicide. A backward culture like this lost the world a bright mind and after 1961 and 1967, perspectives changed. Another reason for people changing their mind was the sexuality of ‘ Victim ’s’ movie director Basil. People thought the movie was created by a gay person only to find out the person behind the epic movie was a straight person. According to a review by Evans, he cannot believe a gay-themed movie was created by a heterosexual person or rather a ‘straight’ person. People knowing that other normal and heterosexual people supported gay individuals might have changed their thinking. Culture is a dominant feature in the world today. Something which has been done by a particular society qualifies to be a culture and homosexuality qualifies to be labeled as a culture. Before 1961 as the movie suggests, people who had a different sexuality were viewed differently. The Victim movie impacted the world culture by forcing ‘straight’ people to accept that homosexual individuals are hidden in plain sight and they coexist with other human beings even as prominent people for example Melville was a married and career man so no one would have ever suspected. Another impact of The Victim is changing the mind of directors and actors to accept homosexuality is a way of life. During the making of the movie, Director Basil had a hard time looking for actors who would play Melville. Over the years since the movie, men have come to accept such crucial roles in movie making like Spartacus show. The Victim also gave homosexuals the confidence to walk around freely and overcome the fear of being discovered. The community did not readily accept homosexuality but watching The Victim movie where your co-worker could be a homosexual opened the eyes of people. The most adopted impact of The Victim movie was ignorance to the fact that homosexuals existed so long as they never interfered with one’s life. In the world today, the same ignorance reigns just like the ignorance of police officers in 1961. In the movie, police officers are said to be ignorant of homosexuals because their relationships were not public or disturbing. The same movie is also said to have contributed to the change of laws in various countries in the world including Britain. Homosexuality took a new turn and a new culture was developed by openly displaying gay relationships. In this era, gay people are also having open marriages something which could have been punishable back in 1961 in Britain. The Victim also opened doors for other gay movies to be produced. After its release in 1961, Britain Film board tried to fight The Victim and when they could not, other film directors saw opportunities of producing homosexual awareness movies like ‘Winter Kept Us Warm’. Work Cited center for diseases control and prevention. Stigma and Discrimination . 29 February 2016. document. 11 October 2018. JOURNEYS IN CLASSIC FILM. Victim (1961) . 5 April 2012. document. 11 October 2018. Lake, Emma. When was homosexuality legalised in the UK and what was the penalty for gay men before the Sexual Offences Act? 3 June 2018. document. 11 October 2018.

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The film "Victim," directed by Basil Dearden and released in 1961, stands as a landmark in cinematic history for its courageous depiction of homosexuality at a time when societal and legal attitudes towards LGBTQ+ individuals were predominantly hostile. Its impactful narrative and groundbreaking approach not only challenged prevailing prejudices but also played a pivotal role in shaping cultural and legal reforms regarding gay rights in the United Kingdom and beyond.

During the early 1960s, the societal landscape was deeply conservative, and homosexuality was criminalized under the Labouchere Amendment of 1885, which deemed male homosexual acts as an offense punishable by imprisonment and even castration. Prominent figures such as Alan Turing, who played a significant role in decrypting the Enigma code during World War II, faced persecution under these laws, often leading to tragic outcomes like Turing’s suicide. This oppressive culture fostered an environment of secrecy and discrimination, forcing many gay individuals to conceal their identities out of fear of legal repercussions and social ostracism (Lake, 2018).

"Victim" challenged these norms by openly addressing issues faced by homosexuals, including blackmail, societal stigma, and legal persecution. Its protagonist, Melville Farr, played by Dirk Bogarde, is a successful barrister who secretly is gay and faces moral and legal dilemmas when blackmailers threaten to expose him. Farr's character symbolizes the conflicted identity of many LGBTQ+ individuals of that era—struggling to maintain a facade of respectability while confronting societal repression. The film’s narrative was groundbreaking because it depicted a closeted gay man fighting against societal injustice, emphasizing themes of integrity, courage, and the fight for justice (The Guardian, 2018).

One of the most notable aspects of "Victim" was its daring dialogue; it was the first film in which the word "homosexual" was spoken on screen. This audacity drew criticism from the British Board of Film Censors, and the film faced legal hurdles because its storyline contravened the conservatism mandated by the censors and laws of the time. Despite resistance, the film’s honest portrayal helped shift public perceptions, gradually fostering awareness and empathy among audiences (Kelly, 2017).

Dirk Bogarde’s role as Farr was significant not only for its artistic merit but also because Bogarde himself was a closeted gay man who chose to risk his reputation and career to bring this story to life. Bogarde’s participation demonstrated the complex relationship between public image and activism in an era marked by repression. His willingness to portray a gay character truthfully contributed to a broader acceptance of LGBTQ+ themes in cinema and challenged the stereotypes prevalent at the time (The Guardian, 2018).

The influence of "Victim" extended beyond its immediate cultural impact; it served as a catalyst for legal reform. The film’s release preceded the partial decriminalization of homosexuality in the UK, which culminated in the Sexual Offences Act 1967. This legislation decriminalized homosexual acts between consenting males over the age of 21 in England and Wales—a significant step towards LGBTQ+ equality. Scholars argue that "Victim" played an instrumental role in inspiring policymakers and activists to advocate for legal change by humanizing gay individuals and exposing societal hypocrisy (Lake, 2018).

Furthermore, the film opened pathways for subsequent LGBTQ+ cinema. After "Victim," a wave of more openly gay-themed films emerged in Britain and internationally, including "The Leather Boys" (1964) and "Nighthawks" (1978). In the United States, groundbreaking works like "The Watermelon Woman" (1996), directed by Cheryl Dunye—the first feature film directed by a Black lesbian—continued the legacy of challenging stereotypes and promoting visibility for marginalized identities (Davidson, 2018).

Despite its groundbreaking achievements, "Victim" also drew criticism from conservative segments of society, who saw it as morally subversive. The film’s frank approach to homosexuality was controversial, and it faced censorship and suppression attempts. Nonetheless, it persisted as a symbol of resistance, inspiring activists and filmmakers to push for greater representation and equality (DeKnight, 2010).

In sum, "Victim" was more than a cinematic work; it was a societal statement that challenged entrenched prejudices and contributed to the gradual destigmatization and legalization of homosexuality in Britain. Its legacy persists today as a testament to the power of film as a tool for social change, demonstrating how courage and honesty on screen can catalyze real-world reforms and foster greater acceptance of diversity.

References

• DeKnight, S. (2010). Spartacus: Blood and Sand. Starz.
• Davidsion, A. (2018). 10 Great British Gay Films. British Film Institute.
• Lake, E. (2018). When was homosexuality legalised in the UK and what was the penalty for gay men before the Sexual Offences Act? The Sun.
• Kelly, T. (2017). Victim Archive Review: Dirk Bogarde Fronts a Courageous, Landmark Thriller. British Film Institute.
• The Guardian. (2018). Victim review: groundbreaking gay thriller given timely rerelease.
• Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2016). Stigma and Discrimination.
• Letterboxd. (2018). Victim (1961).
• Cheryl Dunye. (1996). The Watermelon Woman.
• Jim's Film Reviews. (2003). Victim (Basil Dearden, 1961).
• Spartacus. (2010). Series created by Steven S. DeKnight, Starz.