best film: Joseph Losey’s The Servant (1963) features Akira Kurosawa-like frame compositions and William Wyler-like deep focus. In front of the camera, it is a brilliant sort of love triangle with Dirk Bogarde as Barrett, James Fox as Tony, and Sarah Miles as Vera. This is Bogarde’s best film, edging out strong contenders like Luchino Visconti’s The Damned (1969) and Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s Despair (1978).
best performance: It is a Losey film, Visconti film and a Fassbinder film here again numbers one through three for Bogarde with Death in Venice taking the place of The Damned (moving that very strong performance down to the four slot). Bogarde is stunning as Barrett in Losey’s complex relationship and class power struggle. The film would work powerfully with just the actors and Harold Pinter’s writing – even if it did not have Losey’s hefty accomplishment behind the camera and photographical genius. The answer here is The Servant.
By its definition, a strict two-hander has only two actors and The Servant has more of course. But, the definition in cinema has led to a more open take for a film with dual leads like The Sweet Smell of Success (1957), Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) and even 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. The Servant falls into this ladder, looser definition of the two-hander. And no offense to James Fox who plays Tony here, but unlike those other previously mentioned sensational two-hander references, The Servant is a two-hander where one actor is clearly levitating above the other from a talent and skill level.
stylistic innovations/traits: Dirk Bogarde had an affinity for portraying tangled characters in a seemingly unending list of one word titled movies for some reason (Libel, Victim, Darling, Accident, Despair). There is a talent for portraying subtext here like Montgomery Clift or Jean-Louis Trintignant. Bogarde was born in 1921 but really did not hit his stride until his 40s. The Oscars missed on Bogarde altogether – not a single nomination – but he was recognized often by the British equivalent (six-time BAFTA nominee). The fourteen (14) total archiveable films for Bogarde are a bit slight for this position on the list – but there is not much fat in those fourteen (14) films – not much in the realm of small part or cameo/uncredited work. He gets to show off in a dual role in Libel (there were not as many of these in the 1950s) – like Jeremy Irons in Dead Ringers (1988) or Nicolas Cage in Adaptation (2002) but the real strength of Bogarde’s case when he gets to put that trademark rich character intricacy (and what a compliment to be known for that as a trademark for an actor) in a film (and with a director) that has the highest of artistic ambitions in mind as well (The Servant, Despair).
Despair (1978) is from a Vladimir Nabokov’s (Lolita) novel, starring Dirk Bogarde and shot by Michael Ballhaus (The Marriage of Maria Braun, Goodfellas) so there is talent spilling out all over the place. Bogarde plays a wealthy chocolatier named Herman in early 1930s Berlin. Hitler and the brown shirts are coming. Bogarde’s character becomes obsessed with escaping his life. He fantasizes about a doppelgänger, he sets up a scheme in his mind surrounding his wife and life insurance. Fassbinder had to have viewed the use of Bogarde (Death in Venice) as borrowing from Visconti – a major influence on Fassbinder. The Damned – also starring Bogarde – was one of Fassbinder’s favorite films. There is no better actor at putting on a false front while coming apart on the inside than Bogarde.
directors worked with: Joseph Losey (3), Luchino Visconti (2), John Schlesinger (1), John Frankenheimer (1), Alain Resnais (1), Rainer Werner Fassbinder (1)
from Death in Venice (1971) – an achievement for Bogarde – such an intricate character – lust, pained. He is rude to everyone he talks to virtually. Visconti mostly uses the slow zoom as his stylistic weapon as a way to portray Bogarde’s Gustav von Aschenbach’s mind, memory and gaze. Zooming in on his nuanced and often tortured face – all in dialogue-free long sequences often eyeing the young Tadzio.
top five performances:
- The Servant
- Despair
- Death in Venice
- The Damned
- The Night Porter
archiveable films
| 1954- The Sleeping Tiger |
| 1955- Cast a Dark Shadow |
| 1959- Libel |
| 1961- Victim |
| 1963- The Servant |
| 1965- Darling |
| 1967- Accident |
| 1968- The Fixer |
| 1969- The Damned |
| 1971- Death in Venice |
| 1974- The Night Porter |
| 1977- A Bridge Too Far |
| 1977- Providence |
| 1978- Despair |
@Drake- Have you seen Quartet (1948)? It’s now available to stream on the Criterion Channel.
This is another anthology film with segments which were very popular in the UK in the 1940’s.
It’s impressive the way Bogarde builds a complicated relationship with both the junior soldier character and the Sean Connery character in A Bridge Too Far. The pain in his eyes when he sees the Connery character coming back after ordering him to do a task. The same in the scene up above the tower with the others when he sees the destruction. I actually didn’t know about him before watching A Bridge too Far. I watched this film because of another actor. But was immediately impressed by his work. Media and the widow of the character he played I think criticized his performance in this film because they thought he came off ruthless and cold. But that’s exactly the point of the character to get the job/duty done. He is likeable when he needs to be.
The trademark left eye-brow raise was handed down to him by the previous generation of British thespians like Stewart Granger and John Clements (They co-starred in The Mind Benders).
Dirk Bogarde ranked-:
Films:
1. Despair (1978) – MP
2. The Servant (1963) – MP
3. The Gentle Gunman (1952) – MP
4. The Damned (1969) – MS
5. The Fixer (1968) – MS
6. The Mind Benders (1963) – MS
7. Death in Venice (1971) – MS
8. H.M.S. Defiant (1962)
9. The Blue Lamp (1950)
10. Providence (1977)
11. Accident (1967)
12. Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)
13. The Sleeping Tiger (1954)
14. Victim (1961)
15. King & Country (1964)
16. Libel (1959)
17. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
18. These Foolish Things (1990)
19. The Night Porter (1974)
20. Our Mother’s House (1967)
21. Darling (1965) – R (fringe)
Performances:
1. The Servant
2. The Night Porter
3. Despair
4. Death in Venice
5. Accident
6. Victim
7. The Mind Benders
8. Libel
9. The Gentle Gunman
10. The Sleeping Tiger
11. Cast a Dark Shadow
12. Our Mother’s House
13. The Damned
14. These Foolish Things
15. The Blue Lamp
16. A Bridge Too Far
17. Providence
18. King & Country
19. Darling
20. H.M.S. Defiant
21. The Fixer
Bogarde is great at balancing out the soft sensitive side with the creepy animalistic side. I think roles like The Servant, The Mind Benders and Libel allow him to showcase both sides fully. The Mind Benders is a wild film that takes a man and deprives him of his senses that makes the man a loveless monster. I don’t know if Gore Verbinski has seen this film but it was cool to see a similar “sensual deprivation” scene in A Cure for Wellness with the tank. Granted, the Dane DeHaan (superb performance) character there is not a good character like Bogarde’s character here at the time of the sensual deprivation.
Dirk Bogarde I have seen ranked-:
Films:
1. Despair (1978) – MP
2. The Servant (1963) – MP
3. The Damned (1969) – MS
4. The Gentle Gunman (1952) – MS
5. Death in Venice (1971) – MS
6. H.M.S. Defiant (1962)
7. The Mind Benders (1963)
8. The Blue Lamp (1950)
9. Accident (1967)
10. Providence (1977)
11. Cast a Dark Shadow (1955)
12. The Sleeping Tiger (1954)
13. Victim (1961)
14. King & Country (1964)
15. Libel (1959)
16. A Bridge Too Far (1977)
17. The Night Porter (1974)
18. Our Mother’s House (1967)
19. The Fixer (1968)
20. Darling (1965) – R (fringe)
Performances:
1. The Servant
2. The Mind Benders
3. Despair
4. The Night Porter
5. Accident
6. Death in Venice
7. Libel
8. Victim
9. The Sleeping Tiger
10. The Gentle Gunman
11. Our Mother’s House
12. The Damned
13. Cast a Dark Shadow
14. The Blue Lamp
15. Providence
16. A Bridge Too Far
17. King & Country
18. Darling
19. H.M.S. Defiant
20. The Fixer
His character in Our Mother’s House is great. It’s a bit of an against type role for Bogarde playing a bit dumb man who wastes away money for women, parties and gambling. But the character has good qualities as well like his bond with the children and taking them on picnics and playing with them. Luchino Visconti was apparently a big fan of it. It’s one of Bogarde’s own favourite films/roles. The King and Country (one of his highest rated films) is another.
Dirk Bogarde ranked:
1. The Servant
2. The Mind Benders
3. The Night Porter
4. Despair
5. Accident
6. Death in Venice
7. Libel
8. Victim
9. The Sleeping Tiger
10. The Gentle Gunman
11. Our Mother’s House
12. The Damned
13. Cast a Dark Shadow
14. The Blue Lamp
15. Providence
16. A Bridge Too Far
17. King & Country
18. Darling
19. H.M.S. Defiant
Bizzarely enough in 3 of his films the premise/execution is the same. Accident, The Night Porter and Death in Venice. In all 3 of his films his character is basically stalking a younger woman/man to get affection while flashbacks are used to tell the backstory and how we got to the current state. These are extremely rich and conflicted characters.
I would have 5 contenders for his top performance honestly. They are all great and amazing and unique in their own way.
The Servant(Two Face)
Despair(Cynical)
The Night Porter(Passion)
Death in Venice(Tortured)
Victim(Successful)
I definitely wish he was in the Alain Delon role in Mr. Klein. Because I wasn’t very impressed with Alain Delon in this role at all.