THE COLLECTOR (1965, UK/USA, 119m, 15) ****
Drama, Thriller
dist. Columbia Pictures; pr co. Collector Company / Columbia Pictures; d. William Wyler; w. John Kohn, Stanley Mann (based on the novel by John Fowles); pr. Jud Kinberg, John Kohn; ph. Robert Krasker, Robert Surtees (Technicolor | 1.85:1); m. Maurice Jarre; ed. David Hawkins, Robert Swink; ad. John Stoll.
cast: Terence Stamp (Freddie Clegg), Samantha Eggar (Miranda Grey), Mona Washbourne (Aunt Annie), Maurice Dallimore (The Neighbour), Allyson Ames (First Victim), Gordon Barclay (Clerk), William Beckley (Crutchley), David Haviland (Clerk), Edina Ronay (Nurse / Next Victim).
In this disturbing and unsettling adaptation of John Fowles’ novel bank clerk Freddie Clegg (Stamp), an avid butterfly collector, wins a football pool and buys a country house with a large basement. He then kidnaps art student Miranda Grey (Eggar), a long-time crush of his, after trailing her in a van. Freddie locks Miranda in the basement, and buys her clothes and books, so that she can get to know him. They initially agree that she will stay at the house for a month, but Miranda fears what will happen when the time comes for her to leave. The film is largely a two-handed tale and as such is strongly reliant on the performances of its stars, Stamp and Eggar. Both deliver very impressive portrayals of captor and captive respectively. Wyler was a respected and experienced filmmaker and directs with a sure hand giving his actors the space they need to excel. Art director Stoll has designed the deliciously gothic prison in which Eggar is held and Jarre’s occasionally intrusive score also serves to heighten the tension. Reportedly the original cut was three hours long and whilst it is heavily edited the film is still a little stretched at two hours. Kenneth More played the role of Eggar’s secret lover but all his scenes were cut from the final print.
AAN: Best Actress in a Leading Role (Samantha Eggar); Best Director (William Wyler); Best Writing, Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium (Stanley Mann, John Kohn).
