The Collector (1965)

Director:

William Wyler

Writers:

John Fowles (novel)
Stanley Mann (writer) ...

Release Date:

17 June 1965 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

Tagline:

Almost a love story

Plot:

A man kidnaps a woman and holds her hostage just for the pleasure of having her there.

Plot Keywords:

Butterfly | Bank | Bank Clerk | Friend | Art Student

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars. Another 6 wins & 6 nominations

Cast

Terence Stamp	...	Freddie Clegg
Samantha Eggar	...	Miranda Grey
Mona Washbourne	...	Aunt Annie
Maurice Dallimore	...	The Neighbor

Also Known As:

The Butterfly Collector (UK)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White (flashback sequence) | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Iceland:16 | UK:X (1965) | West Germany:18 (nf) | Argentina:13 | Finland:(Banned) (1965) | Finland:K-18 | Sweden:15 | UK:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Chilham, Kent, England, UK

Company:

Collector Company

Trivia:

While the film is overall faithful to John Fowles' novel, the scene where Freddie's neighbor comes over and Miranda tries to get his attention by flooding the bathroom was created for the film and was not in the novel.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Freddie is trying to silence Miranda when she is in the bath, the cones covering her nipples can be clearly seen.

Quotes:

Freddie Clegg: What's got four ears and eight legs?
Miranda Grey: What?
Freddie Clegg: Two dogs.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Code inconnu: Récit incomplet de divers voyages (2000)

Not top drawer Wyler

First of all, let me say I'm a William Wyler fan -- while not being a "genius", he worked in a great variety of genres with passion, boldness and superior craftsmanship. He got us used to expecting first-rate films; because of that, "The Collector" is ultimately rather unsatisfying. It's not bad, of course – but it's a long shot from WW's huis clos masterpieces like "These Three", "The Letter", "The Little Foxes", "The Heiress" or "Desperate Hours".

"The Collector" is at least half an hour overlong. The plot has become predictable after 40 years of so many films about psychopath serial killers and the screenplay is underdeveloped in terms of potential conflicts and twists. The music here is crucial due to the little amount of dialogue and the building of a growingly desperate atmosphere and Maurice Jarre's music simply lacks inventiveness and thrilling power, it's just ineffective -- the film asked for a score in the line of Bernard Herrmann to fill up the action. The cinematography of masters Krasker and Surtees is luxurious instead of stifling. The clash between Stamp's and Eggar's acting styles doesn't help their characters: Stamp goes "Method" while Eggar stays realistic, though they both look extremely attractive in their mid-20s.

All that said, this movie will be a nice choice for a rainy evening, although one has, through the years, been given the right to expect more from champ Wyler. My vote: 6 out of 10.