Villain (1971)

User Rating:

6.9/10   

Director:

Michael Tuchner

Writers:

Dick Clement (screenplay) and
Ian La Frenais (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

7 October 1971 (Norway)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Meet Vic Dakin. Then wish you hadn't.

Plot:

Murderous, sadistic London gang leader Vic Dakin, a mother-obsessed homosexual modeled on real-life gangster Ronnie Kray...

Plot Keywords:

Gangster | Homosexual | One Word Title | Independent Film | Based On Novel

Cast

Richard Burton	...	Vic Dakin
Ian McShane	...	Wolfe Lissner
Nigel Davenport	...	Bob Matthews
Donald Sinden	...	Gerald Draycott
Fiona Lewis	...	Venetia
T.P. McKenna	...	Frank Fletcher
Joss Ackland	...	Edgar Lowis
Cathleen Nesbitt	...	Mrs. Dakin
Elizabeth Knight	...	Patti
Colin Welland	...	Tom Binney
Tony Selby	...	Duncan
John Hallam	...	Terry
Del Henney	...	Webb
Ben Howard	...	Henry
James Cossins	...	Brown

Runtime:

98 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M (TV rating) | Iceland:16 | Australia:R | Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 (1971) | Sweden:15 | USA:R | UK:18 (video rating) (1989) | UK:X (original rating)

Filming Locations:

81-100 York Mansions, Prince of Wales Drive, Battersea, London, England, UK

Company:

Anglo-EMI

Trivia:

The film was inspired by White Heat (1949).

Quotes:

Vivian: Wolfe, I'm so glad you could come, how terrific.
Wolfe Lissner: Hello Vivian, this is Venetia.
Vivian: Hello Venetia. Well we're all drinking in here so do come on through. I do wish you'd been here last night Wolfe, some lovely faces came down.

Solidly acted gangster movie.

I saw this movie about 15 years ago, so it is somewhat hazy now. But I remember it had a cast of solid British character actors. It also possessed an aura of menace and creulty that went from Vic Dakin down through the rest of the cast. The dialogue was tough and believable, as was the violence. The Dakin character was obviously based on Ronnie Kray, but so what, the Krays were topical at the time.

I enjoyed this film. It certainly stands up against the drek of today. I am sick and tired of violence and gangster's being treated with clever and stylistic humour.