Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 05/13/2008 Run time: 119 minutes Rating: Nr
As one of the greatest directors of Hollywood's golden age, William Wyler had a long and distinguished roster of films to his credit, among them a number of classics (including Wuthering Heights and The Heiress) that rank among the finest literary adaptations to emerge from the studio system. Near the end of his career, Wyler focused his veteran skills on John Fowles's novel The Collector, and it's easy to see how Wyler would be drawn to the story's resonant psychological underpinnings. It's conceivable that the director was also fascinated by the cinematic precedents set by Alfred Hitchock's Psycho and Michael Powell's Peeping Tom; like those films, Wyler's 1965 production of The Collector focuses on the obsessions of a young man whose need for a woman's affection leads him to desperate measures at the expense of his object of desire.
Terence Stamp was a fine choice for the role of Freddie Clegg, a young, nondescript bank clerk who wins a fortune in a sports pool and is financially liberated to pursue his psychological fixation--specifically a lovely London art student named Miranda Grey (Samantha Eggar) whom Freddie captures in the comfortably furnished cellar of his remote, newly purchased Tudor farmhouse. In many respects she is just another addition to Freddie's impressive and meticulously catalogued collection of butterflies--delicate and beautiful, and kept against her will. Freddie genuinely loves her and treats her with utmost respect, but she is his prisoner. Having been subdued by Freddie's use of chloroform, she later observes that he is responsible for "so much death," and of course she could never return his affection. Or could she?
This richly psychological situation is handled by Wyler with understated grace, but the weight of Freddie's psychosis is never keenly felt; the film's subdued quality ultimately works against the thriller aspects of the story. And yet, the performances of Stamp and Eggar remain sharp and mutually sympathetic, and when Wyler brings the story full circle to yet another "butterfly" for Freddie's collection, the stalker theme leaves the viewer with a considerable chill. Where another movie like 1967's Wait Until Dark relied on more explicit and effective shocks, The Collector works on a subtler level of disturbing but undeniably human behavior. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.0 / 5.0
THE BEST KIDNAPPING MOVIE EVER:
I HAVE SEEN THE COLLECTOR FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME LAST WEEK AND I MUST SAY THIS IS THE MOST SUPERBLY THRILLING/CHILLINGLY ROMANTIC AND LENIENT KIDNAPPING MOVIE EVER. TERENCE STAMP PLAYED THE NICEST CAPTOR YOU CAN EVER IMAGINE, HAVING GREAT LOVE AND RESPECT FOR THE OBJECT OF HIS AFFECTION-THE LOVELY MIRANDA GREY- (PLAYED BY SUPERB ACTRESS SAMANTHA EGGAR)!!! THOUGH GREY WAS FRIGHTENED AND OVERWHELMED BY BEING STAMP'S CAPTIVE, YOU HAVE TO ADMIT HE PROVED HE TRULY LOVED HER AND TOOK GREAT CARE OF HER AND... more info
The Collector starring Terence Stamp:
I saw this film when it was first released in 1965. I can only remember it being on TV once. I haven been looking for a copy for some time. I think it is very under-rated film and my opinion is that they do not make good films like this any more. The only downside is that you can only view this on a DVD player that plays Region 1. I thorougly recommend it.
for "Psycho conisor":
Having been a fan of the book for many years now, I was very pleased to add "The Collector" DVD to my at home movie collection. My friends and I were especially thrilled with the magnificent, dramatic performance of Terrence Stamp! Picture a charming English cottage, now add a lovely lady,snoopy neighbor and a devistatingly handsome psychopath and it makes for a fun night of entertainment for the serious "Psycho" conisor!
Good As A Stand Alone Movie But Frustrating As A Film Version Of An Ingeniously Written Novel:
To flesh out what my title says, this is a good enough movie when taken for its own merits, and perhaps in fairness to consider it for its own merits is all that someone should do, but when it comes to getting the tone of John Fowles' masterful novel, it fails miserably. I know there are many who will disagree with me but neither Samantha Eggar nor Terence Stamp were right for the roles they played. Eggar comes off as too worldly and seductive (and old) to properly embody Miranda Grey as Fowles wrote... more info
