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Victim
Victim DVD cover
Directed by	Basil Dearden
Produced by	Michael Relph
Written by	Janet Green, John McCormick
Starring	Dirk Bogarde, Dennis Price, Sylvia Syms
Distributed by	Rank
Release date(s)	August 1961
Running time	96 min.
Language	English
IMDb profile

Victim is a 1961 British film directed by Basil Dearden, starring Dirk Bogarde and Sylvia Syms.

The film tells the story of a gay man and the fight of a prominent married barrister, Melville Farr (Dirk Bogarde), against a ring of London blackmailers, who were extorting money from a young construction worker named "Boy" Barrett, with whom Farr had become emotionally, but not sexually involved, and who committed suicide rather than exposing the barrister. Farr soon discovers that an elderly barber, a star of the theatre, and an aristocratic member of his gentlemen's club played by Anthony Nicholls are also victims of the extortion ring. Despite the risks to himself (the director made the film when homosexuality was a criminal offence in the UK), Farr is determined to track down the blackmailers and bring them to justice. During the investigation, his wife Laura (Sylvia Syms) must learn to deal with her husband's tendencies, which she suspected he had in the past, but thought he had overcome. Farr however offers his wife Laura her freedom. Despite pressure from the blackmailers and the victims, Farr is able to expose the blackmailers and turn them over to the police. Farr is determined to prosecute the blackmailers, despite the fact that the ensuing scandal will likely destroy his brillant legal career and his marriage. In the end, his wife Laura, who still loves Farr, realizes their need for each other is deeper than his fleeting emotions, and suggests she may return to Farr's life after the case is concluded.

Victim became a highly sociologically significant film; many believe it played an influential role in liberalizing attitudes (as well as British law) regarding homosexuality. It was the first film in which the word "homosexual" appeared.

• Wolfenden report
• List of gay movies

• Victim at the Internet Movie Database

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