Villain [DVD]

I worked for British Rail when this film was being made and I actually drove the train that was taken in the station from Broad Street in London I met most of the stars who appeared in the film like Ian McShane and Richard Burton very lovely people and I made me welcome and I was the actual driver of the train what you see in the film there wasn't much of it but it's something I look back on and cherish thank you

This fine crime film from the early '70s features an exceptional performance from Richard Burton as Vic Dakin, the homosexual gangland killer of the title, but the print used for this StudioCanal bluray is incomplete.There is a hideous extended sex scene between Burton and Ian McShane which has been removed - it's an extension of a scene in this print, but this scene has been digitally dissolved before the excised sequence I refer to here.Personally, I can gladly live without it, BUT as it was deemed necessary by the director of this film Michael Tuchner at the time, I see no reason why some PC oik somewhere along the line has decided to remove it.That said, the print is in otherwise very good shape and the movie itself is interesting to compare to Mike Hodges' definitive portayal of London villainy 'Get Carter', next to which this film does suffer somewhat.There is also an excellent supplemental feature on this disc, an intelligent analysis of the film by Matthew Sweet.Worth the purchase, for sure.

'Cor blimey! Just as I 'fought everyone's favorite cockney geezer Sir Danny of the Dyer had mastered the East End schtick down to the very finest of arts, giant thesp god Richard Burton only goes and throws me down the apple 'n pears with an early '70s offering that takes the London gangster thriller subgenre and gives it a ruddy good kickin'.Burton is ruthless East End gangster Vic Dakin, a gentleman psychopath who loves his dear old mam but doesn't take too kindly to fellow criminals or esteemed members of the constabulary. Making his way through the London underworld, he's constantly tailed by Detectives Matthews (a sublime Nigel Davenport) and his erstwhile partner Binney (Colin Welland) who have yet to make any case against him stick - but when a left field plan to raid the wages van of a plastics factory, Matthews and Binney see this as their way to put a nail in Dakin's coffin. Throw in a disgraced politician ('Never the Twain's' Donald Sinden in weirdo smutty yet sombre mode), a hidden homosexual relationship with Lovejoy (Ian McShane) and the usual 'smash, bang, wollop!' of the genre - and you have a well acted, but fairly generic exercise in hard man done wrong anti-heroics...Burton is an amazing actor for sure, but here he seems lost at sea. The screenplay (by Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais) fails to expand on the inner workings or turmoil of his character - and no matter how hard Burton tries, the film seemingly transpires against him. Director Michael Tuchner shoots with an assured hand but you never get the feeling this is nothing more than a mean spirited episode of 'The Sweeney' or 'Minder'. Granted, he illustrates a darker side of life that most of us will never hopefully see, but after the first few moments it quickly settles down into a very generic tale that we've all seen before (however, this may to do with the fact I'm watching it out of context many years after its release, so please take that into consideration). Thankfully, co-star Nigel Davenport is a delight and lights up the screen whenever he appears - kudos too to McShane, whose characters' duality demands the closest of inspection and bears the most fruit. As a whole the film never quite clicked for me and I was hoping things would ignite into a compelling scenario but sadly that never really happens.Studiocanal's UK DVD release is a fine effort with a good transfer and vibrant audio - yet little to no extra features. All in all, its okay for a one shot watch but unfortunately the pedigree of Richard Burton precedes him - almost doing the movie little favours as you go in expecting greatness but come out wanting a little more.

A couple of nights ago my wife and I watched the 1971 film Villain, on blu-ray, starting Richard Burton. Burton plays Vic Dakin, the head of a mob who runs a local protection racket. The film charts the downfall of the gang after they stray from collecting their normal source of revenue by tackling a payroll heist, which goes badly wrong.Dakin is a psychopath, but is dedicated to his elderly mother, and is also a closet homosexual. Like most films of this era, the material is as much a social commentary of the times as it is an entertaining drama. The film was shot in and around West London. Those of a certain age will readily recognise the shop facades, cars and the prevailing fashion of the time. Burton’s character is supported by a number of excellent actors from the period, some of whom would go on to appear in TV series such as the Sweeney, made a few years later, or, in the case of Ian McShane, to star in the BBC TV series Lovejoy.Partial female nudity features in the film, presumably to enhance the reality, along the lines of earlier films such as Get Carter and Deep End.I’m not a fan of Richard Burton, but his performance, especially considering his portrayal of a homosexual (still very much taboo in those unenlightened times) was excellent. However, I don’t think that he had to stray too far from his real-life persona to play Dakin, or in his earlier work Look Back In Anger.The film itself doesn’t appear to have been remastered, at least that I could see, but did have a very 1970s feel to it, if that makes sense. Perfectly watchable. Audio is dual-mono PCM. There are extras on the disc, which I have no interest in.The only disappointment with the title is that it’s taken a French company, in this case Studio Canal, who should be congratulated for their efforts, to release this and other fine British classics of the period. Yet another case of we complacent British chucking the baby out with the bath water. In any event, a film that I’m more than happy to have in my blu-ray collection, and one that I can wholeheartedly recommend.