The Servant
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Synopsis
The prolific, ever provocative Joseph Losey, blacklisted from Hollywood and living in England, delivered a coolly modernist shock to the system of that nation’s cinema with this mesmerizing dissection of class, sexuality, and power. A dissolute scion of the upper crust (James Fox) finds the seemingly perfect manservant (a diabolical Dirk Bogarde, during his transition from matinee idol to art-house icon) to oversee his new London town house. But not all is as it seems, as traditional social hierarchies are gradually, disturbingly destabilized. Lustrously disorienting cinematography and a masterful script by playwright Harold Pinter merge in The Servant, a tour de force of mounting psychosexual menace.
Picture 9/10
The Criterion Collection presents Joseph Losey's The Servant on a dual-layer Blu-ray disc in its original aspect ratio of 1.66:1. The 1080p/24hz high-definition presentation has been sourced from a new 4K restoration performed by StudioCanal, and sourced from the 35mm original camera negative.
It was a surprise when Criterion announced the film on Blu-ray only, bypassing a 4K UHD release. The film received a 4K edition overseas, so it seemed like a lock that Criterion would give it the same treatment here, but alas, it's not to be. The good news is even if it still falls short of how StudioCanal's UHD presentation turned out, it still looks stunning.
The restoration has been extensive, and I cannot recall any significant damage ever popping up. Clarity and detail are high, the film looks sharp and crisp at all times, and grain is rendered exceedingly well, looking clean and natural.
Grayscale and contrast are also excellent, which helps in the film's heavy use of shadows during the later portions of the film. Dynamic range is pretty broad, allowing for details to pop out of the dark shadows and even the bright snowy landscapes that frequently pop up. It's admittedly still not as impressive as what StudioCanal's 4K edition could do (thanks in part to HDR and Dolby Vision), but the Blu-ray still handles it incredibly.
I won't lie: StudioCanal's 4K presentation looks better, and I would say that it's the better option when it comes to presentation, as long as one can playback 4K discs. But Criterion's black-and-white high-definition presentation is no slouch itself. It's sharp and clean and does a superb job of rendering the film's shadowy photography.
The Servant - Screen Captures
Audio 7/10
Presented here in lossless single-channel PCM, Criterion's soundtrack replicates StudioCanal's in terms of quality. It still exceeded my expectations, delivering ample range (for what it is) and excellent fidelity. The jazz score sounds sharp and clean, and nothing sounds muffled. It's a solid presentation.
Extras 8/10
While it was a surprise for Criterion to bypass doing a UHD edition, it was also a surprise to see they have only ported a handful of features from StudioCanal's edition, limited to interviews with actors Wendy Craig (6 minutes), Sarah Miles (11 minutes), and James Fox (47 minutes), with Richard Ayoade conducting the last one. They're fine, the shorter ones featuring the actors recounting how they came to get their respective roles and what it was like working with Losey, Fox, and Bogarde. Miles also takes some credit for getting Fox cast and explains why he uses the name James instead of his birth name, William.
Fox's interview is far more extensive, touching on his casting before recalling many stories about the production and his co-star, Bogarde. The two get a little bit into the film's themes and what interested both Losey and screenwriter Harold Pinter, with the theme of control being what drew them, the two conclude. There's also talk around the film's release, which was initially held back until Warner Bros. (in Europe) released it because they needed to fill an empty spot, only to be surprised by its success (this is brought up elsewhere in the features, too). The conversation is ultimately okay, though surprisingly dry; Ayoade (who is Fox's son-in-law) tries to steer the discussion towards interesting topics but sometimes seems unsure of where to go. Still, it's the best firsthand account we get about the film's production from any of the performers.
To accompany those interviews, Criterion then includes an 11-minute excerpt from an interview with Dirk Bogarde filmed for the 1992 documentary Dirk Bogarde: By Myself. Despite being an excerpt, this may end up being the best cast member interview as Bogarde recounts first meeting Losey and how The Servant came about. He also talks about their later work and why he and the director (along with Pinter) eventually parted ways. I would have loved to see the whole documentary, but this short clip is still a great inclusion on its own.
Imogen Sara Smith then sits for 21 minutes to discuss Losey's films, from the common themes to be found in them to their style and look. She does a fantastic job in discussing Losey's visuals and cinematic language, explaining the feelings he can capture and how much information can be passed within a single shot. In fact, she does such an excellent job of explaining that the clips used as examples are almost redundant. I found it to be a wonderful and insightful piece in the end. Still, I was disappointed that there is so little about The Servant, specifically outside of how Losey uses the flat central to the film, eliciting a feeling of isolation through its layout. Something from her that was more specific to the film (even a commentary, Criterion inexplicably having never commissioned one from her yet) would have been very welcome. However, as it is, this is still a solid contribution.
From the archives are 29 minutes of audio excerpts featuring director Joseph Losey in conversation with Michel Ciment, recorded in 1976. Losey talks extensively about the production and its background, from getting Pinter's script to casting (referring to James Fox as "Willie") and eventually its release. Pinter had concerns about Losey doing the film, fearing he would dilute the story, and Bogarde worried that homosexual undertones would be played up and reflect on him (Bogarde hid his homosexuality). Still, they all worked through their issues, and it would become the first of their collaborations. Ciment then focuses the conversation on the themes in the film and then talks about its look, including his love of mirrors. Losey is very open, never holding back, and even corrects Ciment when he feels he gets something wrong.
Criterion also includes a discussion with Harold Pinter, recorded in 1996 at London's National Film Theatre with Michael Billington hosting. It's a great discussion, the writer talking about his stage and film work, but I was surprised at how film-focused the conversation ended up being. As it turns out, despite starting as a playwright, Pinter has more of a passion for film, having grown up an avid film buff, and he talks about the movies that influenced or left an impression on him. He also talks about adapting the novel on which The Servant is based, explaining (where he can) why he made some of the adjustments he did. I was initially disappointed to see Criterion didn't carry over the program from StudioCanal's release, but I rather enjoyed this. It runs for 23 minutes.
The disc then closes with the film's trailer, while the included insert features an essay by Colm Tóibín. Tóibín provides an excellent analytical overview of the film, even pointing out little subtleties that I missed, like the fact Bogarde's accent changes as the film progresses.
The features are less extensive than StudioCanal's, but I still enjoyed them, preferring Criterion's in a few cases.
Closing
Criterion's decision not to do a 4K UHD for the film is a bit perplexing, but their high-definition presentation still delivers.
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