The Servant (1963 Joseph Losey)

Remarkably close in theme and style to Performance - both films are about two males who reverse roles, with two women involved, in distinctive, characterful London properties (this one 30 Royal Avenue, Chelsea, where houses now cost a cool £6 million).

Bogarde is absolutely brilliant as the sinister manservant who's clearly up to something (the moment we see him drinking beer when he's said he doesn't); with grim amusement we see the tables being very slyly turned. It was James Fox's first starring role (he's fourth billed) and he, Wendy Craig and Sarah Miles are also terrific.

Douglas Slocombe's camera prowls through the house (Losey also highly rated operator Chic Waterson*, amazing credits), beautifully lit, and bear in mind this is not a hand held or Steadicam shoot. He won the BAFTA, along with Bogarde and Fox (Newcomer, for which Craig was also a contender).

That song by Cleo Laine 'All Gone' is used very creatively: to Fox and Craig making love, then to Fox seducing Miles, to a shattered Fox having Miles attempt to come back, and finally to the 'orgy' when Fox smashes it to pieces.

It was the first of several fruitful collaborations between Losey and Harold Pinter, who adapted Robin Maugham's novel. Alexander Walker in his book 'Hollywood England' posits it was the Government scandals (Profumo etc.) of the previous year that made the subject matter so popular with audiences - it was a big hit - as well as the (suggestions of) sex.

Johnny Dankworth's score is memorable; Reginald Mills edited.

And some of it's very funny of course, e.g. the restaurant scene, the bickering like a married couple, and the game below:

Also a brilliant bit of lighting

Also memorable is the scene where returning home, Fox and Craig realise the servant and his 'sister' are in the 'master's' bedroom (everything is shifting, changing), and Bogarde's silhouette suggests that he knows they have returned but says and does nothing - still quite shocking.

* He and Slocombe collaborated dozens of times, from The Man In The White Suit on.