The Servant (1963)

A young member (James Fox) of the British upper class hires a manservant (Dirk Bogarde) to take care of his daily needs. His class conscious fiancee (Wendy Craig) takes a dislike to the servant but slowly but surely, the scale of power tips to the stronger of the two ... the servant. Based on a 1948 short novel by Robin Maugham, this was the first of three collaborations between director Joseph Losey and the writer Harold Pinter. It's an incisive look at the disintegration of the British aristocracy by the working class. It's not a pleasant film and Losey and Pinter push too hard at times but there's no denying its potency. I'm not Bogarde's biggest fan but I don't think he's ever been so well cast. You can positively feel the contempt coming out of his every pore. The moody B&W lensing by Douglas Slocombe and the effective underscore by John Dankworth contribute to the malaise. With Sarah Miles, Catherine Lacey and Patrick Magee.