Darling (1965)

everybody's darling, at any age

it is always a pleasure to watch and to re-watch julie christie in any movie she chooses to do. watching this early film in juxtaposition with AWAY FROM HER reminds us that Cleopatra was not the only woman whose beauty can not be withered by age. when the beauty evolves from intelligence, it is always with her and with us. we all are that much richer for having been in her presence. May 24, 2008

Running on Empty in the Swingin' Sixties

"Darling", the brittle mid-1960s cult classic, was written by Frederick Raphael (he won an Oscar for the script) and directed by John Schlesinger. Like a handful of other interesting black and white films from this era written by authors like Raphael and Alan Sillitoe, "Darling" has dated somewhat, although not in a way that devalues its superb qualities. Think, for example, of "Morgan!", "Georgy Girl", and "The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner". Although these are all very different films, each reflects something of Britain's mood during the early to mid-1960s as Britain questioned, particularly through the medium of theatre and film, issues of class loyalty, tradition, and values in a period of shifting social mores.

The film is most noteworthy for the excellence of the script and the performances of its two leads, Julie Christie and Dirk Bogarde. Although Christie won a Best Actress Oscar for her role, in this reviewer's opinion, Dirk Bogarde's performance is even more memorable. This is not to belittle Christie's fine work; however, Christie was the startling newcomer and naturally attracted more attention than the established Bogarde, whose work here is so good as to be "invisible". It is easy to forget what a very, very, very fine actor Bogarde was until you revisit a film like this. It is a long way from Sidney Carton in "A Tale of Two Cities" to Robert Gold in "Darling".

Christie plays Diana Scott, a beautiful but curiously blank woman who uses her looks to attach a series of increasingly prominent and wealthy men, in hopes that each successive relationship will finally help her achieve the solid identity she craves. Christie portrays Diana as an empty canvas upon which she invites her lovers to paint, as she adapts herself, chameleon-like, to each one's values and tastes. But Diana selects her lovers on the basis of their worldly assets, which cannot help her clarify her own identity, any more than those assets wholly define the identities of the men who hold them. Diana never comes to understand this, and steps Gatsby-like over one man after another, evading responsibility for the emotional chaos she creates, yet never quite finding the one relationship that will make her feel real and complete. In fact, Diana Scott rather reminds one of a later charismatic, British, blonde Diana, who also tried to anchor a narcissistic, internal vagueness through external relationships - with equally little success.

Bogarde plays Robert Gold, a TV journalist who meets the pretty housewife accidentally and gives her a start in modeling - he falls hopelessly in love with her and leaves his wife and children for her. But, as Diana's career takes off, she begins to drift toward men who she believes have more to offer her than Robert does. Robert soon grasps the empty narcissism that produces Diana's vague amorality, but cannot shake free of his feeling for her, with tragic consequences for himself. Ironically, Robert is the one man in Diana's life who loves her for "herself" - the very "self" she is seeking in other places. As Diana joins the restless 1960s jet-set, the film highlights the equally narcissistic, quickly jaded characters and tastes of its members.

Christie's look is also redolent of the era: the heavy eye-makeup, thick hair, jaunty mini-skirts, and Couregges boots, all have the peculiar effect of deadening, rather than enhancing her beauty, so perfectly iconic of the 1960s.

The black and white photography is by Ken Higgins, and the supporting cast includes the always fascinating Laurence Harvey as the cold, calculating Miles Brand, another of Diana's lovers.

This is an expertly crafted film, from script to direction to performances. To say that it is "dated" is to use the term to express only its cultural specificity. The anguish of its characters and the quality of its script ensure that its specificity does not dilute its broader relevance.

"Darling" is a fine, if sad and unsettling film, a classic of the 1960s, containing marvellous performances by now-legendary actors.

May 5, 2008

Darling

I bought this movie because I couldn't find it to rent and I wanted to see it. I was amazed at how it has stood the test of time. Besides the great performance Julie Christie gives in this movie, Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey were wonderful too! I'd recommend this to anyone who wants a picture of the Swinging Sixties in London. March 9, 2008

Julie Christie saves this drab film.

Darling starring Julie Christie in her Oscar-winning role is a good movie but nothing worth viewing again. Christie definitely deserved the Oscar for her performance as shallow but intriguing Diana Scott, she was quite a beauty back then. The plot is a bit contrived and the film drags too much, making this film too long. The only reason to watch Darling is for the strong acting but otherwise than that, Darling is pretty much forgettable. February 23, 2008

movie not dated

Amazon.com's reviewer said that New Wave filmmaking is dated and that in turn "Darling" is dated. I wish I could think of a witty rebuke, but New Wave filmmaking with Agnes Varda, Truffaut and Goddard is hardly dated and this movie is very good. December 22, 2007

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