Villain

Perhaps a poor relation to "Get Carter," (they were made around the same time as each other), this is nonetheless an underrated, interesting gangster film. Richard Burton is strangely cast as the violent East End villain, Vic Dakin. You can see that his character is obviously based on Ronnie Kray, and Burton has difficulty pulling off a cockney accent. He is often seen fumbling through his lines. With lots of London location filming and cockney banter, Americans will love this film. There is even a brilliant car chase during the violent wages snatch. Donald Sinden is brilliant as the sleazy, blackmailed MP who frequents high society sex parties. In this respect, the film is very satirical, the characters are stereotypical of an era where scandal amongst the English establishment and local "businessmen" was (and still is) rife.

Vic Dakin is a ruthless gay gangster who loves his mother, bullies his boyfriends and intimidates the authorities. A powerful figure in the East End mob scene, Dakin hears of a potential payroll heist opportunity, and decides to go for it- abandoning his usual modus operandi. Working alongside rival Frank Fletcher, Dakin has few he can trust on the job. Matters are complicated by dogged detective Bob Matthews, as well as Dakin's relationship with his underling and lover Wolfe, whose loyalties are ambiguous to say the least. Will Dakin pull off the heist; or will the villain finally face his comeuppance?

Gritty and darkly funny, Michael Tuchner's 'Villain' is an engaging crime film à la 'Get Carter' or 'The Long Good Friday.' Based on the novel 'The Burden of Proof' by James Barlow, and from a screenplay by Dick Clement, Ian La Frenais and Al Lettieri, the film features strong characterisation and an entertaining narrative, as well as one of the best shot heist sequences of the 1970's. Moreover, it explores the psychology of a sadistic bully, whose allegiances are only to himself.

Dakin is a fascinating character- supposedly based on Ronnie Kray- who is charming one moment, cruel the next. His relationship with Wolfe is especially interesting, whom he bullies into submission, though has a sincere fondness for. He treats his mother with deference, playing the epitome of the good son when he's with her, though could kick someone to death when she's out of earshot. Dakin is a self-interested, psychopathic sadist, who asserts his dominance through violence and intimidation, and is endlessly watchable as he does so.

Furthermore, Clement, Frenais and Lettieri's narrative exposes the corruption and hypocrisy of 70's Britain and its political and social system, through Dakin's exploitation of same. Tackling a variety of themes in a mature way- such as homosexuality, the confluence of sex and violence, as well as corruption- 'Villain' must have been a relatively tough watch for audiences in 1971. However, it is also a funny film- intentionally and otherwise- keeping things from getting too dark. While the dialogue tends toward the overblown and cliched, 'Villain' has a lot going for it.

Christopher Challis's cinematography is gritty and atmospheric. His usage of low-angles and shadows creates tension, while also making Dakin appear all the more brutal and menacing. He captures the bleakness and brutality of the London underworld- as well as the contrast between Dakin's lavish lifestyle and his violent deeds- with style and verve. The film also benefits from Jonathan Hodges's stirring score, as well as Ralph Sheldon's astute editing, which lends the film a steady pace, bolstering its impact and suspense.

'Villain' stars Richard Burton as Dakin, alongside Ian McShane as Wolfe, Nigel Davenport as Matthews and T. P. McKenna as Fletcher. Burton is marvellously menacing as the cockney criminal, even if his accent isn't exactly consistent. Unlike in many of the projects he made in the 70's, he really gives the role his all; delivering a nuanced and entertaining performance. McShane masterfully underplays it, sharing a fine chemistry with Burton, making his character both believable and compelling. Davenport and McKenna are both excellent, while Donald Sinden nearly steals the show as dodgy MP Gerald Draycott.

While not as polished or coherent as 'The Long Good Friday', Michael Tuchner's 'Villain' is still an entertaining and enjoyable crime flick. Although the dialogue is stilted from time to time, the narrative is engaging, the cinematography gritty and the score rousing. Boasting strong performances from all in the cast- especially those of stars Richard Burton and Ian McShane- 'Villain' shows that crime doesn't pay; and is a film well worth paying for.

The Leonard Maltin movie guide described this movie as being "nasty" and "stomach-churning". Actually, by today's standards, the level of violence on display here you could probably easily get away with on prime time network television. Anyway, the tame by today's standards violence wasn't an issue with me. The main problem is with the script. The movie starts off fairly well, but quickly becomes very slow and talky, and the dialogue isn't particularly colorful or interesting to grab the viewer. (This problem can be found with a lot of other British movies this age or older.) As for Richard Burton, while his performance here is not one of his worst, it's also not one of his better ones. One problem for him might have been the fact that his character's appearances are somewhat less in number than you might think. This is not an awful movie, but for the most part it's kind of bland and forgettable. If you want to see an early 1970s British crime drama, I would suggest you watch the 1971 Michael Caine movie "Get Carter" instead.

Michael Tuchner's "Villain" is everything a gangster film should be; tough, violent, grim and filled with loathsome characters who have no redeeming features. The film is clearly influenced by the Krays and does an excellent job of creating a vision of what the real underworld is like, with no comical scenes or foolish characters - the overall tone is ice cold.

The film's plot is pretty familiar with Richard Burton playing Vic Dakin, one of the top crime bosses in London, who is seeking more power through controlling a prominent politician (Donald Sinden) and planning a major robbery.

The film benefits hugely from the casting of Richard Burton in the lead role of Vic Dakin who, like Ronnie Kray, is a gay, mother-fixated psychotic. Although the Welsh Burton does struggle with the Cockney accent, he is totally believable as the character and must be commended for his no-holds-barred performance, which few other Hollywood stars would have dared risk their career on. It is testament to Burton's performance that a former Kray henchman rates it as the most realistic portrayal of a British gangster on screen and very close to what Ronnie Kray was really like. In other words not a very nice man as the film stated at the time - "Meet Vic Dakin, then wish you hadn't."

Why "Villain" has become so forgotten is a mystery. It was made in the same year as "Get Carter" in 1971 but neither film was a hit. However "Get Carter" eventually found a large cult following and is now widely regarded as a British classic. Although "Villain" is one of the top five British gangster films it is not quite in the same league as "Get Carter", "The Long Good Friday" and "Brighton Rock" but it does deserve wider recognition.

I've watched 'Villain' innumerable times since I taped it off a late night Channel 4 screening in 1999. Why? Because it's truly excellent.

Atmosphere, plot, quirky characterisations, violent action, dialogue, squalid sex - brother, it's got the lot. A far, far more interesting film than the same period's 'Get Carter'.

Scripted by venerable British comedy maestros Clement and Le Frenais from an initial novel adaptation by the simian faced American character actor Al Lettieri (and I'm sure there's an interesting story behind that process), 'Villain' is remarkably modern in its tone. We aren't presented with goodies or baddies, simply players of the never-ending game:

Vic Dakin (a darkly humorous Richard Burton) is the good old traditional mother-loving gay psychopath who enjoys slicing up informers with a cut-throat razor;

Wolfie Lissner (a superb Ian McShane, playing probably the most interesting character in the piece) is a survivor who'll do what ever it takes to survive, be it pimping unsuspecting lovelies to the elite, selling pills to late night ravers or taking the brunt of Dakin's sadisitic sexual urges;

Bob Matthews (a wry Nigel Davenport) is the disillusioned copper dedicated purely to bringing Daykin down - "I don't want a fertile imagination, I don't want to know if society's to blame, I just want to catch criminals".

And Gerald Draycott (an eternally eyebrow-cocking, seedily lecherous Donald Sinden) is a charmingly corrupt politician with a weakness for the kind of nubile young girls Wolfie supplies.

The script traces the intertwining fates of these characters after a bungled wages heist with terse, witty precision. Oddball subsidiary figures like Joss Ackland's ulcer-ridden crook (who gobbles pain-relieving hard boiled eggs during a getaway) and James Cossins' bitter, wife-hating clerk garnish the proceedings like tangily flavorous seasoning. The backdrop of grubby and grim seventies Britain is so well sketched that you can almost smell it. Jonathan Hodge's musical score is both percussively minimalist and hauntingly lyrical - very powerful. And its a rare triumph for the otherwise hack-like Michael Tuchner, who directs superlatively here with vigorous assurance.

Look out for stalwarts like Tony Selby, Tim Barlow and an uncredited Johnny Shannon ('Performance's Harry Flowers) as a copper coshing con.

"Got a hard-oh, have ya? DRIVE!!"