Review by TheLittleSongbird

1967's 'Accident' had so much that made me want to see it. Harold Pinter to me was one of the greatest playwrights/writers of the twentieth century, his prose is so insightful, very intelligent, not heavy-handed and sharp even if his screenplays may be too talky for some. He is in his second collaboration with Joseph Losey (the first being 'The Servant', a very good film), have a high appreciation of him ever since seeing what is one of my favourite opera films 1979's 'Don Giovanni'. The cast promised a lot too, including Dirk Bogarde in one of his darker roles.

Had seen a wide mix of positive and not so positive reactions prior to watching 'Accident'. Am not surprised at all by this, all Pinter and Losey's collaborations are divisive and 'Accident' is probably the most polarising of them. If you like fast and furious pacing, prefer rootable characters and are not a fan of sparse dialogue and a lot of pauses, it's perhaps best looking elsewhere. If you are fine with deliberately paced films and like films that disturb and move through atmosphere, 'Accident' is likely to appeal. There were plenty of reasons for me to want to see it and wasn't disappointed on the whole. It is the most polarising of the Pinter and Losey collaborations and it is not hard to see why, but there are many good things, no make that outstanding.

First and foremost, the production values are superb. The photography absolutely shimmers in atmosphere, beautifully and unsettlingly, and Oxford has seldom looked more beautiful on film. The music score has a good deal of haunting emotion without being melodramatic and Losey's direction is relentless in the increasing tension and atmosphere. Pinter's dialogue is sparse, but when it's there it's poetic and thought provoking and the remoteness of it is quite chilling.

The story is deliberate and can be seen as ponderous by some understandably, but it is also very harrowing. Not just with the most disturbing opening for any film seen in a long time by me but also the unforgettable Sunday supper, don't think many will have seen, heard of or endured Sunday suppers on film, television or even in real life that will make them feel as uncomfortable and disturbed as the one here. The tension is a mix of slow burning and relentless that increases the more awful Bogarde and Stanley Baker's characters get and the more their tense chemistry blisters.

Almost all the performances in 'Accident' are top drawer as fascinatingly written characters, they are not likeable characters but they are psychologically fascinating, their behaviours in this scenario illuminating and disturbing, and compellingly real ones. Bogarde gives one of his most unnerving and most devastating performances in one of his darkest and most detestable roles, while Baker was never more chilling as a complete amoral toad of a character. Michael York and Vivienne Merchant are also cast perfectly.

Less so for me was Jacqueline Sassard, to me she was very stiff and her limited expressions delivered too remotely. Do think actually that her character could have been left out and it wouldn't affect anything.

Did feel as well that in the more uneventful stretches the pace felt too over deliberate.

Overall, while not wowed over by it 'Accident' is a very impressive, psychologically intriguing, well made, directed and acted film. 8/10.