L'obsédé

A butterfly collector finds a Camberwell Beauty and then sets his sights on a larger specimen ( i.e. a human whom he had been secretly admiring for some while ) to add to his collection ! Despite that this film has a limited number of characters, two to be precise, it is very good and captivating indeed, thanks to some excellent camera work and a semi-Hitchcockian sound track ! Naturally, and even more so with this type of film, it's the first viewing which leaves the lasting impression ! Now where could that lovely old house have been situated ? ? The picture quality is absolutely excellent and whilst viewing it recently it suddenly seemed to me that the 1960's were only yesterday and that the forty years that have elapsed since the making of the film had all been condensed into a form of black hole.

Films using a limited number of characters and a pretty basic plot are a bit of a risk but this one passes the test with flying colours and there are little if any dull moments. Both characters perform excellently and the viewer can sympathize with both, especially at the outset ; only as the film advances does one become aware of the underlying horror and this indeed makes the film far more effective than any old blood-and-gore horror movie.

First-time viewings are sure to wear down the edges of most of the viewers' seats ! To be recommended to all those who privilege suspense over special effects !

After winning a large amount in the pool in Reading, the outcast bank clerk and entomologist Freddie Clegg (Terence Stamp) buys an isolated house in the countryside. He stalks the art student Miranda Grey (Samantha Eggar) in London and uses chloroform to kidnap and bring her in his van to his house. The sociopath Freddie locks Miranda in the cellar and she discovers that he has had an unrequited crush on her since they were teenagers. Freddie promises to respect Miranda with his platonic love and to release her in a month on June, 11th. He shows also his collection of butterflies carefully kept in a room. However, Miranda feels that she is another collectible species only for the deranged man that feels power and control with the situation and he has no intention to let her go.

"The Collector" is another masterpiece of William Wyler that has been copycatted along the years by filmmakers that presently add violence, torture and gore to the plot. The performances of Terence Stamp and Samantha Eggar are top-notch in this theatrical film and they succeed to carry alone the whole story. I can not precisely tell how many times I have watched this film, but the last time I had seen it was on 07 October 2000. Surprisingly "The Collector" has only been released in Brazil in a rare VHS, a pride and joy of my collection. My vote is ten.

Title (Brazil): "O Colecionador" ("The Collector")

Note: On 03 May 2013, I saw this movie again, now on an imported Blu- Ray.

The Collector is one of the best movies I've ever seen with regards to suspense. This 1965 movie sent chills down my spine several times. Terence Stamp (Freddie Clegg) is exceptional. At first the movie appears a bit silly, but horror soon steps in. Freddie Clegg collects butterflies and then he collects a woman. Literally. He keeps her locked in his basement. Definitely not for children, but this movie is a must for horror fans. I recommend it highly.

A man (Terence Stamp) kidnaps a woman (Samantha Eggar) and holds her hostage just for the pleasure of having her there.

In his autobiography, Stamp confessed surprise as being chosen for the role, expecting Anthony Perkins or John Hurt to play Clegg. Having been chosen, he assumed (as had most others) that Julie Christie — regarded at that time as the best young actress of the era — would be given the role of Miranda, but Wyler chose Eggar because he thought it would introduce the correct air of sexual tension and awkwardness between the two protagonists. Wyler also knew Eggar had turned Stamp down when they both were studying together at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art.

I think this casting is both devious and brilliant. I don't think of Wyler as one of "those" directors, but maybe I should. Casting a woman to make Stamp uncomfortable, and then torturing Eggar on the set... he may be much more of the mean-spirited and exacting type than he comes across from his earlier films.

Allegedly, the original cut ran over an hour longer. Most of the time I don't really want movies to be longer than 90 minutes to two hours. But this is a film I could use more of. It was perfect, and at the risk of ruining that perfection, I would like to see what more was filmed.

Based on John Fowles' influential novel of the same title, The Collector is a dark and pioneering film that presents us with a character unlike most other cinematic psychopaths and a situation ripe with gripping tension. Helmed by experienced director William Wyler - man who turned his hand to, and was mostly successful with, a number of genres throughout his illustrious career, The Collector is an exercise in classy, high quality horror and is an obvious front runner to films like The Silence of the Lambs. Incidentally, The Collector probably stands up better today than it did upon its release over forty years ago. The story focuses on Freddie Clegg, a wealthy but lonely man who lives in solitude in an old Tudor style mansion out in the country. His hobby is collecting and mounting butterflies, and one day he decides to apply what he knows about his hobby to the world of romance, and proceeds to deck out his basement so that a human can live there, and then goes and captures himself a 'girlfriend'. The unlucky lady is Miranda Grey, a woman who isn't too happy to oblige the collector's strange purpose for kidnapping her.

The book that this film was based on not only went on to influence other works of fiction, but also apparently became an influence for real life serial killers. The Collector's influence has allegedly inspired at least five actual serial killers; and if that isn't a harrowing fact about this story; I don't know what is! The story itself never delves into the realms of impossibility, and manages to stay realistic throughout, which lends the film an effective edge. The main focus is always on the relationship between the collector and his captive, and director William Wyler is keen to keep this at the forefront of the film. The conversations they have and the actions between the two represents compulsive viewing, and that is definitely where the true greatness of this film shines through; the scene involving the Catcher in the Eye and Picasso is this film at it's best. The style of the movie is very British, and this is complimented by the central performers. Terence Stamp is wonderfully understated, but still impressively insane, while Samantha Eggar makes a mark as the unfortunate victim. Overall, I guess that the reason why this film isn't too well respected today is down to the fact that it was so ahead of it's time. However, if you want a thriller that offers some brilliant suspense and a realistic story - The Collector is a must see!