Rating summary

Movie		5.0
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		5.0
Overall		5.0

The Servant Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov April 9, 2013

Joseph Losey's "The Servant" (1963) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal. The supplemental features on the disc include an original trailer for the film; interview with actor James Fox; interview with actress Wendy Craig; interview with actress Sarah Miles; interview with Harry Burton, director of Channel 4's Working with Pinter; interview with producer and director Stephen Woolley; audio interview with cinematographer Douglas Slocombe; archival video interview with playwright Harold Pinter; and a lot more. In English, with optional English SDH, French and German subtitles for the main feature. Region-B "locked".

Isn't it hot in here?

After years of living and working in Africa, Tony (James Fox, A Passage to India) returns home to London and buys himself a new home. To get the house in order Tony also recruits Barrett (Dirk Bogarde, The Night Porter, The Damned), a quiet and very efficient servant.

Barrett immediately decorates the house like a stylish club for wealthy gentlemen. Then he proceeds to reorganize Tony’s chaotic life. But the move quickly annoys Tony’s upper-class fiancee, Susan (Wendy Craig, The Mind Benders), who likes to be in control. With Tony present, Barrett is made aware that his efforts are not appreciated.

Sensing that tension is building up, Tony attempts to spend more time with Susan and make her understand that Barrett is simply trying to be helpful. For a while Susan relaxes, but when Barrett accidentally spoils what should have been a very special night for her and Tony, she once again confronts him.

But instead of stepping back, Barrett introduces his sister, Vera (Sarah Miles, Blow-Up), to Tony. Shortly after, she is hired as a maid. Before Susan can intervene, Vera completely overwhelms Tony with her physical attributes and he makes a crucial mistake.

Based on the novel by Robin Maugham (nephew of Somerset), Joseph Losey’s The Servant is a wildly entertaining and subversive film that is rightfully regarded as one of the greatest ever made in Britain. Scripted by the legendary Harold Pinter, The Servant is like a giant puzzle whose pieces can be rearranged in endless ways to expose different themes and undertones.

The film is loosely divided into two somewhat uneven parts. In the first the main characters’ interactions are predetermined by a familiar set of rules – Tony, the wealthy master, gives all the orders and Barrett, the poor but sophisticated servant, follows them. Here the two men are well aware of their roles and never dispute them. Vera’s arrival, however, quickly undermines the authority of the master and a gradual shift of powers occurs. After a series of provocative scenes, most highlighting in different ways the hypocrisy of the master and his servant, the roles are discarded. Without their masks the ‘new’ characters and their actions are carefully used to produce some quite scathing observations about the true nature of the British class system.

Also in the second part plenty of attention is given to the homoerotic nature of the relationship between the stripped of their class identities characters. Very sharp and at times brilliantly subversive exchanges between them repeatedly target different stereotypes and prejudices.

The majority of the film takes place inside the house where the master and his servant live, but it never feels claustrophobic. On the contrary, light and shadow are carefully used by the great cinematographer Douglas Slocombe (Jesus Christ Superstar, The Titfield Thunderbolt) to give the film a notably stylish look. A fantastic jazz score with lush sax solos courtesy of John Dankworth (TV's The Avengers) also compliments the elegant visuals.

*In 1964, The Servant won BAFTA Awards for Best British Actor (Dirk Bogarde), Best British Cinematography, and Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles (James Fox).

The Servant Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.64:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Joseph Losey's The Servant arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of StudioCanal.

Freshly restored, The Servant looks remarkably healthy in high-definition. There are dramatic improvements in every single area we typically address in our reviews, from detail to contrast stability to shadow definition. All close-ups boast outstanding depth while the few panoramic shots (see screencapture #5) convey terrific clarity. Even extremely small objects are now extremely easy to see. Furthermore, there are absolutely no traces of excessive degraining corrections. Sharpening corrections have not been applied either. Needless to say, the film has a very solid organic look. Large debris, stains, cuts, and flecks have also been carefully removed. Serious compression anomalies also do not plague the high-definition transfer. When projected, the film also remains exceptionally tight around the edges. All in all, the new restoration has literally given this classic film a new life. Indeed, it looks absolutely spectacular. (Note: This is a Region-B "locked" Blu-ray release. Therefore, you must have a native Region-B or Region-Free PS3 or SA in order to access its content).

The Servant Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There are two standard audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: English DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 and German DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0. For the record, StudioCanal have provided optional English SDH, French, and German subtitles for the main feature.

The lossless English track opens up the film very well. The wonderful sax solos for instance are lush, crisp, and very well rounded. The dialog is also stable, clear and free of problematic background hiss. Overall dynamic intensity is modest, but there is a good range of nuanced dynamics. For the record, there are no audio dropouts or problematic high-frequency distortions.

The Servant Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Trailer - original trailer for The Servant. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (3 min, 1080/50i).

• Stills Gallery - a collection of stills from the shooting of the The Servant. (1080p).

• James Fox Interviewed by Richard Ayoade - in this new video interview, actor James Fox (Tony) recalls how he became involved with The Servant as well as his first encounters with director Joseph Losey and Dirk Bogarde. Mr. Fox also talks about the different reactions the film generated, its very unique narrative, etc. The interview is conducted by director Richard Ayoade (Submarine). In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (46 min, 1080/50i).

• Interview with Wendy Craig - in this new video interview, actress Wendy Craig (Susan) discusses her contribution to The Servant and Joseph Losey's work ethic. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (6 min, 1080/50i).

• Interview with Sarah Miles - in this video interview, actress Sarah Miles (Vera) recalls how she was chosen to play her character, her parents' initial reactions to the final version of the film, what it was like to work with Joseph Losey, etc. The actress also discusses what is arguably the most famous scene in the film. In English, with optional French and English subtitles. (11 min, 1080/50i).

• Interview with Stephen Woolley - in this new video interview, producer and director Stephen Woolley (Great Expectations, Breakfast on Pluto) discusses the unique qualities of The Servant. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (11 min, 1080/50i).

• Harry Burton on Harold Pinter - in this video interview, Harry Burton, director of Channel 4's Working with Pinter, discusses Harold Pinter's legacy and political fascinations. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (14 min, 1080/50i).

• John Coldstream on Dirk Bogarde - in this video piece, John Coldstream, Dirk Bogarde's official biographer, discusses the legendary actor's life, image and legacy. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (19 min, 1080/50i).

• Audio Interview with Douglas Slocombe - acclaimed cinematographer Douglas Slocombe talks about his collaboration with director Joseph Losey on The Servant. The interview was conducted by Matthew Sweet at Mr. Slocombe's home on October 15th, 2012. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (20 min, 1080/50i).

• Joseph Losey & Adolphus Mekas at the New York Film Festival - this video discussion was recorded in 1963, after the first edition of the New York Film Festival, where The Servant was screened. Director Joseph Losey, director Adolphus Mekas ( Hallelujah the Hills), festival organizer Richard Roud, and festival coordinator Amos Vogel discuss the future of the newly founded festival, the selection of films, the unique themes in The Servant, the film's message, etc. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (28 min, 1080/50i).

• Harold Pinter Tempo Interview - an archival video interview with playwright Harold Pinter. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (31 min, 1080/50i).

• Joseph Losey Talks About The Servant - in this archival video interview, director Joseph Losey explains what inspired him to shoot The Servant, and discusses Dirk Bogarde, Sarah Miles, and James Fox contribution to the film as well as its unique atmosphere. In English, with optional French and German subtitles. (6 min, 1080/50i).

The Servant Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

StudioCanal's 50th anniversary Blu-ray release of director Joseph Losey's masterful film The Servant is a thing of beauty. Recently restored, the film looks absolutely spectacular, without a shadow of a doubt the best it ever has. Also included on the release is an outstanding selection of supplemental features, amongst them many exclusive new interviews. As far as I am concerned, this is the most complete addition to The StudioCanal Collection we've seen to date. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.