Review of The Collector (1965) by Chris B — 26 Jan 2012

William Wyler is best known for is grandiose epic 'Ben-Hur.' After this bombastic success, he toned it down a bit and went for more quietly powerful films. "The Collector" was one of his last films and got him his 12th and final Best Director nomination and effectively delivers the terror of kidnapping with a minimal cast.

The film focuses on Frederick Clegg and his obsession with Miranda Grey, whom he kidnaps. As the film progresses, we are shown glimpses of the recesses of Clegg's mind and his obsession with Miranda. The clear parallel with Miranda as a "rare species" added to Clegg's collection makes the film all the more harrowing.

The film is rooted in two, solid performances by Terence Stamp as Clegg and Samantha Eggar as Miranda Grey. Stamp was known, at the time, as box-office gold in England and was used, usually, to make money. He pulls out all the stops playing the dispicable and perhaps misunderstood Clegg. He cranks up the creepy and socially awkward factor, especially telling in the scene where he reveals his collection to Miranda. Wyler also stresses Eggar to the limit and did a fantastic job in coaxing a brilliant performance out of her.

It is a taut thriller. Having read John Fowles's brilliant novel, it is easy to draw comparisons between the novel and the film. Wyler opts not to develop certain elements of the novel, mainly the emphasis on the major allusion of Shakespeare "The Tempest" seen in the novel. However, Wyler makes up for this stressing the metaphor of the collector and emphasizing the deep class divide between Miranda and Clegg with disastrous results.

In Wyler's second last film, he is not afraid to focus on a minimalist approach which contrasts with some of his earlier war epics and Ben-Hur. What he proves here is that he is comfortable in any medium. He gets some powerful performances out of the two actors and creates a tightly-knit and complex thriller.