The time period is 1961 in England when homosexuality was still illegal and where gay men were sometimes forced to pay blackmail money to nefarious crooks who threaten to turn them in to the police thus giving them jail time and ruining their lives and careers.

As the film starts a young man called 'Boy Barrett' is on the run from the police. As the film unfolds is becomes apparent that the young man has committed some kind of crime and needs help. The crime is not revealed – for obvious reasons: the filmmakers want us to understand that homosexuality is treated as a real crime.

The young man tries to get help from various other men friends in the area but no one will help him. One of the men is Melville Farr (Bogarde) a well known judge who refuses to answer his calls.

Melville lives to regret that decision. But when he is faced with a blackmail ring himself he realizes that due to his high position in the legal system he may be able to not only rectify his previous callous position but to do something to prevent future blackmail crimes from being committed.

Besides being a thriller of sorts the film is also a personal drama about the struggles that Melville Farr and his beautiful wife (Sylvia Syms) have to deal with on a day to day basis.

Victim is directed by Basil Dearden a relatively unknown director who was in excellent form for this film. The pacing is tight, the acting is top notch (especially Bogarde as the restrained, upstanding barrister who has the ideal life) and the overall story is affecting. So much so, in fact, the film caused a stir in Britain that helped overturn the outdated laws against gays.

Video:
The film is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.66:1 and is shot in gorgeous black & white. The image shows some wear and age but otherwise it has nice contrasts much like film noir.

Audio:
The audio is okay. There is nothing special with the sound although every line can be heard just fine and that's a plus since the script is verbose.

Extras:
There is one first-rate extra titled Dirk Bogarde in Conversation, which is a vintage interview from 1961 that runs close to 30 minutes. For Bogarde fans this is a must. For those who don't know him the extra is a good introduction to the attractive, well mannered star. There are good insights into his film and he has a lot to say about his career. Other than this the only worthwhile extra is a short essay by David Thompson, which is informative - if not a tad bit critical of the film. There is also a theatrical trailer.

Overall:
Victim is the kind of DVD that most people would pass over at the video store yet it is better than most dramas today. The film should be seen not only for its subject (the then taboo homosexuality) but because of the top-notch acting, directing and scripting. Victim is released by Home Vision Entertainment a company that – fortunately for us – continues to release classics that have been forgotten, passed over or misplaced for far too long.