StudioCanal has announced a 4K restoration of Joseph Losey’s 1963 classic The Servant, starring Dirk Bogarde & James Fox.
To celebrate the centenary of British acting legend Dirk Bogarde StudioCanal has announced a brand new 4K restoration of Joseph Losey’s ground-breaking classic The Servant.
The multiple BAFTA-winning film, which has been meticulously restored as part of their Vintage Classics collection, will have a UK premiere at Edinburgh International Film Festival on the 19th August, opening more widely in cinemas on the 10th September before the 4K UHD Collector’s edition Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital releases on the 20th September.
Based on the screenplay by revered playwright Harold Pinter, The Servant stars beloved British actor Dirk Bogarde (The Blue Lamp, Darling) in the title role, alongside James Fox (A Passage To India, The Chase), Sarah Miles (The Big Sleep, Ryan’s Daughter) and Wendy Craig (The Nanny, The Mind Benders).
Cited by Bong Joon Ho as one of five films that influenced his best picture winner Parasite, The Servant is considered ahead of its time for its ambitious cinematography and its exploration of class and sexual politics in 1960s Britain. It boasts stunning cinematography from Douglas Slocombe (The Lavender Hill Mob), a fantastic soundtrack by composer John Dankworth (The Avengers) and is considered by many to be one of the greatest British films of the last century.
Scanned from the original negative on the ARRI 4K, the restoration was completed at Silver Salt, taking 450 hours. In-depth manual repair was undertaken on certain reels, some requiring significant stabilising and dirt clean-up work and sections of the film were wet-gate scanned and scratch fixed. The film was also graded in Dolby Vision in order to capture more detail and contrast than ever before.
As well as this painstaking restoration work, there are a whole range of bonus features on the special UHD collector’s edition Blu-ray. The Servant is presented in both 1.66 and 1.77 aspect ratios and content includes a brand-new video essay with Matthew Sweet and Phuong Le, a new location featurette with Adam Scovell, a Richard Ayoade interview with James Fox, plus interviews and commentaries with cast, crew and industry experts.
The full list of extras includes:
- Video essay with Matthew sweet and Phuong Le
- Location featurette with Adam Scovell
- Trailer
- Stills Gallery
- James Fox interviewed by Richard Ayoade
- Interview with Wendy Craig
- Interview with Sarah Miles
- Interview with Stephen Woolley
- Harry Burton on Harold Pinter
- John Coldstream on Dirk Bogarde
- Audio interview with Douglas Slocombe conducted by Matthew Sweet
- Joseph Losey & Adolphus Mekas at the New York Film Festival in 1963
- Harold Pinter Tempo Interview
- Joseph Losey talks about THE SERVANT
- 64-page booklet with essays from Peter Bradshaw & Anna Smith
A little bit about the film, as well as a new trailer for the restoration –
Sexual tensions and class conflicts run high in must-see classic The Servant with BAFTA-winning performances from Dirk Bogarde and James Fox. Marking the first of three collaborations between director Joseph Losey and celebrated playwright Harold Pinter, The Servant follows sly and seductive manservant Barrett (Bogarde) as he worms his way in to the affections of foppish aristocrat Tony (Fox). Barrett’s awe-inspiring efficiency cleverly masks his true intentions, ultimately giving way to a suspicious and insidious control where the roles of master and servant are reversed. Adapted from Robin Maugham’s short story and with stunning black & white photography from cinematographer Douglas Slocombe, The Servant is a thrilling and ingenious British classic that’s not to be missed.
You can see The Servant at Edinburgh International Film Festival on the 19th August, in cinemas from the 10th September and pre-order the 4K UHD Collector’s edition Blu-Ray, DVD & Digital – releasing on the 20th September.
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