it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

One theory about why people collect things is that in a world where chaos constantly threatens, and where one has little control over fate, collecting is one area where control can be retained. "The Collector" is a story about a man who desperately wants to control one thing in particular – the woman he has become obsessed with.Although "The Collector" seemed pretty shocking in 1965, William Wyler said at the time that he intended to make a modern love story, but it's hardly that. Based on John Fowles' novel, the film may actually have been quite prescient, especially in light of the number of urban abductions and imprisonment of women that have occurred over the intervening decades. However the film's rather old-fashioned, near Gothic style, plus an over-the-top performance from Terence Stamp softened the nastiness of it all. But with that said, it's still pretty creepy.Terrence Stamp's character, Freddie Clegg, is a socially inept bank teller and butterfly collector who has won a fortune on the football pools. He comes across an isolated country home for sale. He is particularly interested in its large cellar, which he thinks might help him fulfil a fantasy that has become an even bigger interest than butterfly collecting. He is obsessed with a girl, Miranda Grey played by Samantha Eggar. With his newfound wealth he buys the country home then snatches Miranda off a street after chloroforming her. He keeps her prisoner in the cellar, and although he treats her more like a pampered houseguest, Freddie has complete power over her. He desperately wants her to fall in love with him, but as is the way with such obsessions, love and hate are closely linked. Miranda tries everything to extract herself from the situation even agreeing to stay for a month without struggle. Eventually she offers herself sexually. This enrages Freddie who has issues with intimacy – especially when Miranda is conscious. The changes in Freddie's feelings spell great danger for Miranda. The film follows the ending of the novel and it's a bleak one. Terrence Stamp's mannered performance is distracting. This included squeezing himself into a suit, which was at least a size too small, no doubt in an attempt to help capture Freddie Clegg's constrained personality. The twisted nature of the character is reinforced by Stamp's twisted posturing – just in case we missed the point. Samantha Eggar on the other hand, is perfect as Miranda Grey. She is the type of unattainable beauty who might easily attract the attention of a stunted personality such as Freddie Clegg – he knows he would never be able to associate with her on an intimate level under normal circumstances. Eggar's reactions are believable as her character undergoes various mood swings during her imprisonment. The audience identifies with her and she never loses their sympathy while Freddie never gains it.Maurice Jarre's score has been criticised as a hindrance in this film. His rich, melodic style certainly wasn't right for everything. The criticism is justified in this case as the music misdirects the mood of the film at crucial moments. Wyler was a meticulous craftsman who made many famous films, but the attention to detail that made many of his films great, made this one heavy instead. Although he coaxed a very good performance from the inexperienced Samantha Eggar, in my opinion, "The Collector" remains more of an oddity than a great movie.

When I recently saw "The Collector" 1965 on Fearnet OnDemand. I didn't know what to expect as the main male character collects butterflies and is a Bank Clerk played by Terrence Stamp. Where could this go? I thought and little did I Know I was Taken on a Deep Reaching Emotion Filled Trip!As the overly-withdrawn bank clerk decides to get a certain woman for a permanent date of sorts!This is when one is taken on the Trying Emotional Trip That is done excellently by the pacing of the movie to let one feel they are going through this situation themselves and getting into the character of the Woman played by Samantha Eggar as well by odd enough in spots for the man- Terrance Stamp!I was actually stunned by this movie and will always have feelings for the female character and highly recommend, bringing to life what these captured Women go through in a situation that still unfortunately continues and would help one to understand what these women go through!It's Effectively Emotionally Disturbing and one should watch it in quiet when they won't be disturbed and this is the Best Way to watch this to Feel the Full Impact of the Situation Yourself!Not many movies in Fact no new ones bring out the Emotions in me like this one did! Only a 60's Classic like this can Leave Me Stunned in Real Life!Totally Top! In Fact Samatha Eggar and Terrance Stamp Won Awards for this well deserved! Samatha Eggar received a nomination for The Academy Award for Best Actress for "The Collector" Directed by William Wyler also did win Cannes Film Festival Best Actress Award The Golden Globe Award for Best Actress- Motion Picture Drama The Sant Jordi Award for Best Performances in a Foreign Film Among others, as well from the fans and people that saw this realistic slice of Human Culture As Unfortunate as it is! Another interesting note is that the Movie was original 3 hours in length so 61 minutes got cut out!There was a different ending made also but it was not used for effect and a good choice for true impact! I would like to see a restored version but at that perhaps Thats what made it be such a Stunner as released!! So Brilliant on that! As I know that can be drastic to meaning of movie as well the Producer and Director and the Stars for sure!It's completely worthy as released for a fact! Please watch it by yourself in the dark with no disturbances because you will become disturbed by this Classic!Excellently played by Samatha Eggar!Samantha Eggar is engrossing and you feel for her character in the movie!I noticed elements of later movies apparently that were influenced to copy!

No – Not Really. Terence Stamp constantly has the same psycho-look on his face. He actually looks like Mr. Bean – which indicates how much my thoughts were drifting during this supposed thriller.Man kidnaps young lady – holds her hostage. He wants her to fall in love with him. When she does – or pretends too – he has too much psycho impotence to react accordingly. The young lady has innumerable escape opportunities which she does not take advantage of. There is so much credibility lost through-out this arduous 2 hour film that it boggles. The dialogue is monotonously repetitive – He says "Please love me and talk with me"– and she replies "I hate you and set me free why don't you babe – you just keep me hangin' on" (well not quite). At the end she dies blissfully and we hardly know why. Our psycho-killer can continue on his merry trajectory and make a sequel.

Director William Wyler's adaptation of a novel by John Fowles concerning a disturbed young man's obsession with a beautiful woman who he eventually kidnaps and places in a basement room. The film is solidly made and acted and while it is interesting to watch, it is never gripping or compelling. It doesn't have any of the sordid messiness that the material requires and would have given it the edge it needs. Wyler's solid direction is at odds with the material. It's too neat and tidy. Samantha Eggar is a standout despite the fact that the ending feels like a cop out.I was interested in seeing "The Collector" only because it was directed by William Wyler who was one of the top directors in Hollywood from the 1930's through the 1950s. "The Collector" is fascinating because the story itself is a bit perverted and falls into the realm of Hitchcock, not Wyler (I kept thinking about Hitchcock's "Psycho" throughout). Why would Wyler, a solid veteran of Hollywood Movie Workhorses, be drawn to a dark film about an egotistical "head-case" who collects butterflies and decides that he wants to collect a beautiful woman he has long admired and keep her to himself? I have not found anything about his reasons but his involvement makes "The Collector" worth a look. Certainly, nothing about the story makes it worthy. What might have seemed daring and cutting edge back in 1965 now seems tame and has been done numerous times and better (the film is like "Misery" with the gender roles reversed). Nothing about what happens between the beautiful Miranda (a painfully beautiful and likable Samantha Eggar) and creepy Freddy (Terence Stamp) is really unique or even very interesting. But "The Collector" does hold your interest. The movie's opening moments are confusing. Wyler's attempts to establish Freddie as a character does not work completely enough to substantiate the act of kidnapping. Once Freddie has kidnapped Miranda and places her in a dungeon like setting, "The Collector" starts to come together. It becomes a character study of a demented, delusional loser who still pines for love and his prisoner's attempt to some how get out of the situation alive. In the scenes between Miranda and Freddie, Wyler's strength shines and Eggar is particularly good. She's lovely to look at and you can certainly understand why Freddie is attracted to her. Eggar's eyes show us how she is trying to assess the situation for an escape while Freddie keeps changing his methods and reasons for holding her captive. Without Eggar or a comparable actress, "The Collector" wouldn't work at all. It is too bad that what limited success the film does achieve falls squarely on Eggar's shoulders because Terence Stamp's Freddie is the reason the film fails to compel. It's not necessarily Stamp's fault. He is a great actor and though he is playing a stiff (or a demented dork), Stamp is never stiff or dull. "The Collector" simply does not establish how we are meant to feel toward Freddie until the very end when a piece of throwaway narration finally lets us know that he is psychotic (probably a sociopath). I doubt the intention by Wyler's was to create this ambiguity. If the film had made Freddie's character clear, then we would feel more peril for Miranda and her situation. As it plays out, we are confused by him and never really know if he is dangerous or just a bit of a lonely nut looking for love. This confusion elicited some seemingly contradictory and expected reactions. Take for example the scene where Miranda is tied up in the bathroom while the neighbor visits Freddie. When Miranda turns the bathtub water on so it overflows I found myself actually not wanting the neighbor to notice. I was actually on Freddie's side for some reason. If Hitchcock had made "The Collector" then I could see him doing something like this. He's the type of director who would have loved to have the audience side with the psycho but he would have made Miranda somehow unlikeable. In Wyler's film, he has not convinced us of Stamp's true nature (the upbeat, chirpy music that underscores many of Stamp's scenes certainly does not help). Therefore, the film feels uncertain and unfocused and it kills any tension.In the end, it comes down to the direction. As good as Wyler is, material like this is not something that is within his expertise. Perhaps he was, in his late career, trying to do something new. Having been a long time film maker, he might have sensed the changing times and tried to stay relevant. It's a worthy effort. "The Collector" required a director with a vision to create a sense of constant menace. The material should not have been smartened up the way Wyler does it but played for it's pulpy, scary aspects. Hitchcock could have done it. Certainly Polanski could have too and his "Rosemary's Baby" just three years later managed to be lot of what "The Collector" could have been.