Breakinger A Brilliant Conflict

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

mraculeated The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

Neive Bellamy Excellent and certainly provocative... If nothing else, the film is a real conversation starter.

Art Vandelay The best part of this movie is being able to watch Julie Christie flit and flirt for two hours. I have no problem with her being awarded the Oscar, either, as she shows a wider range than I had thought possible. Having said that, this movie is blatantly in love with itself. The kind of movie that screams, ''look at how edgy and clever we are.'' I liken it to American Beauty in that regard. But like that latter-day bauble that won the Oscar over half-a-dozen far-more worthy films, Darling thinks it is cutting edge when it's just stiff and plodding. Maybe it was exciting to uptight Britons who grew up on meat rations, or Marxist labour activists who enjoyed the pot-shots against the ruling class, media and advertising world, I don't know. There is no way anyone watching this post-British Invasion would have found this remotely edgy, much like American Beauty and its middle-finger to middle-class conformity was about as daring as two tickets to the matinee performance of Jersey Boys.

jery-tillotson-1 I had not seen this film since 1965 when I was a college student but remember how electrifying it was to see a young, charismatic Julie Christie at the beginning of her peak years. She's given some great scenes to show off her multi-faceted personality and she throws herself into the amoral model, Diana, who sleeps her way to the top. I can't imagine any other actress who could have done this without being repulsed by her naked greed and amorality. Christie had an inner radiance that makes her likable throughout this ground-setting import from London. England had become a hot movie center during this era, giving us such phenomenal movies like "Georgy Girl," "women in love," "Isadora," and many more. We can see this movie as a time machine which captures the raw energy of that era as our sexuality began to expand into new realms from the staid values of the past. This is a terrific movie to watch from time to time and watch an early phenomenon begin her golden career.

Jugu Abraham Julie Christie deserved her Oscar. So did the scriptwriters--"Should Popes be ancestors?" And no on-screen sex when the film is considerably about sex! When the lead character becomes a princess one is reminded of Princess Diana's own life. Both are Dianas. A very unusual, complex work from Schlesinger.I did not appreciate the film when I saw it in the Sixties; now I do. What a great year for Christie--this and "Dr Zhivago."The social commentary is hard hitting--young black boys serving snacks and drinks to perverted white adults, the facetious interest of the idle rich in feeding the hungry around the world as the rich gobble food they do not need to eat, of rich princes busy renovating their palace's washing closets.

tomsview I saw this film recently when it appeared as part of Fox Classics Australia's Spotlight on British New Wave Cinema.Also included were "Look Back in Anger", "Saturday Night and Sunday Morning", "Georgie Girl" and "Alfie". What an extraordinary collection of films. I remember how exciting they were when first released - they were real game changers.Discounting obvious superficialities such as hairstyles, clothes and automobiles, "Darling" in particular still seems fresh and vibrant to me. I was surprised to read that some serious critics dismiss it these days using words like modish, trendy, flashy, cynical and most damning of all, "out of touch with the realities of the life-styles that it purports to represent". However, judging the film purely on its entertainment value today, I would be more likely to use words such as compelling, clever, poignant and original.Julie Christie captures the spirit of Diana Scott, the beautiful young model who bounces from lover to lover only to realise that she bounced one time to many; in a heart-wrenching finale, she comes to see how shallow and unfulfilled her life has been, and that it is not possible to turn back the clock.Julie Christie dazzles in this film; from this distance you can appreciate just how unique she was, and how her beauty helped define the look of the 60's. However, beyond the Swinging 60's, I think her character shows how easily doors can open for beautiful people, but if the wrong ones are chosen, eventually age and lost opportunities join forces to bring the fun to a grinding halt.Good as Dirk Bogarde is as Robert Gold, the standout for me among the other stars is Laurence Harvey. He plays a variation on the good-looking, arrogant cad that he had made his own whether from the upper class, the working class or even defending the walls of the Alamo; I've always found him eminently watchable, and he is perfect as the licentious Miles Brand.Director John Schlesinger, cut his teeth making documentaries and you can see the influence in the way the film is structured. Although some critics felt he was overly influenced by the films of Godard, Bergman and Antonioni, I would say that it was more his documentary background that allowed him to bring a fresh perspective to the film."Darling" is a great looking film that benefits from location shooting in England, France and Italy. More than just a film for the archives, "Darling" still gets you in. The film won many accolades when it was first released, and as far as I'm concerned it hasn't lost much of its lustre at all.