An Engimatic Acting Career Feted In London

One of the truly enigmatic and varied careers on the screen was that of the British actor Dirk Bogarde. The British Film Institute has assembled a two-month homage to the actor starting this month at the BFI Southbank.  The actor’s entire oeuvre will be explored, including his ingénue phase in the British cinema of the 1950s (when he was regarded as a matinee idol romantic lead and skillful comedian) to his landmark performances in such edgy, envelope-pushing films as director Basel Dearden’s VICTIM (1961), Joseph Losey’s THE SERVANT (1963) and John Schlesinger’s DARLING (1965). Looking for new challenges beyond the shores of his native country, Bogarde then embarked on a most daring phase of his career, working with some of Europe’s most iconic and demanding film auteurs including Luchino Viconti (DEATH IN VENICE, 1971), Liliana Cavani (THE NIGHT PORTER, 1974), Werner Rainer Fassbinder (DESPAIR, 1978) and Bertrand Tavernier (DADDY NOSTALGIE, 1990).  The series is appropriately titled Dirk Bogarde: He Who Dared….and it is that daring that critics, fellow actors and serious film buffs still remember as one of the most fascinating of the past 50 years. For more information on the complete series and other special announcements, visit: www.bfi.org.uk

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