Darling (1965)

Darling: Directed by John Schlesinger. With Julie Christie, Laurence Harvey, Dirk Bogarde, José Luis de Vilallonga. Beautiful but amoral model Diana Scott sleeps her way to the top of the London fashion scene at the height of the Swinging Sixties.

“Julie Christie is u0026quot;Darlingu0026quot; in this 1965 film directed by John Schlesinger, and also starring Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey. Schlesinger does a beautiful job of showing us u0026#39;60s London as it was, and yet he managed to make a film that is just as timely now.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eJulie Christie is model Diana Scott, a gorgeous, ambitious young woman who moves from man to man without attachment and with the intention of helping her career. She dumps her first husband and breaks up the marriage of a British journalist (Bogarde) and then moves on to a pleasure-seeking advertising executive (Harvey), and finally, marries an Italian prince. Itu0026#39;s one of those lives that sounds great – she has beauty, money, men, glamour, travels in the circles of the beautiful people. But she has no emotional attachments, no love, and nothing that she has feels right or is anything she wants. All the external trappings of celebrity, but itu0026#39;s a shell.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA really terrific movie, and I have to agree with the posters whose comments I read that Julie Christie is perfection in every way. Bogarde and Harvey give her excellent support. As an aside, Christieu0026#39;s wardrobe is stunning.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eNone of the characters are very likable, except perhaps Bogarde, who in spite of leaving his wife and family does truly love Diana.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eDespite the cold realities of Darling, weu0026#39;re even more obsessed with celebrity today, which makes the film even more interesting. But when you look at a photo, see someone in a magazine or on the screen, youu0026#39;re only dealing with a persona, not the flesh and blood individual. Itu0026#39;s a fantasy. Darling shows the audience whatu0026#39;s behind the fantasy – and itu0026#39;s not very pretty.”