When Victim came out in 1961, homosexuality was illegal. Director Basil Dearden’s neo-noir thriller was the first British film to name it explicitly – and treat it sympathetically. It centers around a blackmail scheme targeting a closeted barrister (Dirk Bogarde, who was himself closeted), and his pursuit of the blackmailers after their scheme turns deadly. Initially banned in the U.S., it’s now celebrated as a groundbreaking queer film, here video-introduced by expert film programmer Elizabeth Purchell, who’ll shed more light on its history and social impact. – Kat McNevins
