Darling

"When she was good she was very, very good… and when she was bad she was DARLING!"

1965 2h 8m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

★6.7TMDB · 158

DramaRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Diana, a beautiful but shallow and easily distracted model and failed actress, toys with the affections of several men while attempting to gain fame and fortune in Swinging London.

“When she was good she was very, very good… and when she was bad she was DARLING!”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Julie Christie
Diana Scott
Dirk Bogarde
Robert Gold
Laurence Harvey
Miles Brand
José Luis de Vilallonga
Prince Cesare della Romita
Roland Curram
Malcolm
Basil Henson
Alec Prosser-Jones
Dante Posani
Gino
Umberto Raho
Signor Palucci

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: John Schlesinger
Writers: Frederic Raphael
Languages: Italian, French, English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

61 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Italian, French, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by John Schlesinger, shot by Kenneth Higgins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John Dankworth. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Jim Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Julie Christie and Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When she was good she was very, very good… and when she was bad she was DARLING!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0059084 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

John Schlesinger directs. Kenneth Higgins behind the camera. John Dankworth scores. Jim Clark cuts. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in Italian, French, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

161 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Dialogue crosses 3 languages: Italian, French, English.
3Directed by John Schlesinger, shot by Kenneth Higgins. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by John Dankworth. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Jim Clark shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Julie Christie and Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Harvey carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "When she was good she was very, very good… and when she was bad she was DARLING!".
8IMDB entry: tt0059084 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "london, england", "paris, france", "extramarital affair", "swinging 60s".

The technical file

Cinematography: Kenneth Higgins
Original score: John Dankworth
Editing: Jim Clark
Costume design: Julie Harris
Makeup / hair: Bob Lawrance
Runtime: 128 min · 2h 8m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: Darling (1965)

Awards

Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Black-and-White
Golden Globe Award for Best English-Language Foreign Film
National Board of Review: Top Ten Films
National Board of Review Award for Best Actress
BAFTA Award for Best British Screenplay
Academy Award for Best Actress
Academy Award for Best Writing, Original Screenplay

Individual records documented via Wikidata; the summary above may count more.

Also by

John Schlesinger

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Nutshell2019-08-03
★ 6/10
A sometimes interesting character study of a young actress / model and her downward spiral in 1960s London. Good performances all around, but no likeable characters at all. Possibly good fare for a rainy Saturday afternoon.
CinemaSerf2022-11-10
★ 7/10
Julie Christie is on top form as the determined "Diana". She is an attractive aspiring model and nothing is going to stop her reaching her goals - fame and fortune! She is married and initially in love with "Tony" (TR Bowen) but a chance interview with "Gold" (Dirk Bogarde) offers her new opportunities and horizons and soon they are adulterers together! Not for long though, he introduces her to "Brand" (Laurence Harvey) and, well you get the drift. Finally, she ends up in a bit of a shell marriage to the Prince Cesare (José Luis de Vilallonga) and it is at this point she gives the interview that provides us with this retrospective of her life that is largely told via flashback. John Schlesinger works his cast really well here and together with a cleverly constructed screenplay from Frederic Raphael; some creative photography from Ken Higgins and some stylish fashions courtesy of Julie Harris offers us a potent insight into the vanity and shallowness of industries where people are commodities, and those who use and abuse it (on both sides) are only ever one step away from depression and failure. It is too long, and the story can be a little sluggish at times, but Christie is an excellent choice for "Diana" and she throws her heart and soul into her characterisation. It's still apposite almost sixty years later - and sends a salutary message to anyone who might think there are any easy wins in this hard-as-nails business that rarely values loyalty or longevity.