Based on John Fowles' influential novel of the same title, The Collector is a dark and pioneering film that presents us with a character unlike most other cinematic psychopaths and a situation ripe with gripping tension. Helmed by experienced director William Wyler - man who turned his hand to, and was mostly successful with, a number of genres throughout his illustrious career, The Collector is an exercise in classy, high quality horror and is an obvious front runner to films like The Silence of the Lambs. Incidentally, The Collector probably stands up better today than it did upon its release over forty years ago. The story focuses on Freddie Clegg, a wealthy but lonely man who lives in solitude in an old Tudor style mansion out in the country. His hobby is collecting and mounting butterflies, and one day he decides to apply what he knows about his hobby to the world of romance, and proceeds to deck out his basement so that a human can live there, and then goes and captures himself a 'girlfriend'. The unlucky lady is Miranda Grey, a woman who isn't too happy to oblige the collector's strange purpose for kidnapping her.

The book that this film was based on not only went on to influence other works of fiction, but also apparently became an influence for real life serial killers. The Collector's influence has allegedly inspired at least five actual serial killers; and if that isn't a harrowing fact about this story; I don't know what is! The story itself never delves into the realms of impossibility, and manages to stay realistic throughout, which lends the film an effective edge. The main focus is always on the relationship between the collector and his captive, and director William Wyler is keen to keep this at the forefront of the film. The conversations they have and the actions between the two represents compulsive viewing, and that is definitely where the true greatness of this film shines through; the scene involving the Catcher in the Eye and Picasso is this film at it's best. The style of the movie is very British, and this is complimented by the central performers. Terence Stamp is wonderfully understated, but still impressively insane, while Samantha Eggar makes a mark as the unfortunate victim. Overall, I guess that the reason why this film isn't too well respected today is down to the fact that it was so ahead of it's time. However, if you want a thriller that offers some brilliant suspense and a realistic story - The Collector is a must see!

This intensely creepy film showcases director William Wyler in his intimate, character-study mode, and features a superb performance from Terrence Stamp in the title role, as the "collector" of beauty. Stamp creates a portrait of sexual obsession that is every bit as unsettling in its way as the long legacy of serial killer movies in existence. Samantha Eggar, as one of Stamp's "specimens," is used more as a catalyst for driving the plot and less as a character for whom we have any great deal of interest. Is that a flaw of the material or the intention of Wyler and novelist John Fowles, on whose book this is based? If their intention was to make us sympathize with, and even relate to, the character with the obsession, they succeed brilliantly.

The ending genuinely surprised me, which happens all too infrequently in movies like this. The film feels like a product of independent cinema before independent cinema really existed.

Grade: A

This story is about a disturbed young man (Terrence Stamp) who has what would be referred to today by therapists as 'Erotomania'...a sick belief that a woman loves him or will love him even though she doesn't know him. It culminates with him abducting her and keeping her his prisoner for about 90% of the film.

"The Collector" is well made. After all, it was directed by the great William Wyler--the same guy who directed so many classics such as "The Best Years of Our Lives", "Ben Hur" and "The Big Country". And, while Terrence Stamp and Samantha Eggar are not seen today as top actors, they both did a very nice job and Eggar even received an Oscar nomination for the film.

So, if I think the film was a quality production would I saw I wish they hadn't even made the film? Well, several reasons. The biggest is to be found in the IMDB trivia section, as the film inspired a real life serial killer! Oops. In addition, while I really love Wyler's work, he did what Stanley Kubrick did with "The Shining"...treated an actress like garbage in order to elicit a seemingly better performance. You can also see the IMDB trivia for more about this...but his actions as director are clearly questionable! And, finally, while well made the film is very disturbing and unpleasant...such that you might feel a bit dirty for having watched it. After all, some VERY famous cases have come to light in recent years which seem very similar to the plot of this film.

By the way, while the film is well made, the shovel sequence at the end seemed VERY difficult to believe. Her actions just didn't make a lot of sense.