Released in 1971, "Villain" came hot on the heels of the British gangster classic, "Get Carter." There was a sudden popularity in producing a more gritty and violent kind of British film and later on, television. I remember my brother recorded this film on a late night showing and after I saw a clip, I decided it was a bit much on the violence front. Richard Burton plays the kind of London gangster who is modelled on real life thug and lowlife Ronnie Kray. As Vic Dakin, Burton is a sadistic, evil, mother-obsessed and gay mobster who runs an area of London via a money- laundering and protection racket. He has friends in high places and no one is brave enough to give a statement to Scotland Yard - who have been gunning for Dakin for years. Dakin gives a demonstration of his sadism in one of the opening scenes of "Villain" and for the times, it is quite shocking and graphic. Dakin makes the mistake of straying from his own comfort zone by planning an armed robbery and it proves to be his downfall....... Richard Burton doesn't always convince me as a hard nut, he is a bit miscast in this film. There is a great supporting cast here. Nigel Davenport, Donald Sinden, T.P McKenna and Joss Ackland all stand out. There isn't loads of action but "Villain" was never meant to be about that, the film is motivated by the writing and the acting. The direction is pretty solid. One action scene, is the robbery part of the film. It is well made. The pace rattles along agreeably enough and the climax is one to remember. "Villain" didn't do very well at the box office and Richard Burton's career wasn't done many favours. However, this is definitely worth a few viewings.

This is a gritty, urban, British gangster film. The Long Good Friday can trace itself to this film. Much akin to the Michael Caine film, "Get Carter", which was released around the same time. It was a forerunner to the current crop of British gangster films, such as Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Layer Cake. Burton is the Villain of the title. He's the 'gov'ner of a group of west end thugs. Burton transforms himself in this film. He is pure evil and malice and as compelling to watch as a snake.The action in the film is propelled by a factory payroll robbery - its planning and its aftermath. There is big money at stake, but this type of crime is a bit out of Vic Daykin's (Burton's) league. His gang is usually into protection/extortion rackets. Plus he is relying on the discretion of a mousy and resentful middle aged low ranking clerical worker at the factory who feels unappreciated by his wife and employer and doesn't have a problem helping Daykin with insider information.Burton is fantastic in this role. There is extreme tension and especially violence here, so it might not be for everybody. Daykin is paranoid of everybody, enjoys beating people up with his bare hands just for the fun of it, and seems to hate/mistrust women to the extreme with the exception of his elderly mother to whom he is very gentle.Only one gaping plot hole that I could find, and that was Daykin bringing the two outside mobsters in on the payroll job. If, he in fact "doesn't know anything about their boys", and he trusts his own guys as much as this guy is going to trust anybody, why would somebody as paranoid as he bring outsiders in on the biggest job of his life? I'd recommend it. Just remember if you are accustomed to lots of introspective angst and dialogue from Burton, you don't really get that here. It is not that kind of film.

A towering monument to Eastend gangster-hood, VILLAIN loosely incorporates the persona, history and traits of the Kray twin's mythology into one thunderingly mad and menacing character - Vic Dakin (Richard Burton).Sharply scripted by British sitcom maestros Clement and La Frenais (The Likely Lads, Porridge) this is a fabulously nasty and paroxysmally brutal foray into the London underworld. A place where straight razors, shotguns, revolvers and blunt instruments are the tools of the trade and egocentric kingpins of crime play out cut-price Machiavellian games for a piece of turf.Burton's character - a sadistic homosexual psychopath with a mother-fixation - sounds like a blatant cliché. Luckily, his performance keeps things on the right side of the thin line between believably escalating paranoid psychosis and unrestrained pantomime ham. It's a close call, but Liz Taylor's more talented other half pulls it off - just. He pitches things somewhere between Cagney's Cody Jarrett and the real-life Ronnie Kray and is a truly magnetic act to watch. His final deranged but chilling rant is worth the price of admission alone. It will linger with you.At the time of release, there was much controversy over the violence and the perverse sexual content but nowadays that won't strike as all that shocking, whereas the casual and unpleasant misogyny probably will affront the delicate PC sensibilities of some sensitive souls.VILLAIN stacks up well against those other iconic early seventies British crime classics GET CARTER and SITTING TARGET and is greatly enhanced by Burton burning up the screen with barely restrained ferocity and venom. Compulsive viewing, well worth looking at.

Another excellent release from Warner Archive, has Richard Burton playing a violent, sadistic, homosexual, deranged killer, who loves his mum and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. His performance is dark, gritty, and scary. Spoiled and crazy, the end scene (which I will not give away) says it all. Ian Macshane is great as his business partner, and boy toy. Nigel Davenport is also great as the Inspector, as is Donald Sinden as the dirty, cheating MP. Joss Ackland is great, as he always is. This is one film that I guarantee you will not take your eyes off the screen. I put this film up at the top of British gangster films with, "Get Carter," "The Long Good Friday," and "Loophole," I highly recommend this gem. ***