← Back to results
Darling
1965 128 min United Kingdom 12+
★7.6
Drama, Romance
Director: John Schlesinger
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
EN
Description
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.
Starring
Julie Christie
Actor
Dirk Bogarde
Actor
Laurence Harvey
Actor
Awards
Academy Awards 1966
— Best Costume Design (Black and White)
Academy Awards 1966
— Best Original Screenplay
Moscow International Film Festival 1965
— Diploma
Academy Awards 1966
— Best Original Screenplay
Moscow International Film Festival 1965
— Diploma
Academy Awards 1966
— Best Picture
Academy Awards 1966
— Best Actress
Moscow International Film Festival 1965
— Main Prize
BAFTA 1966
— Best Production Design (Black and White)
BAFTA 1966
— Best Screenplay for a British Film
Academy Awards 1966
— Best Director
Golden Globe 1966
— Best Foreign Film in English
Golden Globe 1966
— Best Actress (Drama)
Golden Globe 1966
— Best Director
BAFTA 1966
— Best British Actor
BAFTA 1966
— Best British Actress
Key opinion
Darling is a stylized 1960s character study that captures the hollow nature of celebrity culture and the moral ambiguity of its protagonist. While it is widely praised for its technical craft and cultural foresight, viewers are deeply divided on the film's emotional resonance and the likability of its central character.
| Acting | Julie Christie delivers a commanding performance that captures the complexity and cold ambition of the lead character. | |
| Cinematography | The cinematography and production design effectively mirror the superficiality of high-society glamour and the decay of consumer culture. | |
| Direction | John Schlesinger’s direction provides a raw, unflinching look at the era's shifting social norms and the emptiness of fame. | |
| Theme | The film’s commentary on vanity and the commodification of personality remains strikingly relevant in the modern era. | |
| Screenplay | The narrative is polarizing: some view the protagonist as a compelling study of existential emptiness, while others find her irredeemably vile and uninteresting. | |
| Pacing | The film’s pacing creates a divide between those who appreciate its deliberate, contemplative tempo and those who perceive it as slow and occasionally aimless. |