In 1961, Basil Dearden’s neo-noir film, Victim, was released in the United Kingdom. Although Victim initially faced some controversy from the British Board of Film Censors, it eventually received critical acclaim. Since then, Victim has consolidated itself as a classic within British cinema. Moreover, it has since been credited for helping to liberalize attitudes towards discussions of homosexuality in British film and television, as well as wider society. Victim was the first British film to explicitly name homosexuality and shine it in a light of sympathy. This is hugely significant, taking into consideration the wider context. By 1961, the nature of homosexuality in Britain was still controversial, and it would be for 6 more years until law reform legalized homosexual relations. Many have attributed this reform, and developing liberal attitudes to media representation, with Dirk Bogarde’s role particularly cited within this change. Dearden’s Victim follows a barrister, Melville Farr, played by Bogarde, as his successful life and career becomes threatened by blackmail. After Farr’s previous lover, Jack Barrett, played by Peter McEnery, ends his life due to blackmail, Farr decides to risk it all by taking the blackmailers head-on. How the film treats the gay men in this film is revolutionary for its era, paving the way for others of its kind.