Veteran British director Basil Dearden shaped mid-20th-century English film with his prolific body of work--but upended everything after World War II and going independent. The amazing Criterion Collection setBasil Dearden's London Undergroundshows Dearden's fearless take on weary postwar London. The films in the set--Sapphire,All Night Long,The League of Gentlemen, andVictim--share unsettling noir qualities, creative and unnerving scores, and groundbreaking takes on controversial topics.Victim: Dearden takes a cue from Hitchcock'sStrangers on a Trainin this tale of homophobia, blackmail, and desperation. Dirk Bogarde gives an unforgettable performance as a respected barrister who gets caught up in a scandal that threatens to unravel the British judicial system--and, maybe worse, its status quo.The League of Gentlemen: This seminal caper film influenced dozens of later movies likeOcean's Elevenand even the Beatles'Help!Jack Hawkins stars, along with Richard Attenborough (a favorite of Dearden's), Roger Livesey, and Bryan Forbes--though the shaping character inGentlemenis the War--and how it shaped each man for the thrilling task at hand.Sapphire: The only film of the four shot in color,Sapphirestill carries deep elements of film noir in its mystery and affect. Nigel Patrick plays the world-weary inspector investigating the murder of a young college student--a murder that may have been racially motivated.All Night Long: Dearden retellsOthelloagainst the backdrop of the London jazz scene of the late '50s and early '60s. The cast is headed by Patrick McGoohan and a spunky Richard Attenborough, but the true stars ofAll Night Longare the jazz musicians who play themselves, and who jam together during the entire film. Jazz fans will love seeing Charles Mingus, Dave Brubeck, and many others mill around as characters in an increasingly tense tale that can only end in tragedy.Basil Dearden's London Undergroundis a fascinating piece of film history for fans of British film, film noir, and all mid-century filmmaking. --A.T. Hurley