Sapphire (1959)

65% of users liked it
(60 ratings)

Nigel Patrick and Michael Craig portray two Scotland Yard detectives who are investigating the murder of a young black woman who had been passing for white. As timely a topic today as when made in an England rampant with racial prejudice in the 1950s, it stays just this side of an in-depth… More Nigel Patrick and Michael Craig portray two Scotland Yard detectives who are investigating the murder of a young black woman who had been passing for white. As timely a topic today as when made in an England rampant with racial prejudice in the 1950s, it stays just this side of an in-depth indictment of racism and bigotry as the detectives investigate the vast array of suspects--everyone from the girl's white boyfriend and his parents who feared that the association would destroy his career to the boys that the girl had spurned when she was accepted by white society. ~ Tana Hobart, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 32 min.
Directed By: Basil Dearden
Genres: Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Classics

In Theaters: Apr 21, 1959 Wide
On DVD: Sep 12, 2011

Critic Reviews

Sean Axmaker, Parallax View
This is Important Cinema with Socially Relevant Themes and, while surely daring in its day, comes off as insufferably patronizing and sanctimonious at times.
Glenn Heath Jr., Slant Magazine
British auteur Basil Dearden pulled back the veil of his society's outcasts, dismembering crippling social stigmas by highlighting their torment, humanity, and resolve for change.

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Featured Audience Ratings

Chris B

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! The first big success of Basil Dearden, Sapphire is the story of a girl with this name that is killed in the beginning of the film. Throughout the film we follow the detectives around and are introduced to a number of potential suspects, eaxh with their… More
THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS! The first big success of Basil Dearden, Sapphire is the story of a girl with this name that is killed in the beginning of the film. Throughout the film we follow the detectives around and are introduced to a number of potential suspects, eaxh with their own motives and stories. The characters are well developed and add richness to the film. The movie deals with racism and several racial slurs including the N word. Although controversial, especially by today's standards, the racially motivated plots are what add most of the tension and ultimately the cause of the murder.