William Wyler. At the time, Wyler was a titan of Golden Age Hollywood ( Ben-Hur , Roman Holiday , The Best Years of Our Lives ). He was known for grandeur and humanism. The Star (Clegg): Terence Stamp. The embodiment of 60s cool. He was a fashion icon, a mod-era heartthrob who had just starred in Billy Budd . The Star (Miranda): Samantha Eggar. A classically trained British actress with fierce intelligence.
That line—written by Fowles, delivered by Stamp in —is the thesis statement of the lonely male ego. It predicts the internet incel, the stalker with a manifesto, the man who cannot see the person behind the glass. 1965 the collector
The narrative follows (Terence Stamp), a socially isolated bank clerk and amateur lepidopterist who wins a fortune in the football pools. He uses his winnings to purchase a secluded country estate, which he outfits with a soundproof basement cell. William Wyler
Stamp strips the character of any theatrical villainy. Clegg is a man who simply does not understand human connection. He views people through the same lens he views his butterflies: as beautiful objects to be captured, pinned, and preserved. He cannot comprehend that the very act of capturing Miranda destroys the "life" he admires in her. The Star (Clegg): Terence Stamp