Accident (1967) review

Outside the home of Oxford professor Stephen (Dirk Bogarde) a car crash takes place involving two of his students, Austrian Anna (Jacqueline Sassard) and William (Michael York), and then the movie engages in an extended flashback to show their history together: William first admits he has feelings for Anna, Stephen falls in love with her as well (despite being married with children), Stephen cheats on his wife with the daughter of the provost (Delphine Seyrig) and Stephen's colleague Charley (Stanley Baker) has a "secret" affair with Anna.  Acclaimed playwright Harold Pinter adapted the novel by Nicholas Mosley (and even has a small role as a "TV person"), but the unorthodox structure and Losey's frozen solid approach (in an attempt to "artsy" it up) are there to mostly cover up how unremarkable the premise is, as the three grown men "compete" with each other (notice that several sports are played, from tennis to rugby to cricket).  The depiction of women isn't what you'd call flattering - the wives are easily pushed aside, Seyrig's blonde isn't all there and Anna herself is more of an object than an autonomous human - although the fellows are scuzzy too: I suppose spending too much time studying philosophy turns one either into a hermit or a horn ball.