Though a tad dated and tame by today's standards, this 1961 drama was not only ground-breaking in its depiction of homosexuality, but it also marked the occasion when Dirk Bogarde broke free from his popular matinée idol image. He plays a closet homosexual barrister whose former lover is arrested and commits suicide to protect Bogarde's name. This tragic death leads Bogarde to a blackmail ring targeting gay men, which he decides to pursue at the risk of his marriage (to Sylvia Syms) and his career. Although director Basil Dearden insisted that homosexuals should be called "inverts", the movie nevertheless refuses to pigeonhole or patronise its subject, depicting homosexuality in every class, every walk of life and every district in town - stopping short only at Downing Street.

A web of blackmail and murder attracts the attention of a barrister with a seemingly idyllic life, threatening to derail his career on the path of success.