Gaslight (1944)

Don't you hate it when you can't remember where you placed that long, scary butcher knife?

Intro.

I don't know how widespread it is, but lately I feel like myself and everyone I know is suffering from some sort of stress-overload at work.  There's just too much to do and not enough time or resources.  Don't get me wrong, I love my job and wouldn't trade it for anything, but lately I feel like I just can't keep track of things.  It all culminated yesterday when I noticed a stain on my jacket and couldn't remember when I had spilled something on it.  My co-worker looked at it and said she didn't see anything.  I know I wasn't imagining it, but I started doubting myself.  Suddenly I felt just like Ingrid Bergman's character in Gaslight, which I had just watched.  It's funny how films can suddenly influence your thoughts and perceptions in day-to-day life.

Overview
October 14, 1875 - London is being terrorized by the Thornton Square Strangler and his latest victim is wealthy singer, Alice Alquist.  Her niece Paula (Ingrid Bergman) finds her aunt's body.  Still trying to recover and mourn on her own, Paula travels to Italy and begins to study music with Alice's former instructor.  She instead is more interested in his piano accompanist, a charming man named Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer).  They run away together and marry, and as he has always dreamed of living in London, Paula bravely offers her aunt's (now her) house.  Despite her obviously frail emotional health, Gregory tries to make the best of the home.  But it's clear that Paula isn't well and only proceeds to get worse.  She grows forgetful, loses things and starts to hear things in the boarded up attic.  Gregory continues to tell people she is sick, even when she feels well, forcing her into isolation.  He hires a pretty new maid and feeds into Paula's suspicions.  Just when Paula starts to believe that she really has gone mad, a man she had seen in the park re-enters her life.  He had mistaken her for her aunt, of whom he had been a great admirer.  His name is Brian Cameron (Joseph Cotton) and he comes to visit while Gregory is out.  He soon helps Paula uncover the truth - not only about her sanity, but about Gregory's true identity and the secrets hidden within her aunt's attic.

Highlights

Ingrid Bergman won an Oscar for her performance as Paula.  It was richly deserved.  Her slow transformation from sane and happy to tragically depressed and possibly mad is fascinating to watch.  How on earth could she think her husband would trick her or purposefully hide her things?  I thought it was rather interesting that they were married so soon after the murder, and I wonder if part of that was his idea so that her mind would still be preoccupied with mourning.  I think Paula also wanted to be married in an effort to get past her sadness - she was using Gregory as a crutch and he took full advantage.  Her final showdown with Gregory though is priceless - she finally has him all figured out and only pretends to be mad to spite him.  Just when he needs her to be sane and help him escape, she suddenly can't remember how to untie the ropes that bind him or where she's placed that long butcher knife.  It's wonderful!

I also recommend watching the first major role of Angela Lansbury.  She is delightful as the flirtatious maid and a perfect fit for this role.  Also worth watching is the busybody neighbor, Bessie Thwaites (Dame May Whitty).  She's the comic relief for the picture and does a fine job of helping the audience understand the murder from an outsider's viewpoint.  I should also mention that Joseph Cotton is great.  Think about it, how would Paula have figured it all out on her own if she had convinced herself she was mad and could never get a moment to herself?  She almost had it when she noticed the gaslights dimming without explanation.  I guess we'll never know if Paula would have recovered all the missing articles herself.

What I took away from this film was how simple it is to start doubting yourself.  Being in a fragile emotional state, Paula was in no position to get married, let alone to move back into the house, so from the outset we know she's going to have problems.  Add in Gregory's strange behavior and his pains to make her "extra" forgetful and it's a whole new level of abuse.  In her defense, who can she trust but this man she adores?  I wonder if at some level she feels like she's being punished because she wasn't able to save her aunt (she had been upstairs during the murder, and came down too late).  It leaves us each with the question of what it would take to drive us mad.  It isn't always some big, traumatic event, but sometimes a series of carefully planned incidents.  I don't know what I would have done in Paula's shoes.  And I'm not sure I want to know. 

Review and Recommendation
Overall, Gaslight is a story of an intense breakdown, marvelously portrayed by Ingrid Bergman.  A psychological mind-bender and good old murder mystery make this an excellent addition to the thriller films I've reviewed this month.  Definitely a film worth watching!  

Dial M for Murder (1954)

And I thought telemarketers were bad.

Intro.

As I've mentioned before, I love Hitchcock.  The more I watch his films, the greater I can appreciate his great camerawork and attention to detail.  So when I noticed Dial M for Murder in the television listings recently, I had to catch up on one of his films I hadn't seen before.  And this time I actually saw Hitchcock hidden in the film!

Overview 

At the beginning, Tony (Ray Milland) and Margot (Grace Kelly) appear to be a perfectly happy married couple.  That is, until we realize that Margot's returning friend Mark (Robert Cummings) was more than just her friend.  Margot tells Mark that although their affair ended a year ago, Tony's been acting strangely.  What's worse is that the only letter she kept from Mark was stolen awhile ago, and although she paid the mysterious blackmailer, she never received the letter back.  She and Mark go out for the evening, as Tony says he has to stay home and get work done.  His "work" consists of meeting an old college acquaintance, Captain Lesgate (Anthony Dawson).  More like blackmailing, that is.  Mark's been plotting the perfect murder ever since he discovered Margot's affair.  It wasn't so much jealousy as it was a way to get her money.  He's spent weeks tailing Lesgate, discovering many petty crimes and name changes along the way.  What's more he offers $1,000 - money which Lesgate desperately needs.  He describes the murder, complete with alibis - Tony and Mark will be away at a stag dinner, Tony will call at 11:00 pm, Margot will come out of her room and answer the phone at the desk.  Lesgate will have retrieved a key from outside and let himself in to hide behind the curtains.  After she answers the phone, Lesgate simply strangles her, then the murder is over and no one needs to know.  The phone call is the key.  Well, nothing seems to go exactly to plan - Margot wants to go out instead of staying home, then Tony's watch stops and finally while she's being strangled, Margot fights back and -whoops!- kills Lesgate!!  Tony has to think fast as to how to frame Margot and plants the missing love letter on Lesgate.  Although Margot is arrested and tried for murder, the police chief Hubbard (John Williams) and Mark (who conveniently is an American mystery writer) aren't convinced.  Can they prove Margot's innocence before she is executed?      

Highlights

I'm often told that I'm too detail oriented.  I'm not so sure this is always a bad thing.  Hitchcock's stories come alive because of the attention to detail.  Both in the plot itself and the characters, he has a keen eye for what matters and every line, every motion adds something vital to the story.  It's almost like watching a Hemingway story come to life - there is no room for extraneous dialogue or scene setting.  Instantly we become engaged and engrossed in this film.  What's more, Tony goes to the trouble of explaining exactly what's going to happen and how.  Then later in the film, Mark figures out what really happened and suggests that Tony "make up" the same story in order to get Margot a stay of execution.  It all comes down to the smallest of clues (which I won't reveal, don't worry).

The acting is also very well done in this film.  Grace Kelly is always a delight and she is wonderful in this role.  I was so happy when she killed Lesgate - a true victory for women!  It reminded me a lot of her stand in High Noon but I don't think I should really give that ending away either.  Anyway, she is wonderful.  I also really enjoyed watching Ray Milland as the evil mastermind - I don't recall if I've seen many of his films before, but if he's in any more thrillers, I'm going to add them to my list!  Cummings and Williams both made strong supporting actors, and I loved how the Inspector refused to give up even after the trial.  He steals the show in the final scene.

Finally, a brief mention of the amazing cinematography.  As always, the camera angles and frames comment on the film itself.  I particularly enjoyed the lower camera position as it looked up at Tony while he discussed his twisted plan with Lesgate.  The near-strangulation is also very well done with all the suspense and horror we expect from Hitchcock.  I also like how he snuck into the photo of Tony's college reunion, since most shots in this film are only inside the apartment, leaving little time for him to make his famous appearance elsewhere.  I always get excited when I find him - there are still quite a few films where I haven't seen him.  All the more reason to keep watching!

Review and Recommendation

One of Hitchcock's best films, Dial M for Murder has a tight, fascinating plot, and a story with more twists and turns than an intestine.  Okay, bad analogy, but you get the idea.  I recommend it as the standout type of murder mystery where we're let in on the who/what/why beforehand and the fun comes in following the capture of the criminal.  Great for Hitchcock fans, thriller fans, Grace Kelly fans and really, anyone with any movie taste. 

Rebecca (1940)

Intro.

Aside from the posting rules on my blog, I don't really have a system for picking films.  Usually I just get into phases where I watch a lot of films by the same actor, actress, director or something.  But I can't always choose, especially since my sources of films are 1) my own collection, 2) my friends' collections, 3) whatever's on cable, and 4) the library.  Luckily I've been getting to know some fellow classic film fans and sometimes swap DVDs.  My friend Jen just lent me Rebecca, insisting that I had to see it.  I've always loved Hitchcock, so I settled down a few nights back and watched.

Overview 

Rebecca opens in Monte Carlo, where a pretty young woman (Joan Fontaine) meets rich, handsome widower Mr. Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) through her employer, the wealthy but annoying Mrs. Edyth Van Hopper (Florence Bates).  When Edyth takes ill, her young companion spends her time with Maxim, and the two begin a sweet romance.  It's a bit of a May-December love, but it's more than enough to make them both happy.  They marry and he returns with his new bride, the second Mrs. de Winter, to his grand estate, Manderley.  There is a shadow over the entire place, as the former Mrs. de Winter, Rebecca, drowned just off shore.  The second Mrs. de Winter can feel Rebecca's presence everywhere - her initials are on everything, the staff all seems to compare her to Rebecca.  Even Maxim has moods where he is cold and aloof.  Worst is the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers (Judith Anderson), who hates Mrs. de Winter as strongly as she loved (and still loves) Rebecca.  It seems that nothing Mrs. de Winter can do can make anyone like her and soon she grows even more shy and withdrawn, even considering suicide at one point (with coaxing from Mrs. Danvers that is).  One night a shipwreck off shore drags up Rebecca's sunken boat - the one she had died on and was never found.  Her body is onboard, which means that the body buried in the family plot had been misidentified.  An inquest begins and much bigger problems test the love of Maxim and his new wife.  Rebecca seems to have won for a time, but the story holds a few more unexpected twists and shocks than anyone expects.

Highlights 

The characters in this film are unforgettable.  The simple fact that our heroine, the shy, sweet girl who marries Maxim, has no name.  She is so overshadowed by Rebecca, she can't even claim a name other than "the second Mrs. de Winter."  That's a very powerful statement.  Nevertheless, she is the heart of this film - the audience can connect with her.  There's an entry on IMDb that says Olivier had wanted his girlfriend Vivian Leigh in the role, so he had been awful to Joan Fontaine.  Hitchcock used this to his advantage and told Joan that everyone on set felt that way - they all hated her.  He wanted to get her into the same frame of mind as her character and it must have worked - she is amazing!  Her leading man, despite how he may have acted off screen, is ever so charming and gentle with her as his bride, yet we can see the change come over him once they reach Manderley.  It's fine acting, subtle but moving.  And finally there's the amazingly evil Mrs. Danvers - what a villainous woman!  She reminded me a lot of Madame Sebastian from Hitchcock's film Notorious.  So stark, so chilling, I sure wouldn't want her mad at me!     

Okay, I know I geek out over every Hitchcock film's cinematography, but it's with good reason!  Rebecca is no exception - everything about it is beautifully orchestrated.  I loved especially how Manderley was filmed as Mrs. de Winter moved about it.  At times the shadows of light through the windows make it look like a church or a prison.  At one point we see her sleeping and the bars from the window are framed like a jail over her face.  She's trapped by this dead woman.  There are times when she is framed against massive structures like a giant iron-scrollwork window or the towering fireplace where she looks as small as she feels.  It's so well done, I can't really say enough.  Good framing and camerawork can tell more of a story than the actors, so when you combine those with such great talent as Olivier and Fontaine, you know it'll be a wonderful film.

Review and Recommendation
I loved this film.  It's smart, funny, and completely breathtaking.  It'll have you on the edge of your seat.  I highly recommend it to everyone, not just because of the suspenseful story or great acting, but for an example of film making at its finest.

P.S. I should note that this film was based on the book by Daphne du Maurier and comes highly recommended by my friend Catherine.  She also confirmed that the wife was unnamed in the book as well.  Thanks, Catherine!!

Clue (1985)

Intro.

I know I've mentioned before that the usual designation of a "classic" film is that it must be thirty years old.  These are the films I try to stick to with my write-ups, but sometimes you need to bend the rules a bit.  At 25 years old, Clue has really earned a place in the realm of classic comedies.  As I was fortunate to see it in theaters last weekend, I feel as though I need to review it.

Overview

Based on the classic Parker Brothers board game, Clue takes place in a remote mansion, where six strangers arrive as guests.  They are greeted by a butler, Wadsworth (Tim Curry), then served by a maid (Colleen Camp) and a cook (Kellye Nakahara).  Each guest is given an alias - one of the characters from the board game - and all are seated in the dining room to await their host, Mr. Boddy (Lee Ving).  But when Mr. Boddy is killed, we learn that each guest was being blackmailed by him.  That means anyone could be guilty of murder.  Things go from bad to worse when they discover the cook has also been murdered.  The group splits up to search the house for any other people who may be there.  It seems no one is safe from the murderous rampage - the maid, a stranded motorist who comes in to use the phone, a police officer who came in out of the rain, even a singing telegram girl.  With only a short time before the police come to arrest the killer, the group of guests and the butler rush around to try and figure out who did what where and with what weapon (sound familiar?).  In the end we are treated not just to an ending, but three different endings - as if you're really playing the game.  Was it Ms. Scarlet in the Library with the Gun?  Colonel Mustard in the Study with the Rope?  Professor Plum in the Kitchen with the Wrench?  You'll have a lot of fun trying to figure it out in this mad-cap mystery!  

Highlights

It would have been very easy to go overboard with the comedy in this film, but what the actors did so well (especially Tim Curry) was keep it at just the right speed.  Everything is well timed and well executed.  It creates quite a wild ride that only grows faster and more frantic until you reach the ending at breakneck speed.  Each murder ups the anxiety of the guests and the humor of the film.  It does a great job of following the board game without really overdoing it.  The talented stars really create unique characters too - Martin Mull is Colonel Mustard, Christopher Lloyd is Professor Plum, Madeline Kahn is Ms. White, Eileen Brennan is Mrs. Peacock, Michael McKean is Mr. Green, and Lesley Ann Warren is Ms. Scarlet. 

The best part of the film is the ending.  Wadsworth gathers everyone for his grand revelation and says they have to "retrace" the steps of the evening, which they do at a fantastic run!  He sums it all up and makes his accusation and the murderer confesses.  Then a card comes up on screen like in the old silent films.  It says - "That's how it could have happened." (card changes) "But how about this?"  The second ending then plays out, resuming from the same point where Wadsworth first began his revelation.  At that conclusion, another card appears with "But here's what really happened" and we are treated to yet another answer. 

Review

Clue is a great comedy.  It works on many levels and has the added interest of bringing the much loved board game of whodunit to life.  I know some people who find it a bit too silly, but there are many more I've met who not only love it, but quote it often.  A favorite line among my friends is "Communism was just a red herring."  It's definitely a fun film to watch and enjoy, and I'd recommend it to anyone. 

I should also mention that Clue is very similar to one of my all time favorite comedies, Murder by Death (1976).  That film stars Alec Guiness, Peter Falk, Truman Capote, Peter Sellers, David Niven and many other amazing comedians.  Instead of a board game, it is a spoof of famous literary detectives - Sam Spade becomes Sam Diamond, Hercule Poirot becomes Milo Perrier, and so on.  All the guests arrive at a strange mansion at the request of a mysterious host, Lionel Twain (Capote).  It too is a crazy and hilarious murder mystery and one I'd also recommend - maybe even for a double feature!

Angel Face (1952)

Intro.

It seems as though May has turned into Mitchum Month without me knowing it.  I think it's because my new DVR lets me search listings by Actor/Actress.  As such, I was excited to see Mitchum in another suspense film - Angel Face.  Right from the beginning when he stepped out of an ambulance as a paramedic named Frank, I knew I was in for a great evening!  **Please note, there is no way I can discuss this whole film without giving away the ending, but I will put in a Spoiler Alert before then.**

Overview
As I said, the film starts with paramedic Frank (Mitchum) arriving at the Tremayne home, where the stepmother Catherine (Barbara O'Neill) has had an accidental brush with gas affixiation.  There are suspicions about the cause, but nothing very substantial.  On his way out, Mitchum bumps into the daughter, Diane (Jean Simmons) whom he tries to comfort.  She later follows him and they spend the evening together.  Diane learns that Frank is an ex-race car driver and wants to save up to open his own garage.  The next day Diane gets her stepmother to consider funding Frank's venture, even bringing Frank to the house to meet her formally.   Although Catherine wants to proceed with the garage, Diane tells Frank that she doesn't and plays up the "evil stepmother who never wants people to be happy" card.  Pretty soon Frank winds up falling for Diane and accepts her offer to join the family as their chauffeur.  All goes pretty well as we learn that Diane is 1) a huge Daddy's girl and 2) she's obsessed with convincing Frank that Catherine is trying to kill her.  And then one day we see Diane standing at the edge of the family's driveway and see that the path veers off to a sheer rocky drop.  The next thing you know, Catherine and Diane's father Charles (Herbert Marshall) get into their car and put it in drive.  However, the car instead accelerates very rapidly and zooms backwards, tumbling end over end off the cliff.  Diane, unaware that her father had also been in the car, is inside contently playing the piano.  Just when you think it's over, the film pulls a fast one - both Frank and Diane are arrested and, in a play to get sympathy from the jury, their lawyers have them get married.  Then, they face their trial....

***SPOILER ALERT***
It works too, as they are tried and found not guilty.  Frank, angry and disgusted as he knows Diane is guilty, leaves her after the trial to try and get back together with his ex-girlfriend.  The ex of course, turns him down, and Frank returns to a distraught and emotionally wrecked Diane.  He stupidly says he is leaving her and going to Mexico.  She pleads with him to stay and asks to make her case while she drives him to the airport.  He STUPIDLY gets into the car with her and what happens?  She is determined not to lose the only person she has left in her life, so she throws the car into reverse and drives it off the cliff as well, killing them both.        

Highlights

I think what is most remarkable about this film is that you don't really know how or when Diane will attack.  I thought Frank had indeed talked her out of killing her stepmother, then only a few minutes later the car goes off the cliff!  I had just gotten comfortable with a good old slow paced suspense film and then bam! double homicide!  It's shocking for both the audience and for Diane, who collapses when she discovers her father was also a victim.  Just the same, you don't really expect the ending - that is until you see Diane at the wheel.  These parts make up for some of the longer, more drawn out scenes and make for an interesting ride.

Robert Mitchum is very good in this role, although his character's seeming blindness to Diane's plans was pretty aggravating.  In retrospect, I think that it would have been too easy for him to see what was coming, as his character is not the street-wise private eye we're used to seeing.  He's the chump in many ways and no amount of screaming from the audience (believe me, I tried) will save him.  It's a different role than usual, but he plays the part with his usual charm and good looks. 

Review
Overall, despite some slow parts, I think this is a fine example of the old Hollywood suspense film.  Heavy on drama and suspicion, it brings together many good elements and fine acting talent to make it into a thoroughly enjoyable film.  I'm sorry if I've spoiled the film for some of you, and for those of you strong enough to skip the spoiler, go enjoy the surprise!

Suspicion (1941)

Intro.
I didn't plan to watch a lot of Hitchcock films, but the more I've watched Cary Grant in Hitch's films, the more I love them.  Suspicion was definitely my favorite so far.  I had read a lot about it previously in a few film classes, mainly because it is a prime example of everything Hitchcock did - the camera work is phenomenal, the story is filled with complexity and the characters are deep and well developed.  The special effects are wonderful too, especially the "glowing" glass of milk. 

Overview
Shy intellectual Lina (Joan Fontaine) mingles with the elite crowds of England, going on fox hunts and to balls, but she is afraid of turning into an old maid, a fear her parents have accepted as fact.  So when the charming, gorgeous Johnnie swoops into her life, she falls for him.  In less than two weeks they are married and off to an elaborate honeymoon all over Europe.  When they return to their new mansion, Lina is shocked to find that Johnnie hasn't a cent to his name and abhors the idea of working for a living.  He would rather gamble and take his chances.  The rest of the film focuses on the strain this financial trouble takes on their relationship.  Johnnie, who is obsessed with murder mysteries, starts to become fascinated by poison.  After Johnnie's close friend (and financial business partner) dies, Lina begins to fear that she too will become a victim.  Every move Johnnie then makes she suspects as a possible move to murder her.  It all ends with an incredibly terrifying drive along a cliff and well, let's just say the ending will leave you shocked.

Highlights
As I wrote above, the cinematography is incredible.  The interior of Johnnie and Lina's mansion is shot with lights flooding in through "windows" - we can see the outlines of windowpanes.  In the main foyer, the round window above makes Lina look as though she's trapped in a web, very appropriate for her growing suspicion.  And that famous glass of warm milk that Johnnie brings her (which may be poisoned) glows.  I saw on a documentary once that they had to light the milk from beneath in order to get it just the right glow.  Hitchcock has it beautifully framed too, as Cary Grant switches off the hall light and all you see is that glass of milk.  Even if it was harmless, we as an audience are just as freaked out as Lina. 

Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for this role, and she definitely deserved it.  Her character remains shy throughout the film, but where we initially saw her as completely given over to Johnnie, she quickly grows wary of his gambling and then his interest in murder.  Most impressively, we see just how hard it is for her to put on good face when interacting with the other townspeople.  She must pretend to be the gracious, grateful wife no matter what.  Hitchcock also does a great deal to really build the suspense so that as Lina's suspicion grows, ours does too - the entire film is from her point of view, so we see and hear what she does. 

Cary Grant needs recognition too.  Even though he wasn't nominated, he should have been.  I had my doubts going into this film that anyone could ever believe he could commit murder.  But boy did I believe it!  The traits Lina (and we as the audience) initially found charming grow into annoying and then almost mean.  His tone becomes more sharp and his actions more mysterious.  There's one shot where he stands in Lina's doorway as she's in bed and he looks like, well, he looks like a murderer.  A lot can be contributed to Hitchcock, but I know that any other actor would've had a harder time (trying to picture Jimmy Stewart in this role is ridiculous).  He pulls it off.  Best of all, when the ending is explained (and we realize the truth along with Lina) you can't help but feel your heart wrench.  I got so into the film that I said, "I can't believe I didn't see that!"  Of course I didn't see it, because I was watching from Lina's view point and she didn't see it either.  I won't say any more because I don't want to ruin it, but the end is truly amazing.

Recommendation
I could write a 20 page paper on why this movie deserves the title of "classic."  It's a rich experience and I highly recommend it.  It's one of the best mystery/suspense films I've seen, and definitely one of the best of Hitchcock.  It's a very close second to my favorite Hitch film, Rear Window.  I even want to watch it again, something I rarely think about when I see murder mysteries.  There's so much to see and consider that it has to be on your must-see list (if it isn't already!)