Movie Stats:
Released 1944 (USA)
American, in English
Director - George Cukor
Stars - Ingrid Bergman, Charales Boyer, Joseph Cotten
Plot Summary:
Ten years after the unsolved murder of her aunt, Paula Alquist (Bergman) returns to the woman’s home with her new husband, Gregory Anton (Boyer), a man with a secret. Cotten co-stars as Brian Cameron, a police employee who’s suspicious of Gregory. If you’ve ever heard the term “gaslighting,” it comes from this story.
Warnings:
Very minor violence.
Bad Stuff:
[SPOILER]
Gregory’s plot seems overly complicated. Once it was clear that Paula didn’t have the rubies, why all the mind games? Her house was vacant, why did he have to marry her to sneak into it? Who waits around 10 years to get his hands on some jewels? He must be the most patient criminal ever.
[SPOILER]
I didn’t find Brian’s motivation for getting so involved in the situation particularly believable.
Good Stuff:
The acting is excellent. I particularly enjoyed Boyer, Angela Lansbury (as the Antons’ impertinent maid, Nancy), and May Whitty (as the Antons’ nosy neighbor, Miss Thwaites).
I like how intense it is without the use of jump scares or physical violence.
Really enjoyed the costuming, set design & score.
About the Performance:
Bergman’s isn’t my favorite performance of the film, but she’s still very good. It’s rather heartbreaking to see her go from a deliriously happy young woman in love to a person questioning her own sanity, all in the space of a few months. Her confusion and emotional pain are palpable through the screen. I thought she chewed some scenery during the final confrontation scene, but apart from that, it was a fine piece of acting.
Other performances of Bergman’s I’ve reviewed: Notorious; Casablanca.
The Verdict:
This section will contain SPOILERS. I liked this film a lot. It’s not an easy watch. Gregory’s psychological and emotional torture of Paula is as difficult for the viewer to endure as it is for her. I really hated him, which is exactly what I was supposed to feel. I rooted hard for Brian to help Paula, for Paula to realize that Gregory was the problem, and for Gregory to get his comeuppance. I was engrossed. My husband came in partway through the film and, much to my surprise, became engrossed as well. Apart from my issues with the plot, my only problem with the film is I wondered if it was more thrilling before the term “gaslighting” became widespread. For me, it was never a question whether Paula was crazy. I knew that Gregory was the bad guy. Was that obvious back in the 40s? It’s difficult to say. Still, it’s a well-acted, tense movie.
I give it 4 stars.
3 comments:
You make a good point about audiences in 1944. Some things you can't recreate. Like watching the Sixth Sense in its initial run in the theater.
I'm also wondering how many words that are common now come from movies. I tried googling, but the google wasn't quite getting what I was getting at.
Also, I think you should have some way of tracking which movies Dan happens on and gets engrossed in. I think this was not the first one, no?
Definitely not the first one! I never can tell what's going to grab his attention. The other day I was watching that new Mowgli movie on Netflix & he actually sat down and started watching it with me, which surprised me (I had to turn it off before finishing & haven't gone back to it).
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