Spellbound (1945) directed by Alfred Hitchcock
I enjoyed Spellbound but noticed that it wasn't quite up to par with Hitchock's other thrillers and then I realized why; it's not really a thriller. Certainly there is mystery involved but very little of the gripping suspense that we are accustomed to from Hitchock. At its heart it is a film about psychoanalysis where we spend a lot of time listening to characters analyze each other. Not that I have a problem with that or anything because I found much of it interesting. But the film does feature some really great sequences, including a surreal dream sequence that was designed by Salvador Dali. This is the standout scene that everyone remembers about this film and it is unlike anything else from a Hitchcock film.
Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman) is a very analytical thinking doctor at a mental asylum who is often made fun of for her lack of human emotion. However she feels an immediate sense of attraction to the new director, the handsome and intelligent Dr. Edwards (Gregory Peck). However Edwards is not what he seems, turning out to be an impostor and possible murder suspect of the real Dr. Edwards. He is suffering from amnesia and cannot remember who he is or if he really is a killer. Having fallen in love with him, Constance is convinced of his innocence and runs away with him trying to treat him and figure out what happened to the real Dr. Edwards.
In Spellbound's signature scene Edwards describes a surreal dream that holds the key to everything. Constance must interpret the dream and discover its meaning. It is a fantastic and unique looking set piece with eyes floating in the background. Apparently Dali designed more set pieces for the film but they were ultimately cut and the scenes were lost forever which is a shame.
The climatic finale where everything comes together is great and I loved the POV shot with the gun. After the scene I actually said aloud, "That's pretty sweet."
Overall the film is pretty solid though some of the lengthy analysis seemed to drag on a little, often shifting the focus away from the mystery suspense of the film to intellectual discourse on a subject that while interesting isn't that interesting. It does feature the ever lovely Ingrid Bergman and young Atticus Finch for some star power which always helps.
Grade: B
I enjoyed Spellbound but noticed that it wasn't quite up to par with Hitchock's other thrillers and then I realized why; it's not really a thriller. Certainly there is mystery involved but very little of the gripping suspense that we are accustomed to from Hitchock. At its heart it is a film about psychoanalysis where we spend a lot of time listening to characters analyze each other. Not that I have a problem with that or anything because I found much of it interesting. But the film does feature some really great sequences, including a surreal dream sequence that was designed by Salvador Dali. This is the standout scene that everyone remembers about this film and it is unlike anything else from a Hitchcock film.
Dr. Constance Peterson (Ingrid Bergman) is a very analytical thinking doctor at a mental asylum who is often made fun of for her lack of human emotion. However she feels an immediate sense of attraction to the new director, the handsome and intelligent Dr. Edwards (Gregory Peck). However Edwards is not what he seems, turning out to be an impostor and possible murder suspect of the real Dr. Edwards. He is suffering from amnesia and cannot remember who he is or if he really is a killer. Having fallen in love with him, Constance is convinced of his innocence and runs away with him trying to treat him and figure out what happened to the real Dr. Edwards.
In Spellbound's signature scene Edwards describes a surreal dream that holds the key to everything. Constance must interpret the dream and discover its meaning. It is a fantastic and unique looking set piece with eyes floating in the background. Apparently Dali designed more set pieces for the film but they were ultimately cut and the scenes were lost forever which is a shame.
The climatic finale where everything comes together is great and I loved the POV shot with the gun. After the scene I actually said aloud, "That's pretty sweet."
Overall the film is pretty solid though some of the lengthy analysis seemed to drag on a little, often shifting the focus away from the mystery suspense of the film to intellectual discourse on a subject that while interesting isn't that interesting. It does feature the ever lovely Ingrid Bergman and young Atticus Finch for some star power which always helps.
Grade: B
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