This wonderful thriller from 1943 is a mid-period masterpiece from director supreme Alfred Hitchcock. His sixth American production since Rebecca only three years earlier, it was regarded by the auteur as his personal favourite, and it is not hard to see why. Neither is it hard to see why it is so often overlooked in favour of other masterpieces such as Psycho, Rear Window or The 39 Steps.
The subject matter here is dark and perhaps more psychological than other examples of his work from this period. Joseph Cotten plays Charlie Oakley, a suspicious character on the run from the law. He goes to stay with his sister's family, whose daughter, also called Charlie (played by Teresa Wright), feels a pseudo-telepathic link with her mysterious uncle. This is not overstated; merely, she feels they share a connection akin to twins, though to the modern viewer this relationship may feel a tad more unhealthy than that.
Shot in inky black and white, the film's aesthetic is dark and yet never murky, a decided contrast to the bright clarity of Rebecca. There is a vaguely surreal feel to some of the plot - the girl's father and his colleague pass the time by discussing diverse and grim ways to murder each other. The surface tranquility of the Californian suburb in which the family live is gradually disturbed, revealing the unrest underneath; a pair of men who may be investigating the elder Charlie turn up asking the family about their apparent normality, a concept the younger Charlie cannot bear. Not until the final act does the tension break, as Charlie's suspicions of her Uncle finally come to a head, and yet we are not treated to a trademark Hitchcock showdown, rather the denouement is abrupt and deliberately unsatisfying.
Innovative in both its direction and plot, the film is blessed with a terrific script by renowned writer Thornton Wilder. As an interesting side note, this film probably most directly shows Hitchcock's influence on David Lynch, whose Blue Velvet borrows somewhat from the plot and themes here.
So, an assured and innovative masterpiece from the master of suspense, and a film both psychologically and visually well ahead of its time.
5/5
The subject matter here is dark and perhaps more psychological than other examples of his work from this period. Joseph Cotten plays Charlie Oakley, a suspicious character on the run from the law. He goes to stay with his sister's family, whose daughter, also called Charlie (played by Teresa Wright), feels a pseudo-telepathic link with her mysterious uncle. This is not overstated; merely, she feels they share a connection akin to twins, though to the modern viewer this relationship may feel a tad more unhealthy than that.
Shot in inky black and white, the film's aesthetic is dark and yet never murky, a decided contrast to the bright clarity of Rebecca. There is a vaguely surreal feel to some of the plot - the girl's father and his colleague pass the time by discussing diverse and grim ways to murder each other. The surface tranquility of the Californian suburb in which the family live is gradually disturbed, revealing the unrest underneath; a pair of men who may be investigating the elder Charlie turn up asking the family about their apparent normality, a concept the younger Charlie cannot bear. Not until the final act does the tension break, as Charlie's suspicions of her Uncle finally come to a head, and yet we are not treated to a trademark Hitchcock showdown, rather the denouement is abrupt and deliberately unsatisfying.
Innovative in both its direction and plot, the film is blessed with a terrific script by renowned writer Thornton Wilder. As an interesting side note, this film probably most directly shows Hitchcock's influence on David Lynch, whose Blue Velvet borrows somewhat from the plot and themes here.
So, an assured and innovative masterpiece from the master of suspense, and a film both psychologically and visually well ahead of its time.
5/5
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