Alfred Hitchcock's Under Capricorn
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Movie Reviews of Alfred Hitchcock's Under Capricorn
Movie Review: One of the unknown and nevertheless one of the best films of Hitchcock
Summary: 5 Stars
By some thoughtless prejudices "Under Capricorn" is rejected among the people who love violence and action as an "untypical" or "tedious" film of Hitchcock which lacks for suspense and goose-flesh (Hitchcock himself most cynically and deliberately contributed to similar prejudices by his commentaries towards the public and Truffaut). In fact this film is as deep and beautiful as "Vertigo" and as terrifying and psychologically subtil as "Psycho" (these latter films seem to be some kind of a scale in valuation of all other films of Hitchcock). "Under Capricorn" is full of symbols and motives which recur in the earliest and the latest films of Hitchcock. The theme of guilt and past ("Vertigo"), the motive of being addicted to alcohol (TV-film "Poison") and the motive of the deep love between the married couple ... all these themes are combined with each other to a wonderful masterpiece of cinematic and human art. Hitchcock shows Ingrid Bergman and her rival (Margaret Leighton) with a most empathising subtility, there is a strict and mirror-like duality among the characters, everybody seems to be the exact counterpart of the other (something like a photograph and the negative).
The visual quality of the film on this DVD (edited by "Image Entertainment") is, I have to admit, not as good as the quality of other well known films of Hitchcock which are on DVD (for example the editions by "Warner" or by "Criterion"), but it is at least much better than that terrible French edition by Universal ("Les Amants du Capricorn") and it is, so far as I can see, the only acceptable and obtainable edition (the German edition by "Kinowelt" is cut and therefore worthless); there is no bonus on the DVD but I am not missing it at all. The menue is very good and shows the chapters in detail. I like this edition.
Movie Review: Did These Other Reviewers Watch The Same Film?
Summary: 5 Stars
Here's the deal...If you liked "Rebecca", "Jamaica Inn" or "Rope" you are going to LOVE "Under Capricorn". I mention those three films because it has elements of all of them. Ingrid Bergman gives one of her best performances (and she has had quite a few great ones) and Joseph Cotten delivers in a difficult and in many ways subtlely demanding role. Michael Wilding's performance is quite interesting when you compare it to the one he gave in Hitchcock's "Stage Fright". I really loved this film. The score is beautiful and effective, the color magnificent (Criterion really should get on the ball and do a treatment of this - only real complaint i had was with the dvd iteself and it not having the greatest menu in the world or any extra features) and the cinematography is honestly some of the best of Hitchcock's career with incredible dolly and crane shots that will blow your mind. It also does have suspense. Not "Psycho" or "Vertigo" suspense mind you but it isn't that kind of story and it is unfair and inappropriate to expect that from a film of this type. One reviewer mentioned that this film is rather "talkie"...Granted it is but in a good way...I don't mind a lot of dialogue if it is good dialogue and Hume Cronyn (Cocoon and husband of Jessica Tandy) did a tremendous job adapting the source material. Keep in mind this is a period romance film with bits of psychological mystery thrown in for good measure...But it is above all a love story and a very good one in my mind. The plot itself also has engaging things to say about the conflicts that many people of Irish descent had to face in those days. Recently I have seen basically every Hitchcock film ever made that has been released on either vhs or dvd and I have got to say in my humble opinion it is indeed one of his absolute best.Movie Review: Great film!
Summary: 5 Stars
This movie gets a lot of mixed reviews, but anything negative is unfounded. The film is wonderful! It is more talkitive than regular Hitchcock films, but it is essential to understand the plot, which is so complex that it is absolutly Hitchcockian. Joseph Cotten keeps you guessing until nearly the end of the film about whether or not he's good or bad and Bergan's journey from fallen lady back to grace is, as usual, very well acted.
While this isn't the film for the Hitchcock fan only, it is great. It's not a film the action seeker only will enjoy. You have to be willing to listen to the conversation and handle the slower pace at the start. It quickly picks up in the middle and doesn't dissapoint.
Movie Review: A forgotten gem comes to DVD!!
Summary: 4 Stars
First off my thanks to Image for bringing this little seen Hitchcock film to DVD. I haven't seen the DVD yet so I don't know how the color hues of this late 40's film have held up. Image was a high quality Laserdisc producer and they have carried on with DVD. They have produced fifty titles for Universal and many more both for other studios and on their own. While light on extras the price, at least lately, is always fair for the product offered. Something I can't say of every DVD producer out there. "Under Capricorn" was Ingrid Bergman's last film for Hitchcock. Shot in color it does feature a Hitchcock cameo appearance in a crowd. While it does not have the flash of some of his later films, it has some moody and creepy moments as Bergman is being haunted by a jealous housekeeper. Also notable is Joseph Cotten who gives his usual excellent performance along with a nice turn by Michael Wilding. As the 1993 Sterling Video VHS release has been out of print for some time I can't wait to see this DVD. Thanks, CALMovie Review: Mellow. Drama. Hitchcock?
Summary: 3 Stars
Although I have collected nearly all of Alfred Hitchcock's films on DVD, I put off watching this one for a long time. I suppose it was because of the mixed reviews I'd seen over the years, and the fact that the plot itself did not seem to resemble what I expect a "Hitchcock film" to be. It was, ultimately, my love for Ingrid Bergman, not the director himself, that bid me to give this one a chance.
And I'm glad I went into it with that mindset, because it's a little hard to think of Under Capricorn as a film made by the "master of suspense." First off, because there IS no suspense. OK, there's a bit of tension as the (SPOILERS AHEAD) romantic triangle of the film's lead players unfolds. And there are a handful of interesting shots, chiefly the long takes which Hitchcock used a year earlier in Rope and a year later in Dial M for Murder. But basically, this is a period melodrama which affords little opportunity for the director to show much flair.
Two things save Under Capricorn from being such a labor to watch, though. The first, not suprisingly, is Bergman. The makeup and wardrobe department deserve special mention for her initial appearance, in which one of the most beautiful actresses of all time (a pronouncement with which I'm certain Alfred Hitchcock himself would have agreed) look deathly ill. Hitch's camera always loved Ingrid Bergman, and she gets plenty of closeups here. The other redeeming factor the film has is lush Technicolor cinematography. The print used by Image, while perfectly acceptable, does occasionally suffer some saturation problems. This is also a "bare bones" release, meaning all you get is the film itself with no extras.
I think Under Capricorn might be more appreciated by viewers who enjoy these sort of period dramas than by fans of Hitchcock. Still, it's not a bad little movie. And it's certainly recommended for Bergman fans.