Gaslight
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Movie Reviews of Gaslight
Movie Review: A superbly polished, brilliantly creepy Victorian melodrama.
Summary: 5 Stars
George Cukor's "Gaslight" is so wonderfully polished and compelling an entertainment that it's hard to know where to begin with the praise. Of course Cukor's direction is impeccable, as are the photography and production design. But the performances are really what make "Gaslight" unforgettable. Ingrid Bergman won the first of her two Oscars for "Gaslight;" while to my taste she overdoes a couple of her hysterical scenes, she is still one of the most beautiful actresses who ever stood before a camera, and she could be fascinating just reading the phone book. My favorite performances in "Gaslight" are Charles Boyer, portraying one of the slimiest, most perfidious swine in cinematic history, and Angela Lansbury as a tarty, smart-mouthed maid. (Lansbury is so utterly convincing here that it's hard to believe that she was still a teenager, or that this was her very first screen role.) Add Joseph Cotten's noble police detective and Dame May Whitty's nosy neighbor, and you have a cast for the ages.
It's interesting to contrast the Cukor "Gaslight" with Thorold Dickinson's slightly earlier British version. MGM suppressed the British version for years in order to promote Cukor's film, and only recently has the British version become available again. While the Cukor version is in my opinion the better of the two, the British version is still very good. I love its evocation of Victorian London and especially the performance of Anton Walbrook, who to my mind is every bit as good as Boyer in the villain's role. Walbrook's performance is more histrionic than Boyer's, but no less compelling.
Movie Review: A suspenseful who done it classic film,BE aware two Dvd's same title,this one has the 1944 and the 1940 on the flip side dvd
Summary: 5 Stars
MAKE SURE you are ordering the version you prefer. This dvd has Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer & Joseph Cotton on the cover is the hollywood 1944 film and INCLUDES the older British 1940 film with Anton Walbrook on the flip side,at times this is the better buy,prices for this one gravitate up and down. The british 1940 film shows Anton Walbrook on the cover.
storyline:
Paula (Ingrid Bergman) matures from childhood to a young woman,and is pursued by Gregory Anton(Charles Boyer)The couple are happily wed and enjoying their honeymoon,untill Gregory insists they move into the home she inherited from her Aunt.
Gregory becomes moody and critical and starts to isolate Paula from friends. He causes her to cry and look foolish, often at the right times for others to see. Gregory convinces Paula she is losing her sanity. Brian, a fan of her Aunt(a world famous opera singer)who he met as a boy, is intrigued when he sees Paula. Determined to befriend her,he is puzzled by her erratic behavior and begins to suspect her husband Gregory's nightly departures.
Personally I like this 1944 film because the film run time is 113 min and the characters are developed better. The 1940 film is 84 minutes,and seems a bit rushed to the finish. Classic Gold no matter which film you like better,and two for the price of one is a good deal,if the current price is right.
A good who done it movie...you pick which version you like best...
Movie Review: Haunting and Gorgeous!!!
Summary: 5 Stars
The DVD release of Gaslight is terrific. The inclusion of both film versions is a great treat because both films are definitely worth seeing; perhaps they even deserve a back to back viewing. The 1944 version is somewhat superior because of the casting, but there are some terrific things, storywise, in the 1940 version that fare better. The plot is simple yet satisfying: An unstable woman and her husband move back into her childhood home, where a murder had taken place years earlier. She slowly begins losing grip on reality and becomes convinced that her husband is trying to drive her insane. Or is he? It adds up to a diabolical, atmospheric thriller, which won Bergman her first, but not last, Oscar.
By today's standards GASLIGHT may be seen as slow-moving and obvious. But no modern film can match this picture's intricate psychology. Beautifully filmed in a gloomy, atmospheric black-and-white, GASLIGHT exhibits all the classic visual elements of '40s film noir. The attention to detail is more obvious than in many modern films and heightens the suspense. The benighted streets of London are cloaked with fog, and the large, lonely house where most of the action takes place, is filled with shadows and strange noises. The paranoid, claustrophobic world of Paula's confinement is also effectively conveyed. This is the kind of effectively-crafted, well-acted motion picture that rises above its faults to earn its "classic" appellation. It's a must!
Movie Review: Hallelujah!
Summary: 5 Stars
GASLIGHT is finally on DVD! And not just the 1944 suspense classic. This edition includes the complete British GASLIGHT made just a few years before in 1940. For years MGM actively supressed the older film giving rise to the legend that it was a far superior film. Now finally film buffs can view both and decide for themselves. Both are terrific movies. For me, while the British version is leaner and faster, the Cukor film is by far the greater of the two. The relationship between Walbrook and Wynyard in the 1940 version is a well-played but two dimensional depiction of a tormentor and his victim. Boyer's and Bergman's characters are more complex and subtle in the 1944 film. There is a genuine romantic/sexual energy between them. While Boyer is sinister he also very charming and attractive. And you watch as the once-vibrant Bergman gives up her self confidence and becomes emotionally dependent on Boyer a little bit at a time. And what can you say about the amoral delinquent maid of Angela Lansbury? That alone is worth the price of admission!
A great movie and a very good movie. Buy the DVD and enjoy them both!
Movie Review: Chilling thriller with Charles Boyer at his best!
Summary: 5 Stars
"Gaslight" (the 1944 version) is one of the best suspense classics I can think of that's not directed by Hitchcock, and the casting was simply flawless. Ingrid Bergman gives a excellent performance as a naive young woman ("Paula") who's nearly driven insane by her sinister, greedy husband, "Gregory" (played by Charles Boyer). Joseph Cotten plays the detective who comes to Paula's rescue just when she's almost lost her sanity. It is he who helps Paula finally realize that Gregory had only married her so that he could find very valuable jewels supposedly hidden in her house years ago. Charles Boyer is great even playing such an unlikable villian, and Dame May Whitty along with then 18-year-old Angela Lansbury in her film debut (who was nominated for best supporting actress) add great support to the main stars. This is truly an awesome dvd, and it includes the 1940 British version of "Gaslight" as well as a documentary "Reflections on Gaslight", the original trailer, and footage of Ingrid Bergman accepting her best actress oscar at the 1944 Academy Awards ceremony! This classic thriller is highly recommended.