I Confess
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Movie Reviews of I Confess
Movie Review: Great location work and acting lift this lesser Hitchcock work
Summary: 4 Stars
Hitchcock was for me, as for so many aspiring film buffs, one of the first directors I "got into"; 20 years or so ago I went through nearly all of his films from 1935-up, but there were a couple that fell through the cracks, and this was one.
The French apparently fell in love with this when it came out; it seems to have been a favorite of many of the New Wave directors as their careers were just starting out. I'm not sure I have an answer as to why, as it seems 50 years on not to have worn as well as many of Hitch's subsequent 50s films; perhaps it has something to do with the religious aspects of the film, or the French-Canadian location shooting; or Montgomery Clift. At any rate, though the subject matter is certainly quite thought-provoking and there's a psychological character inherent in the character of a priest allowing himself to potentially face death rather than to betray the confidence of a confession, the film on the whole rang just a little hollow for me. The true murderer of the wealthy lawyer who (it will turn out) has been blackmailing the priest's former lover is known right away, and though that alone doesn't necessarily remove the suspense, the character of Otto Keller is a bit too broadly drawn and villainous....there's no doubt that he will do whatever it takes to protect himself, and thus all our focus on the moral issues lies with the priest Father Logan (Montgomery Clift). And Logan just isn't terribly interesting, isn't written in a way that really moved me; he's obstinate when questioned by the over-eager inspector in charge of the case (Karl Malden) but so vague and noncommittal that we aren't even sure (from the text of the film, anyway) that he's actually protecting the murderer out of his own fears, or because of his beliefs.
My favorite scene in the film is one that seems to provoke an opposite reaction in many, and that is the flashback where the woman who has been blackmailed by the murdered lawyer, Mm Grandfort (Anne Baxter, quite solid) recalls her past love with the priest. It's atypical Hitchcock, romantic and gauzy, and a lot of people seem to hate it, but for me it was quite magical and really made me feel for these characters in a way that the rest of the film often failed to do.
Nice photography and location shots in Quebec City, and I can't complain much about the acting; it was certainly very watchable and contained some reasonably suspenseful moments; **** would be respectable or even tops for most filmmakers, but it's lower-echelon for Hitchcock. DVD from the "Masterpiece Collection"; excellent transfer with a nice "making of" documentary.
Movie Review: Hitchcock's Introverted Thriller Boasts Strong Performances and Strong Visuals.
Summary: 4 Stars
Inspired by Paul Anthelme's 1902 play "Nos Deux Consciences" and filmed in Québec City, "I Confess" is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most visually expressive films. It's the story of Catholic priest Father Michael Logan (Montgomery Clift) who hears the confession of a parishioner, Otto Keller (Otto Eduard Hasse), a recent immigrant who works at the rectory alongside his wife Alma (Dolly Haas). Keller confesses to killing a Mr. Villette in the course of robbing him. It happens that Logan had some business with Villette, and his evasive answers and surreptitious relationship with Ruth Grandfort (Anne Baxter), the wife of a prominent politician, arouse the suspicions of the investigating detective, Inspector Larrue (Karl Malden). But Logan can't say what he knows about the murder, as it would violate the sanctity of the confessional.
This was one of Alfred Hitchcock's first experiences with "Method" actors, whom he always thought a bit nutty. Montgomery Clift's palpable angst works well here, though, as Father Logan must internalize his fears, desires, his knowledge of the crime, and his growing distaste for Mr. Keller. There is a trio of good performances. Anne Baxter evokes the audience's empathy for Ruth, who at first seems like a shallow, icy blond. Her secrets and efforts to protect Michael eventually come pouring out. The German actor Otto Eduard Hasse steals some scenes from Clift. It's a small part, but, with few lines, Hasse moves the audience from regarding Keller as a fool to thinking him a real creep. The visual style is unusually extreme for Hitchcock, with high contrast and canted angles that express the characters' inner turmoil. Extroverted visuals for the film's introverted action.
The DVD (Warner 2004): There are 3 bonus features. "Hitchcock's Confession: A Look at I Confess" (20 min) interviews director Peter Bogdanovich, Hitchcock historian Bill Krohn, film historians Richard Schickel and Robert Osborne, Montgomery Clift's friend, the actor Jack Larson, and more about Hitchcock's adaptation of the Anthelme play, the influence of his Jesuit education, the locations, Clift's acting style, how critics regarded the film. "Gala Canadian Premier for I Confess" (1 min) is an old newsreel of the film's 1953 premier in Québec City. There is also a theatrical trailer (3 min). Subtitles are available for the film in English, French, and Spanish.
Movie Review: The seal of confession is highly illustrated by Hitchcock's "I Confess"
Summary: 4 Stars
If the transfer of culpability was a basic theme in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train," it furnished the provocative dilemma to "I Confess."
A German refugee, Keller (O.E. Hasse), murders a lawyer named Vilette (Ovila Legare) when he is caught stealing... Keller thereupon confesses his crime to Father Michael Logan (Montgomery Clift), a priest at the Quebec church where he is a sexton...
Vilette was blackmailing Ruth Grandfort (Anne Baxter), who was in love with Logan before he was ordained and who continues to love him in spite of his religious vows and her subsequent marriage to Pierre Granfort (Roger Dann).
Keller wore a cassock when he committed the crime and Father Logan is unable to supply an alibi for the time of the murder - a series of coincidences which eventually find the priest on trial for murder...
The dilemma of "I Confess" relates to Catholic church law which specifically forbids the clergy from disclosing those sins exposed in the privacy of the confessional... Thus forced into complicity with the murderer, Father Logan behaves as though he is guilty despite his innocence in much the same way Guy Haines takes on some of Bruno's guilt in Hitchcock's "Strangers on a Train." The film's tension derives from the audience's knowledge of the cleric's ethical problem and its desire to see him break his vows to save his own life...
Montgomery Clift makes the clergyman's inner torment apparent simply by the anguished expression in his eyes, and creates sympathy for a man who could be an object of mockery by maintaining his dignity...
Compassionate, grave, and restrained, Clift delineates the priest's conflicting emotions with the distinguished nuances of expression... His face, vulnerable but brighter by discerning yet kind eyes, reveals his suffering with eloquent intensity...
While a determined Karl Malden looks for every scrap of information to clear the murder, an embarrassing crown prosecutor (Brian Aherne) is in despair to establish a motive for the murder...
With moody atmosphere, set against the background of picturesque Quebec photographed in black and white, "I Confess" is solemn and entertaining, never getting out of control, with an overpowering sense of doom and enough amount of suspense in the manhunt of a killer...
Movie Review: One of Hitchcock's more unusual films
Summary: 4 Stars
This is, in my opinion, a somewhat underrated film. It has two things going against it that has unfairly hurt in, I believe, in the general estimation. First, because Montgomery Clift plays a Catholic priest, there is no real possibility of a romance (though they manage to work in a backdoor one). Second, many refuse to believe that a priest, hearing a murder confession in the Office of Confession, would refuse to turn the culprit into the police. Even though I am a Baptist, I have no trouble understanding the central logic of the Office and I do not understand why so many critics have trouble with this. Of course, the movie largely turns on the inability of the murderer to believe that the priest would keep silent.
The film has a slightly different atmosphere than most Hitchcock films, a somewhat foreign feel. Certainly setting the film in Quebec (one of the few major films ever shot there) contributes to this. The locales reveal a city of haunting, historic beauty, feeling more European than North American.
Ultimately what keeps this from coming up to the level of Hitchcock's best films is a somewhat stilted, unrealistic style. Too much of the acting and framing of characters is unnecessarily mannered. There is also the lack of ironical joy and humor that runs through all of Hitchcock's best films. The tone of this one is too serious by far. It is one of the very few Hitchcock films completely lacking in humor.
Still, this is a frequently interesting film with many interesting moments. They unfortunately the various elements do not add up to one of his better films.
Hitchcock makes his obligatory appearance in the film in virtually the first shot, walking along the top of a set of stairs, framed in shadow. At this stage in his directing career his appearances were both a blessing and a curse. He knew that the audience expected to see him, but he also found it a bit of a bother. So increasingly he was determined to get it out of the way as soon as possible. In NORTH BY NORTHWEST he similarly gets his appearance out of the way almost before the end of the opening credits.
Movie Review: Pleasing Hitchcock film gets its due on DVD
Summary: 4 Stars
I confess I have a soft spot for Hitchcock's examination of the conflict between the vows of the priest and the vows of justice. Montgomery Clift plays Father Michael Logan. Father Logan has a murderer confess his deed to him. When Logan becomes a suspect, he's unable to divulge what was said. When a detective (a superb Karl Malden) begins investigating the murder, he comes to believe that Father Logan is the suspect he's looking for. Complicating things, is a woman that Logan had an affair with years before and her involvement with the victim.
One of Hitch's most stylish and the most noir looking thriller of his career, "I Confess" is one of Hitch's few films to be shot on location in the latter part of his career. Shot in beautiful Quebec, there's a distinct European flavor to the film due to the city's distinct architecture and cobblestone streets. Clift gives a soulful performance despite the fact that he and Hitch clashed on the set and having a script compromised by Breen's editing of the script for offensive material.
Although the film doesn't quite live up to the standards of "Strangers on a Train" (the film that preceded it) or "Rear Window" (the film after it), it's a very good minor classic in Hitchcock's body of work. The transfer looks unusually sharp for the most part and although there is noticeable grain issues here, it's to be expected given the black and white photography, age of the film and type of film stock used to shoot the film. Wonderful cinematography from Hitchcock's reliable Robert Burks.
The special features include a short documentary (about 20 minutes) on the making of the film featuring Peter Bogdanovich, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen to those who grew up on "Superman" on TV). There's also a discussion of the performances and the difficulties in shooting the film with Clift. We also get a vintage newsreel that discusses the premiere of the film in Canada and the original theatrical trailer.