Marnie
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Movie Reviews of Marnie
Movie Review: underrated gem, almost
Summary: 5 Stars
ORIGINAL REVIEW: I have been renting a lot of hitchcock films lately. Rebecca, 39 steps, vertigo, north by northwest, lady vanishes, shadow of a doubt. rear window, rope, psycho, the birds... so i'd decided to rent a lesser film, Marnie. At first, I was skeptical because I thought Tippi Hedren was not a particularly good actress. After a few minutes, I was captivated until the end. Of course, I had noticed several flaws here and there, but they were far from destroying the movie. I was eyeing Tippi's performance like a hawk, but she did an OK job, considering the massive undertaking. If someone else played Marnie, it might had been a true classic (Catherine Deneuve, Kim Novak, Grace Kelly). But I thought it over and realized that these fine actresses were too good for this neurotic role. Tippi had a down-to-earth quality about her, most likely due to her lack of acting experience. So I thought Tippi was a proper choice. Sean Connery was a good match for Tippi. He seemed like a man who was willing to put up with this crazy character. Everyone else did a good job.
Anyway, the script is what did it for me. It is intelligent and well paced. Many people had complained about the special effects and backdrop as being fake and unconvincing. But I don't think Hitchcock cared about these trivial matters. So, in this sense, it is like an European movie. It is an art film with a Hollywood production. Perhaps Hitchcock was trying to imitate Luis Bunuel, the master surrealist director, who in turn, probably was inspired by Marnie to create his masterpiece Belle De Jour.
Because of these particular flaws, many critics consider this a minor work. As Francois Truffaut said, "Marnie is one of the greatest flawed films in the history of cinema."
UPDATE: After seeing it again, I realized how clumsy Tippi portrayed Marnie. She was clearly out of her acting range in this movie. Also, Hitchcock was known to be a perfectionist so I wonder why he allowed Tippi's performances to slip. Perhaps he wanted to ridicule her because she rejected his sexual advances during the filming. And the more I learned about Hitchcock's relationship with Tippi Hedren the more strange this movie becomes. When Marnie was being raped, it really seemed like Hitchcock was raping her! Yeech!!
However, after becoming more acquainted with Hitchcock's method of directing his "cattles," I suspect that Hitchcock did not make any actual sexual advances. I think he was trying to put her into the right mindset simply for the fact that Tippi could not act. Hitchcock had been known to psychologically set up his stars for their roles to add to the realism. I think Hitchcock sexually advanced Tippi on purpose for this reason!
About the score: Bernard Hermann overdid it. It is like a Vertigo ripoff. Hitchcock's careless direction of his star and Hermann's annoying score are what truly divided the critics. Admirers love the cinematography, colors and dialogue. They become forgiving of everything else.
I still think it is Hitchcock's last great film, but at the bottom of the barrel of his masterpieces. Is this movie worth multiple viewings? I would say yes, but hesitantly. If this movie was shorter, like 90 minutes instead of 133 minutes, I would say definitely.
Movie Review: Charming Film; Don't-be-so-Political
Summary: 5 Stars
Ever since I first discovered Alfred Hitchcock at the ages of 9 and 10, I have always been infatuated with his finest picture (in my opinion), "Marnie."
The film itself combines so many classic Hitchcock-ian camera and script sequences, that it's almost easy to miss some of his more 'eccentric' uses of story and structure in the film; it's a great combination of the unforgettable Hitch and the still learning, advancing Hitch, and for this, I find this almost 'crossroads' film to be extremely enjoyable and exciting.
Tippi Hedren really shines in the picture as Marnie Edgar, a mentally troubled woman due to events that she has blocked subconsciously from her memory, and because of this repression, she is a martyr to a disease of fits and kleptomania.
However, her psychological state is put at even greater peril once she meets Sean Connery, who she unwittingly marries against better judgment, and is subsequently raped on her Honeymoon, leading to an attempt at suicide.
Tippi's Marnie is a troubled soul.
Now, you could easily write this off as merely a film of the brutality of masculinity and the submissive state of the Female, due to the rather scrambled ending where Marnie comes to terms with the beginnings of her illness, but in all sincerity, this (in my mind) is the farthest thing from what the film is actually trying to say. The fact is, that Marnie and Sean's Rutland, were never really in love. Tippi's character was troubled and lucky for her, Sean was there to help her through the turmoil, though his frustration did lead to unnecessary battles, such as the rape scene, which only lead Marnie further and further into a repressed state.
He was no psychologist, that's for sure, but he was still there and the sexual intensity between the two was created from this almost sadomasochistic battle of dominance and unresponsiveness. But to say that, is once again, a lie. That is only on the surface; it is naive to say that it was just coincidence that Rutland was the man who acted above her, but when dealing with the time this film was made, and with the situations it presented, it is also foolish to think that this picture was anti-female liberation.
I do not like to think of films in that manner, and I certainly don't intend to do so with a favorite film of mine. I enjoy it for the beauty that it is, and not for the supposed women-are-the-lesser-sex ideals that might make it seem attractive for people to watch from a political standpoint.
This film was not political for me: it was a fantastic story, set with wonderfully attractive characters that the audience can really sink their teeth into, and I am proud that it is being re-released on DVD, even if the only real change from this version is the cover art. At least it's being given respect, along with some time and effort, to make it available to those who would like to see some of Hitchcock's lesser known films.
"The Colours...Stop the Colours"
Movie Review: Definitive Hitch
Summary: 5 Stars
"Marnie" is probably one of the best examples of Hitchcock's work that epitomizes this great director's style. Even if you didn't know this was a Hitch film, if you know his style, by 5 minutes in you would recognize this as definitive Hitch. The attention that is paid to every tell-tale detail, the camera angles, the way he has of drawing you into every word of dialouge of a captivating story and always intriguing characters,... and the way only Hitch can make a kiss more provocative than any R rated film of today, will cast the Hitch spell on you once more.
"Marnie" is a psychological drama focusing on a deeply disturbed woman's compulsive behavior. She's a thief and a liar, and is getting away with it until she hit a road block in one Mark Rutland. Hired by Mark's compay as a payroll clerk, we already see the wheels turning in Marnie's unstable mind. Her plans to rob the Rutland vault go as planned, except for one hitch(excuse the pun), Mark is on to her and stops her dead in her tracks. He could easily turn her in, but Mark is attracted to this troubled woman, plans to delve into her psyche, and so what else could he do but marry her to keep her out of trouble.
Mark finds that Marnie's troubles go very deep. Not only is she a thief, but has a horrible fear of being touched by a man, and he forms an obsession of his own. That of trying to cure his lovely but psychologically ill wife. As Marnie herself puts it to him..."You've got a pathological fix on a woman who is not only an admitted criminal, but who screams if you come near her!"...Yup, lots of work to be done here to unlock the sins of the past. And it's done in only a way that Hitch can do it.
Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery are Marnie and Mark, and under the superb direction of the master, turn in impeccable performances. Diane Baker adds her talents as the meddling and suspicious sister-in-law, be sure to watch for Bruce Dern, and Bernard Herrmann's score as always adds the perfect haunting touch to this twisted tale.
Looking for Hitch...early on(about 5 min in), looking mighty suspicious himself while exiting a hotel room.
Highly recommended for the Hitch fan.
Thanks and enjoy.......Laurie
more Hitch stuff:
Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized and Illustrated Look Inside the C
Alfred Hitchcock Double Feature Volume One - Sabotage / The Man Who Knew Too Much [VHS]
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Poison, The Perfect Crime, Dip in the Pool, One More Mile to Go)
Movie Review: Hitch's Last Masterpiece
Summary: 5 Stars
Blasted when it was first released in 1964, this misunderstook Hitchcock film has picked up speed along the way and joined the ranks of his other earlier works. Tippi Hedren stepped in as the leading lady when Grace Kelly bowed out for political reasons, and she gives the best performance of her career. This was the last movie to use all of Hitchcock's "team," and the experience and polish that they learned is all exhibited here. Bernard Herrmann's haunting score is lush and adds much to what is going on. I would highly suggest multiple viewings of this film; each time you will catch more and appreciate the journey that Hitchcock takes you on. I will warn you though; even for a 1964 film, it has many adult themes and is definitely somewhat disturbing in light of its two main characters: a frigid kleptomaniac and her determined suitor who is obsessed with taming her. It was a highly personal movie for Hitchcock; he pushes Vertigo even further and goes to areas that would not have been permitted even 5 years earlier. Briefly, the story is of Marnie (Hedren), a beautiful ice-blonde who makes a habit of moving from city to city and robbing her male employer after she has earned his trust. Things change when she gets a job in Philadelphia working for Rutland & Company, a firm run by the handsome and widowed Mark Rutland (Sean Connery). Mark's scheming young sister-in-law Lil (Diane Baker) doesn't like the romance that she assumes is budding between Marnie & Mark. In reality, he has caught Marnie red-handed and blackmails her into marrying him; he believes he can "cure" her of the kleptomania. On the honeymoon, he also discovers she is frigid. The drama intensifies from there...especially once he finds out that Marnie's dead mother (Louise Latham) isn't so dead.
The extras include a highly informative Making Of Documentary, with contemporary interviews of Tippi Hedren, Diane Baker, and Louise Latham, as well as a gallery of production/publicity photos. All in all a great package that makes this DVD worth owning.
Movie Review: Excellent but different from Hitchcock
Summary: 5 Stars
I just got a copy of "Marnie", after I had heard about it from a friend. I had even read some of the reviews listed here, on Amazon, and figured that I should take a look at it.
Although, I have only seen "Psycho" and "the Birds" of Hithcock movies, I found this movie to be different than those. It was a pleasant surprise. I found Tippi Hedren's performance to be excellent. In fact, I think that her acting was better here than seen anywhere else.
Without giving away the story, the subtle "effects" in this movie made me wonder and wanting to see the purpose of them. Alas, at the end of the movie all was revealed. I think that Sean Connery did an excellent performance too. In fact, I cannot find fault in any of the acting at all.
I hope that someone could do a remake of it, or even a sequel because it could make a great extension. I recommend it to anyone that likes older movies, Tippi Hedren, or Sean Connery. Those of you that are used to the "horror" works of Alfred Hitchcock may be dissappointed in watching it. So, if you do look at it, keep in mind that the movie is not like "Psycho" or "The Birds" and you may just be pleasantly surprised.