Suspicion
|
List Price: Our Price: $6.99 You Save: $12.98 (65%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $6.18 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of Suspicion
Movie Review: Twisty, Entertaining and Diabolical -- In Short, Pure Hitchcock
Summary: 4 Stars
"Suspicion" finds Joan Fontaine in the Academy Award-winning role of Lina McLaidlaw, a wealthy but shy young lady whose parents have lost hope of her finding a husband. That all changes when she meets the enormously charming Johnnie Aysgarth, who is played with a devilish ambiguity by Cary Grant. Are his intentions pure, or is he a cad? Alas, after the two are married, Lina's suspicions about her new husband become far more sinister than that. He turns out to be a compulsive liar, deeply in debt, and morally suspect; all of which leads Lina to the frightening conclusion that his cold-bloodedness may extend to murder -- first of his best friend Beaky, and then of her.
The story follows the conventions of an early twentieth century mystery novel -- specifically, it feels like something that the venerable Agatha Christie would have cooked up. There is even a female character that earns a living as a mystery writer, whose conversations about the plotlines of her own books add weight to the parallel. But what is so ingenius about the plot is that it goes beyond mere convention; imagine that you suddenly find yourself at the center of one of those mystery novels and you will understand something of the paranoia and bewilderment that Lina feels when she comes to believe that that is exactly what has happened to her. But is she right about Johnnie? Is her titular suspicion that he will try to kill her justified, or is she crazy?
Sadly, this question would be better explored in a later film by Hitchcock: 1954's Rear Window (Collector's Edition). It is explored even more deeply in two classic chillers by Ira Levin: Rosemary's Baby and The Stepford Wives, and also by their subsequent film adaptations. What goes wrong in "Suspicion" has to do with the misogynist characterization of Lina and the cheap Hollywood ending that the film slaps on. The latter is no fault of Hitchcock's -- the documentary in the special features explains that he was forced to change the bleaker climax by censors -- but those who take issue with the former will find themselves agreeing with critics who express distaste with Hitchcock's portrayals of women in his films. Lina's bland acceptance of Johnnie's faults could be passed off as a product of the times, but when she fails to do anything about her suspicions that he is plotting to kill her it is nothing short of ridiculous. Ironically, the Hollywood ending comes to the rescue here because it accidentally imbues her with a tiny degree of strength that the original climax would never have mustered.
Still, "Suspicion" is a remarkably well made film with excellent performances from Fontaine, Grant, and Nigel Bruce as Johnnie's friend Beaky. The directing is, of course, excellent -- though to get a full appreciation of what went in to it you should really watch the 30 minute documentary on the film as well. An example of one fascinating tidbit gleaned from it: in order to make a suspicious glass of milk that Johnnie brings to Lina stand out, Hitchcock contrived to place a light bulb in the glass -- giving it an eerie glow. Whatever your opinion of Hitchcock the man, one has to admit that Hitchcock the director was nothing short of genius.
Movie Review: Cary Grant Meets Hitchcock
Summary: 4 Stars
This is sort of a follow up to Rebecca. Joan Fontaine is still a demure woman who meets a man and blossoms but this time she is a wealthy demure woman.
Lina (Fontaine) is returning home on the train when she meets the suave, charming, rogue John (Johnnie) Aysgarth (Cary Grant). He is going fox hunting and sees her again. He uses his charms to meet her again. Lina is completely taken by him even though her parents dislike his reputation. He finally calls her and they meet at the Fox Hunt Ball.
It's a whirlwind romance and marriage. Johnnie wants to prove that he has reformed and takes a job. One day Johnnie's old friend Binky (Nigel "Dr. Watson" Bruce) and mentions that he saw Johnnie at the race track. Lina starts to get suspicious of Johnnie. Things are missing around the house.
One day Lina is out shopping and runs into her old friend Isobelle Lenke, an author of murder mysteries. She also runs into a couple of missing chairs at the pawn shop. Johnnie arrives home; he backed the winner at the races. He has won £2,000. He admits that he used the chairs for the stake.
Isobelle comes for dinner and Johnnie starts asking her about her books and ways of killing people. This of course makes Lina even more suspicious.
Things get worse when Binky has an accident and dies. She starts to fear that she is next.
This was a breakout movie for Grant. Johnnie is a complex role. He is both good and bad. This role helped him break out of his romantic lead role for more interesting roles.
For Fontaine, this was not a great stretch. She had just played a similar role in Hitchcock's Rebecca. But she was stunning in her control of character.
This is early Hollywood Hitchcock and shows us early what he could do.
DVD EXTRAS: Before the Fact: Suspicious Hitchcock - A 21 minute making of featurette. Not as good as some of the other featurettes but still worth watching.
Movie Review: Lesser Hitchcock my foot!
Summary: 4 Stars
I loved it. True, as one reviewer pointed out, there were shades of Rebecca in it. But Fontaine certainly deserved her Oscar. I'd have given her two of them for this. In fact, every actor in it was perfect and excellent. Okay. Why did I only give it 4 stars? Because (like Rebecca), Hitchcock spends nearly an entire hour (the whole thing (thank god) is only 99 minutes long) setting the stage, establishing with incredible repetition the rationale for Fontaine's fears and suspicions (plus the courtship was a little tedius too, I thought). But when Watson comes into the plot, it is terrific! Of course you know (or will if you read these other reviews) how it will end. But I have never seen Grant play a malevolent, sinister character before, and he did it wonderfully. And I've never seen him play someone so inherently unlikeable before. As my friend said, he was "obnoxious." And as another reviewer said, I wouldn't love someone who called me "monkey face"! Again like Rebecca, the last 20 minutes or so were breathtaking, fascinating. I loved the ending. I thought it was perfectly done (though unfortunately with Hitchcock's customary fake outdoor shots), all the loose ends were tied up and everything fell into place. And I liked the very end just before the screen went blank (I won't say what it was), I thought it was perfect, wordless. However, I read (you can too) the complete description of Hitchcock's original ending in another review. I don't know now which I prefer, both I think are perfect. I see I've used the word "perfect" a lot. Well, I think this was almost a perfect movie, except for the drawn out (it would have been a very short flick without it) beginning.Movie Review: FONTAINE'S SECOND TIME OUT PROVES TO BE HER WINNER!
Summary: 4 Stars
Following quickly on the heals of her success in "Rebecca" Joan Fontaine scored the coveted Best Actress Oscar for her role as Lina McLaidlaw in "Suspicion" (1941), a bizarre and disturbing romantic mystery. Beneath her bookish exterior Lina's a repressed soul. But her traditional reservations are merely a façade for lusty home fires that seem to be sparked to satisfaction in her encounter with handsome playboy, Jonnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant). The two soon marry. However, as the romance progresses Jonnie seems to be more than just an elegant rogue. Could it be? Is he a murderer? Brimming with Hitch's corrosive ambiguities that slowly begin to erode Lina's trust in her new husband, "Suspicion" plays tricks on both Lina and the audience's collective understanding of where Jonnie intends to take us with his brooding thoughts and sinister glass of glow-in-the-dark milk. This is a deeply unsettling, wickedly concocted puzzle; a film that plays more for enigma than plot and tease rather than substance, but it works on every level to tantalize like a car wreck that one is not involved in yet is strangely compelled to.
Warner's DVD transfer exhibits a balanced gray scale with deep, solid blacks and reasonably clean whites. Dirt, scratches and other age related artifacts are present but do not terribly distract. There's a complete lack of edge enhancement, pixelization and shimmering of fine details for a picture that is overall smooth and easy on the eyes. The audio is mono but very nicely cleaned up. Extras include a very brief documentary on the making of the film and its theatrical trailer.
Movie Review: Good acting saves the ending
Summary: 4 Stars
Cary Grant and Joan Fontaine are great in this film. Fontaine does an excellent job playing the madly in love wife who strongly suspects her husband wants to kill her and collect the money from her insurance policy. The DVD comes with a documentary that details the production of the film, and the controversy surrounding the original ending of "Suspicion," which had to be changed at the very last minute. The movie you see on the screen was heading towards a different ending, so the one it has now seems somewhat out of place. But Fontaine's acting saves the new ending with a beautiful performance and, eventually, winning her an Oscar because of it. As far as the narrative goes, if the original ending were to have made the final cut, the film would have had a similar conclusion like that of "The Paradine Case," where the surprise would have been muted and the film would have lost its overall strength. "The Paradine Case" falls flat in the end--ruining what was a really well acted film. "Suspicion," with the change of its ending, brought a different conclusion that, even though the denouement appears to be slapdash and out of place, at least salvages the story as a whole rather than sink it. The new ending also exemplifies the power of Hitchcock's ability as director to erase any suggestion of imperfection by presenting the audience with a thrilling car sequence along a bluff and giving us a memorable moment in cinema history.