Saw this one years ago... What struck me most about it was its depiction of mob mentality. When a crowd gets its "wind up" nothing and no one is safe. Things get out of hand quickly. I enjoyed it. Never knew it was a Hitchcock piece though...View attachment 246168
I Confess from 1953 with Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter and Karl Malden
Compared to Hitchcock's best, this one comes up a bit short; but compared to most other movies, it's outstanding.
While several of the classic Hitchcock elements are here - a man wrongly accused of murder, a beautiful icey blonde (Baxter) shattering lives left and right, a dogged detective (Maulden) and an artisically filmed final shootout scene - instead of a MacGuffin (a plot driver that is confusing or unimportant), the center of the story is a murder committed by the caretaker of a Catholic Church.
The twist is that he confesses his crime immediately, but to a priest (Clift) in a confessional meaning the priest, by vow, can't reveal what he knows to the police. This problem becomes a whole lot bigger when the priest himself is accused of the murder.
And just to amp things up more, the aforementioned blonde is married to the state's lead prosecutor, whom she married even though she was still in love with Clift, with whom she had had a love affair before he became ordained. With priest Clift under investigation by the police (the lead detective is the always outstanding Maulden), his prior affair and ongoing friendship with Baxter hardly reflect well on his character. Also, this relationship might provide a motive for Clift to have committed the murder.
With that set up, the rest of the movie is watching Clift twist internally knowing that he might be found guilty despite also knowing that he could easily prove his innocence. At the same time, Baxter tries to help Clift, but can't really as her efforts to finesse her way out of a few too many lies (about the men she's been with) thwarts the greater good. And, of course, playing on throughout is Maulden's pleasant but relentless pursuit of the murderer, who surely appears to be the priest.
Filmed in wonderful and crisp black and white - fitting the darker mood of this one versus some of Hitchcock's lighter efforts - and using the beautiful Province of Quebec for a backdrop, I Confess proves to be an outstanding, even if less-popular, Hitchcock effort.
Saw this one years ago... What struck me most about it was its depiction of mob mentality. When a crowd gets its "wind up" nothing and no one is safe. Things get out of hand quickly. I enjoyed it. Never knew it was a Hitchcock piece though...
Worf
I really like Monty Clift and any time I see him listed I will watch the movie...kid could act! I will keep an eye out for this one.View attachment 246168
I Confess from 1953 with Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter and Karl Malden
Compared to Hitchcock's best, this one comes up a bit short; but compared to most other movies, it's outstanding.
While several of the classic Hitchcock elements are here - a man wrongly accused of murder, a beautiful icey blonde (Baxter) shattering lives left and right, a dogged detective (Maulden) and an artisically filmed final shootout scene - instead of a MacGuffin (a plot driver that is confusing or unimportant), the center of the story is a murder committed by the caretaker of a Catholic Church.
The twist is that he confesses his crime immediately, but to a priest (Clift) in a confessional meaning the priest, by vow, can't reveal what he knows to the police. This problem becomes a whole lot bigger when the priest himself is accused of the murder.
And just to amp things up more, the aforementioned blonde is married to the state's lead prosecutor, whom she married even though she was still in love with Clift, with whom she had had a love affair before he became ordained. With priest Clift under investigation by the police (the lead detective is the always outstanding Maulden), his prior affair and ongoing friendship with Baxter hardly reflect well on his character. Also, this relationship might provide a motive for Clift to have committed the murder.
With that set up, the rest of the movie is watching Clift twist internally knowing that he might be found guilty despite also knowing that he could easily prove his innocence. At the same time, Baxter tries to help Clift, but can't really as her efforts to finesse her way out of a few too many lies (about the men she's been with) thwarts the greater good. And, of course, playing on throughout is Maulden's pleasant but relentless pursuit of the murderer, who surely appears to be the priest.
Filmed in wonderful and crisp black and white - fitting the darker mood of this one versus some of Hitchcock's lighter efforts - and using the beautiful Province of Quebec for a backdrop, I Confess proves to be an outstanding, even if less-popular, Hitchcock effort.
I really like Monty Clift and any time I see him listed I will watch the movie...kid could act! I will keep an eye out for this one.
I've only seen Montgomery Clift in three movies--Red River, From Here to Eternity, and The Misfits--but his performances in all three were solid and I'd like to see more. Based on what little I've read about him it seems he didn't lead the happiest of lives, and I think that comes through in his performances.I really like Monty Clift and any time I see him listed I will watch the movie...kid could act! I will keep an eye out for this one.
I've only seen Montgomery Clift in three movies--Red River, From Here to Eternity, and The Misfits--but his performances in all three were solid and I'd like to see more. Based on what little I've read about him it seems he didn't lead the happiest of lives, and I think that comes through in his performances.
Bad Day at Black Rock on TCM. I have seen it many times and there it was this morning so I had to watch it with my coffee. A really good cast, nice cinematography, a very entertaining story, top notch acting, how can I not watch it again?
"Anne of a Thousand Days". Burton's performance was THE best portrayal of King Henry VIII ...ever. Genevieve Bujold was a great Anne Bolyn. Overall a great movie.