This brilliant Hitchcock film from 1941 brought Joan Fontaine her Oscar though most believe she won it for the much more brilliant REBECCA of the year before when Ginger Rogers won for Kitty Foyle. This unbelievable tale of a rather good "girl" marrying on the impulse a charming playboy (Cary Grant) only to discover that he might be up to no good. Cary is a knockout playing the role semi-seriously, always a smile and glint in his eye, loving to toy with a new wife who seems so fragile. It makes for a fabulous thriller though this feature is hardly a 'film noir' as classified. Hitch captures the English countryside beautifully which even looks gorgeous in B + W. The Master gets the very best of his supporting players, Dame Mae Whitty, in particular, always a delight to see in her many supporting roles. But in the end, the movie belongs to Joan who gives such a nuanced performance as a woman half crazed with fear. We are always kept hanging: is her terror legitimate or not? You have to take the roller coaster ride to find out. At certain points in the film, we literally feel we are on such a contraption.
There is a problem with your e-mail address and we are unable to communicate with you. Please go to My Account to update your email.
Please choose a username to sign your comments. Only letters, digits, dash - or period. Minimum 4 characters.
Your age and sex:
We publish all comments, except abusive, at our discretion.