Dame May Whitty gets to shine in a minor role while Joseph Cotten is as likable and as heroic as he always is. Gaslight surprisingly has solid supporting roles too. Boyer was absolutely incredible playing this creepy and calculating husband character and how he delivered his lines with so much menace was impressive. What this man did to this woman was so memorably atrocious that the term “gaslighting” was born due to this movie alone. This was the case of a truly brilliant casting decision – employ Boyer who most often played these suave, romantic womanizers and turn that on its head by making him still play a charmer, but one with very sinister motifs and disturbing manipulation tactics. He was also nominated by the Academy and rightfully so. The character is wonderfully written and Bergman made her very sympathetic.Īnother standout is Charles Boyer himself. Usually cited as one of the worthiest winners in this category, Bergman is as beautiful as ever, but also genuinely believable as this frightened and confused woman who is still not a victim as she gets to have her revenge in the end. Ingrid Bergman won her first Oscar for playing the manipulated Paula and she was truly marvelous. The performances made this movie an undeniable classic. Based on a stage play and impeccably transported to the big screen, the screenplay is phenomenal, very sophisticated and accompanied by such an eerie, suspenseful atmosphere and a lot of psychological insight, making it a rare example of a true early psychological thriller. He was seriously snubbed by the Academy for his superb work here. This is one of those rare films that felt belonging in its entirety to his opus.Īnd Cukor needs to be congratulated for successfully directing such atypical material for him. George Cukor directed this film, but you would never think that a director best known for writing directing lighter romantic comedies would make something that is very reminiscent of not only noir pictures, but of Hitchcock himself. His obsessive interest in the home rises from a secret that may require driving his wife insane. Ten years after her aunt was murdered in their London home, a woman returns from Italy in the 1880s to resume residence with her new husband. “ Are you becoming suspicious as well as absent-minded, Paula? “ It is one of the best movies of this year. Gaslight is a 1944 psychological thriller film directed by George Cukor and starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. Definitely worth watching.………………………………………………… Gaslight Movie Review It's available on both iTunes and Amazon. I think the whole story is very artfully constructed. I watched the movie with two friends, and we debated whether first-run audiences would have known what was going on or when they would have figured it out. The manipulation builds slowly, so that it's not obvious in the beginning whether Paula is actually losing her mind. The movie is an excellent case study into the mechanics of a relationship that never becomes physically abusive but is absolutely emotionally abusive. This title is the origin of the psychology term gaslighting. As a bonus, it features a 17-year-old Angela Lansbury in her screen debut as a servant named Nancy. Gregory first manipulates her and then flat-out lies to her about what she's seen, causing her to question her sanity. This film stars Ingrid Bergman as Paula, a woman who's being driven out of her mind by her husband Gregory (played by Charles Boyer). I'm always amazed when an old movie can deliver this kind of emotional punch on the strength of a compelling story and a cast of talented actors. Spoilers, maybe? Is it possible to spoil a 75-year-old film? However, if you haven't seen a movie in a very long time and are re-discovering it then exceptions may be made.
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