REBECCA
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars)
Although I am a fan of Alfred Hitchcock, I’m not an exhaustive fan of his work. That is to say that I haven’t even seen close to all of his films. I’ve seen the big ones, sure, like “Psycho,” “Rear Window,” “Vertigo,” “North by Northwest” and the other major releases he had from the 50s and beyond. But his earlier work, including a lot of the films he made in the 40s, I’ve missed.
One of his most famous films that has eluded me over the years is 1940’s “Rebecca.” Based on Daphne Du Maurier’s gothic thriller, the movie follows a young woman (Joan Fontaine) who falls in love with an marries the wealthy widower Mr. de Winter (Laurence Olivier). Upon returning to the family estate with him, she faces shunning by some of the staff, and the question as to the death of the first Mrs. de Winter start to worry the new one.
“Rebecca” is a clever mix of fancy drama and suspense. On one hand, we see a lot of romance and fantasy through the eyes of the new Mrs. de Winter. But under that beauty and glamour, we see a much darker side. Not just in the heavy, black costume of the spiteful housekeeper Mrs. Danvers, but also in the emotions of the piece. Mr. de Winter has a dark, angry side that rears its head. Similarly, the house in which they live might be a mansion, but it has all the eerie atmosphere of Dracula’s castle.
“Rebecca” is interesting to me because it’s a love story that potentially goes horribly wrong. There’s definitely a mystery here, and the explanation is not overly predictable.
The film gets quite talky at times, which is a remnant of the era in which it was made, but the strong acting from Fontaine and Olivier balance the piece quite well. I’m not terribly well-versed in Gothic literature or films based on such, but this movie has a certain feel to it that pre-dates that more popular Hitchcock material.
This new Blu-ray comes with a commentary track by film critic Richard Schickel. There’s also an isolated music and effects track for the die-hard cinemaphiles out there. Featurettes include “The Making of Rebecca” and “The Gothic World of Daphne Du Maurier.” Additional bonus content includes screen tests, radio plays of the same story, audio interviews with Hitchcock and the original theatrical trailer.
SPELLBOUND
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars)
“Spellbound” is perhaps the earliest Alfred Hitchcock film that I identify with the director. It also has his signature feel which includes innovative camerawork and effects, along with a story that includes a high degree of danger.
Ingrid Bergman plays a doctor at a psychiatric hospital who is introduced to a new doctor, played by Gregory Peck. However, once he starts showing signs of emotional instability, she discovers he may not be who he says he is. This leads the two of them on a mystery to discover his past and a possible murder he might have committed.
Even though this film is steeped in the 40s in terms of style and delivery, it stands out with several things. The most notable is the use of surrealism for a dream sequence that was designed by Salvador Dali. Even by today’s standards, this dream sequence is integral to the plot and quite innovative. It’s not just thrown in to show emotional distress. It is necessary to solve the mystery.
There’s also some neat cinematic elements that Hitchcock uses, including point-of-view shooting. Made in an age when master shots often became a standard scene style, Hitchcock shows some real thought behind his composition.
Even though its two-hour running time seems a bit long, some of this is taken up with the overture and exit music. The movie is quite brisk and smooth.
The presence of both Bergman and Peck show the two as true movies stars of the Golden Age of cinema. They are surprisingly young and attractive, particularly Peck whom I know from later films. Both stars are able to portray their characters without getting wrapped up in the cheesy moments of 40s-era cinema, and their performances are still of high quality to this day.
Of course, I cannot talk about this film without tipping my hat to Mel Brooks, who used elements of it for his brilliant spoof “High Anxiety.” To me, that makes these films practical companion pieces for the care with which the directors worked more than thirty years apart.
This new Blu-ray comes with a commentary from film experts Thomas Schatz and Charles Ramirez Berg. Featurettes include “Dreaming with Scissors: Hitchcock, Surrealism and Salvador Dali,” “Guilt by Association: Psychoanalyzing Spellbound” and “A Cinderella Story: Rhonda Fleming.” Additional bonus content includes a 1948 radio play, audio interviews with Hitchcock and the original theatrical trailer.
NOTORIOUS
Blu-ray Review by Kevin Carr
MOVIE: ***1/2 (out of 5 stars)
BLU-RAY EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars)
The last of the Hitchcock 40s trifecta that recently hit Blu-ray is “Notorious.” No, this has nothing to do with that Biggy Smalls biopic that hit the theaters a few years ago, and Tupac does not show up in the middle to start an east-coast/west-coast rapper war with Cary Grant. This is the classic post-WWII thriller about a reluctant American agent uncovering a plot in Rio de Janeiro.
Ingrid Bergman plays Alicia Huberman, whose father was jailed for treason. American Agent Devlin (Cary Grant) recruits her to travel to Brazil and uncover a Nazi plot by seducing one of the top leaders (Claude Rains). However, they didn’t count on falling in love first, which might jeopardize the mission.
I had seen “Notorious” many years ago, though much of the story escaped me. Of the three Hitchcock Blu-rays I received in this pack, this one was the latest of the bunch, and it fell farthest into skullduggery, being a plot by Nazis. It actually falls quite a bit outside of Hitchcock’s standard wheelhouse as his more famous stories tend to be more intimate suspense films.
However, this one is noteworthy because it is as much of a romance as it is a spy thriller. The entire plot hinges on the relationship between Bergman and Grant’s characters, and the couple brings quite a bit of chemistry on screen. Just as much time is spent on developing their relationship as is devoted to laying out the plan of the Nazis. In fact, to a degree, the Nazi plan is more of an excuse around which the plot wraps a love triangle.
Like Hitchcock’s other works, especially the ones from the 40s rather than his heyday in the 50s, this movie is not about technical innovation as much as it about presenting the plot. The production is relatively standard, aside from a few moments where Hitchcock plays with camera placement and pacing. In “Notorious,” as with “Spellbound,” we see a lot of his later techniques and styles tested.
The presentation on the Blu-ray is a bit messy, which is disappointing, and this can be said for all the Blu-rays in this set. While there is a bonus feature that boasts the restoration process, a lot more could have been done aside from cleaning up some dust and scratches. Contrast problems, flickering and murkiness still exists in the presentation, which is unfortunate.
The saving grace is a nice assortment of special features which come from the 2008 DVD release. These include commentary tracks from film experts Rick Jewell and Drew Casper, as well as an isolated music and effects track. Featurettes include “The Ultimate Romance: The Making of Notorious,” “Alfred Hitchcock: The Ultimate Spymaster” and “The American Film Institute Award: The Key to Hitchcock.” Additional features include a 1948 radio play with Joseph Cotten and Ingrid Bergman, audio interviews with Hitchcock, a restoration comparison and the original theatrical trailer.
