![]() ![]() If you want to get lost in electrifying entertainment, this film will do it. “Gaslight” was nominated for seven Academy Awards (including Best Picture), and won two. This film is a rich example of the best of classic cinema. After focusing on the mind-blowing direction of George Cukor and the incomparable set design, I’ve ultimately come to realize “Gaslight” is a shining, rare film in which all of its elements masterfully blend in a seamless fashion, simply creating first-class entertainment. When I paid close attention to the compelling story and tight script, I thought that might be the power behind this classic. Then there are also the spot-on performances of Joseph Cotten, Dame May Whitty, Angela Lansbury, and Barbara Everest. A few screenings later I noticed the brilliance of leading man Charles Boyer, and I thought this film stood out because these two were so believable and had such exciting chemistry. I first thought the allure of the film came solely from the astonishing performance by its leading lady Ingrid Bergman. Even after you know its twists and turns, this suspenseful love story gone awry is so gripping it still keeps you glued to your seat. Perhaps one of the first "pure" psychological thrillers, Gaslight, just like Ingrid Bergman's eyes, contains the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and beauty.Other films come and go, but “Gaslight” remains on my Top Ten Favorite Films list ever since I first saw it decades ago. Still, the acting prevails over the plot, and what better actor to come out of nowhere than Cotten? His charm and charisma make up for his character's two-dimensionality.Īlthough there are faults, Gaslight is an extraordinary film, generating its suspense not from an evil lurking in the shadows, but from the psychology of the mind itself. Also, Joseph Cotten, as the Scotland Yard detective smitten with Paula's beauty, seems to come out of nowhere. Granted, the story line is somewhat contrived, and one can't help but wonder how Paula never notices that her husband is completely evil BEFORE the marriage. Perhaps unintentionally, perhaps unwittingly, Bergman's Paula is a symbol and a superhero for all women trapped in an abusive marriage. With her performance, Bergman transforms the character of Paula Alquist from a weak, paranoid wimp of a wife into a woman struggling with her own identity and her role in marriage and society. Or is she? Is she going mad? Or is her husband - who she is supposed to love, honor, and obey - making her mad? The show is Bergman's to steal, and she does so with gusto, garnering an Oscar for her endeavor. Trapped in the house, alone with her husband, a somewhat-deaf cook, and a tart of a housekeeper, Paula soon starts to hear noises, see things, lose things, and even hide things. Soon, her husband starts acting very strangely, and starts convincing her that she is very ill and unable to go out. ![]() And, naturally, here is where the movie really begins. ![]() ![]() He convinces her to move back to the exact same house where her aunt was murdered, where nothing has been changed in all those years. Paula is sent to Italy, where she, too, studies music, until she elopes with an older, dashing pianist (Boyer). A famous opera singer is murdered in London, leaving behind no motive, no clues, and Paula, the young niece who discovered the body. Completely believable in George Cukor's Gaslight as a wife whose husband (Charles Boyer) is trying to make insane, Bergman can show you all her turmoil and emotional stress just by looking around. The actress - who would soon become blacklisted after her marriage to Italian director Roberto Rossellini - can convey every emotion and nuance of her character through her amazingly expressive eyes. If you're looking for everything you've ever wanted to know about horror, mystery, depression, and suspense, go take a peek into Ingrid Bergman's eyes. ![]()
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