Spellbound (1945)

Nominee

When I think of Alfred Hitchcock I think of Rear Window, Psycho, Vertigo, The Rope, North by Northwest, and any number of other prolific films. So you can imagine my surprise when I pulled this one off the shelf and was blindsided by his name stretching  across the cover, along with those of the beloved Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. Why had I not heard of this film? Does it lack something that gave the others longevity?

Well after viewing the film two things were made very clear to me: 1.) This is truly a hidden gem, and 2.) It is innately flawed in a number of ways that interfere with its status as a Hitchcock great. It is this dichotomy, perhaps, that makes the film so compelling. 

The film tells of a psychoanalyst, (Ingird Bergman), who falls for a man, (Gregory Peck), who is accused of murder and suffering from amnesia. This risky love story unfolds with perfected suspense, and pulsating energy up until the final frame with solid performances from these enduring costars. Yet where the film looses some weight is in its rather heavy handed use of dated psychology, and its blatant sexism. 

The film bases its entire core on the very early work of Freud, and although psychology still acknowledges his dedication to the field, much of what he said no longer holds water. Not to mention there is much conjecture involved in the application of his findings, which ends up undermining some major plot points in this film. In addition, you can only watch Bergman get hit on so many times by various co-workers, and strangers before it grows a little tiresome. 

Yet even taking these things into account, what remains is still worth lauding. It is still shot with Hitchcock's incredible subjectivity. It's still keeps you holding on until the end. And it even has something that none of his other films have: collaboration with Salvador Dali. Because, lets face it, when making a film revolving around dream psychology it if best to bring in the resident surrealist genius, and the result is remarkable.  

Overall: I almost see this film as a rough draft for Psycho, it's not quite as good because it's a little too direct with some of its content, but practice makes perfect. And what Spellbound does have is one of the most memorable artistic collaborations I have ever seen, along with solid performances and great cinematography. Definitely worth a viewing. Happy Watching!