"Dial M For Murder" - directed by Alfred Hitchcock
It seems that every year the Auckland International Film Festival serves up at least one Alfred Hitchcock film.
Last year it was the silent film "Blackmail" complete with a score played live by the Auckland Philharmonia and a companion short in the form of Chaplin's excellent "Easy Street".
This year they have two on offer - the classic "North By Northwest" and the similarly highly regarded "Dial M For Murder".
It was the latter that I selected as I have seen it once compared to the half dozen times that I have seen "North By Northwest".
"Dial M For Murder" was shot in 3D (the only time Hitchcock did this) and the restored print meticulously preserves each technicolour, stereoscopic frame.
The 1954 thriller has been copied many times from the 1960 Rex Harrison / Doris Day "Midnight Lace" to the weak "A Perfect Murder" in 1998 starring Michael Douglas, Viggo Mortensen and Gwyneth Paltrow.
None matched the original however.
A lot of this could be put down to the fact the Hitchcock's film was the first and had originality and freshness on its side.
However the overwhelming reason that it works as well as it does is down to the great man himself - Alfred Hitchcock.
It seems redundant at this point to say too much about the director's style because it is so well known, so regarded that anyone who even attempts to make a murder thriller is compared to the master of suspense with the tag "Hitchcockian" applied if they achieve any measure of success.
Without doubt this film is one of his most well known.
It might not be up there with "Pyscho", "The Birds", "Vertigo", "North By Northwest", "Spellbound", "To Catch A Thief", "Rear Window" and my personal favourite "Notorious" but even a non-Hitchcock fan will know it well.
My enthusiasm for this film screening can be explained by three things.
Hitchcock (obviously)
A restored 3D print and the curiosity as to how the format was handled back in 1954.
And lastly Grace Kelly.
Kelly is one of the all time great beauties of the silver screen and clearly a personal favourite of Hitchcock ultimately starring in three of his films in two years (this one and "Rear Window" in 1954 and "To Catch A Thief" in 1955)
Seeing her on the big screen in Technicolour is to revisit an amazing time in film production.
The acting and dialogue can be very theatrical and often things are explained too much for the tastes of a modern audience but these things were the norm of the time and part of the eras charm.
No doubt films made today will be viewed as quaint curiosities in sixty years but Grace Kelly is timeless.
The camera loves her and I can't recall another actress who lights up a screen like she does.
Bergman in "Casablanca", Veronica Lake in "This Gun For Hire", Monroe in "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and Rita Hayworth in "Gilda" are all icons of silver screen beauty but Grace Kelly really is in a class of her own.
Even across the three Hitchcock roles it is clear that she has range but she brings a vital ingredient to this film in particular.
She has our sympathies and never more so than when she vanishes from the screen.
Hitchcock is renowned for his ability to construct scenes with ever increasing amounts of tension and suspense but what is doubly impressive is his ability to generate these feelings even when the villain is in the predicament at the centre.
Refer to Norman Bates in "Psycho" anxiously watching Marion Crane's car sinking painfully slowly into the swamp as we bite our fingernails along with him.
(Of course we don't know the extent of Bates 'villainy' at this stage but he is still disposing of our heroine's body and shouldn't be worthy of any sympathy at all)
Most of our time will be spent with Ray Milland playing Kelly's scheming husband.
He coerces a former acquaintance into murdering his wife not simply because she no longer loves him and wants to be with American mystery writer Mark (Robert Cummings) but because he has become used to the lifestyle that her money affords him.
She will leave him considerable money in her will should she die before him.
He really is a despicable character but nonetheless Hitchcock skillfully shifts our sympathies from him to Margot and back again repeatedly.
The tension he generates from a stopped watched threatening to derail the murder plan that we don't want to succeed anyway is diabolically skillful.
Milland is clearly relishing this role and makes Tony Wendice a smarmy, conniving cad of a man.
I am most familiar with him from "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" and "The Lost Weekend" but he really shines here.
There is a playfulness to his portrayal that fits the tone of the movie perfectly.
For such dark material the film still manages to fit in some laughs courtesy of John Williams' wonderful Chief Inspector Hubbard.
A lot of the dialogue is corny and there is a ridiculous amount of exposition that is not necessary but it does afford some great lines from Hubbard.
This character comes off as an inept and bumbling detective for much of the film but may not be quite as dumb as we think.
It is a great character played wonderfully well.
The only weak link is Robert Cummings as Margot's lover Mark.
He delivers every line with far too much wide eyed enthusiasm and in moments where he is required to react non-verbally to other characters overplays the expressions in an almost comical manner.
Still - this is the Milland-Kelly show and they both knock it out of the park.
The restored print is glorious with vibrant colours and nice contrast.
The 3D surprises by how well realised it is for the most part.
There are moments - usually in wide and/or exterior shots where sections are out of focus and a little wonky but all in all this is impressive for 3D tech from sixty years ago.
Mostly the film is set in the Wendice's apartment with only brief excursions to the hallway, outside and to a party.
Low angle shots and careful placement of depth defining elements such as lamps and telephones aid the effect immeasurably and it is clear that many modern filmmakers could learn a thing or two about 3D movie making from watching this film.
There is still little real need for this to be in 3D although to be fair the actual murder sequence is augmented nicely by its inclusion.
There is no doubt that the quality of the print, the inclusion of the 3D and the chance to see giants like Hitchcock, Kelly and Milland on the big screen again make this a highly entertaining couple of hours in the cinema.
The plot is full of twists and turns and it is only on reflection after the film has ended that the intricacies of the scheme and the carefully controlled pacing of the script become apparent.
What first appears simple is revealed as incredibly complicated.
And yet it is never hard to follow.
What few flaws there are (theatricality of the staging, Cummings performance and some cheesy dialogue) are easily overcome by the many, many truly incredible aspects to what is undeniably a classic of the suspense genre and of cinema itself.
And yes- there is a Hitchcock cameo and it is a riot.
Last year it was the silent film "Blackmail" complete with a score played live by the Auckland Philharmonia and a companion short in the form of Chaplin's excellent "Easy Street".
This year they have two on offer - the classic "North By Northwest" and the similarly highly regarded "Dial M For Murder".
It was the latter that I selected as I have seen it once compared to the half dozen times that I have seen "North By Northwest".
"Dial M For Murder" was shot in 3D (the only time Hitchcock did this) and the restored print meticulously preserves each technicolour, stereoscopic frame.
The 1954 thriller has been copied many times from the 1960 Rex Harrison / Doris Day "Midnight Lace" to the weak "A Perfect Murder" in 1998 starring Michael Douglas, Viggo Mortensen and Gwyneth Paltrow.
None matched the original however.
A lot of this could be put down to the fact the Hitchcock's film was the first and had originality and freshness on its side.
However the overwhelming reason that it works as well as it does is down to the great man himself - Alfred Hitchcock.
It seems redundant at this point to say too much about the director's style because it is so well known, so regarded that anyone who even attempts to make a murder thriller is compared to the master of suspense with the tag "Hitchcockian" applied if they achieve any measure of success.
Without doubt this film is one of his most well known.
It might not be up there with "Pyscho", "The Birds", "Vertigo", "North By Northwest", "Spellbound", "To Catch A Thief", "Rear Window" and my personal favourite "Notorious" but even a non-Hitchcock fan will know it well.
 |
| Grace Kelly and Ray Milland |
Hitchcock (obviously)
A restored 3D print and the curiosity as to how the format was handled back in 1954.
And lastly Grace Kelly.
Kelly is one of the all time great beauties of the silver screen and clearly a personal favourite of Hitchcock ultimately starring in three of his films in two years (this one and "Rear Window" in 1954 and "To Catch A Thief" in 1955)
Seeing her on the big screen in Technicolour is to revisit an amazing time in film production.
The acting and dialogue can be very theatrical and often things are explained too much for the tastes of a modern audience but these things were the norm of the time and part of the eras charm.
No doubt films made today will be viewed as quaint curiosities in sixty years but Grace Kelly is timeless.
The camera loves her and I can't recall another actress who lights up a screen like she does.
Bergman in "Casablanca", Veronica Lake in "This Gun For Hire", Monroe in "Gentleman Prefer Blondes" and Rita Hayworth in "Gilda" are all icons of silver screen beauty but Grace Kelly really is in a class of her own.
Even across the three Hitchcock roles it is clear that she has range but she brings a vital ingredient to this film in particular.
 |
| Grace Kelly as Margot Wendice |
Hitchcock is renowned for his ability to construct scenes with ever increasing amounts of tension and suspense but what is doubly impressive is his ability to generate these feelings even when the villain is in the predicament at the centre.
Refer to Norman Bates in "Psycho" anxiously watching Marion Crane's car sinking painfully slowly into the swamp as we bite our fingernails along with him.
(Of course we don't know the extent of Bates 'villainy' at this stage but he is still disposing of our heroine's body and shouldn't be worthy of any sympathy at all)
Most of our time will be spent with Ray Milland playing Kelly's scheming husband.
He coerces a former acquaintance into murdering his wife not simply because she no longer loves him and wants to be with American mystery writer Mark (Robert Cummings) but because he has become used to the lifestyle that her money affords him.
She will leave him considerable money in her will should she die before him.
He really is a despicable character but nonetheless Hitchcock skillfully shifts our sympathies from him to Margot and back again repeatedly.
The tension he generates from a stopped watched threatening to derail the murder plan that we don't want to succeed anyway is diabolically skillful.
Milland is clearly relishing this role and makes Tony Wendice a smarmy, conniving cad of a man.
I am most familiar with him from "X: The Man With X-Ray Eyes" and "The Lost Weekend" but he really shines here.
 |
| John Williams Chief Inspector Hubbard |
For such dark material the film still manages to fit in some laughs courtesy of John Williams' wonderful Chief Inspector Hubbard.
A lot of the dialogue is corny and there is a ridiculous amount of exposition that is not necessary but it does afford some great lines from Hubbard.
This character comes off as an inept and bumbling detective for much of the film but may not be quite as dumb as we think.
It is a great character played wonderfully well.
The only weak link is Robert Cummings as Margot's lover Mark.
He delivers every line with far too much wide eyed enthusiasm and in moments where he is required to react non-verbally to other characters overplays the expressions in an almost comical manner.
Still - this is the Milland-Kelly show and they both knock it out of the park.
The restored print is glorious with vibrant colours and nice contrast.
The 3D surprises by how well realised it is for the most part.
There are moments - usually in wide and/or exterior shots where sections are out of focus and a little wonky but all in all this is impressive for 3D tech from sixty years ago.
 |
| Robert Cummings as Mark |
Low angle shots and careful placement of depth defining elements such as lamps and telephones aid the effect immeasurably and it is clear that many modern filmmakers could learn a thing or two about 3D movie making from watching this film.
There is still little real need for this to be in 3D although to be fair the actual murder sequence is augmented nicely by its inclusion.
There is no doubt that the quality of the print, the inclusion of the 3D and the chance to see giants like Hitchcock, Kelly and Milland on the big screen again make this a highly entertaining couple of hours in the cinema.
The plot is full of twists and turns and it is only on reflection after the film has ended that the intricacies of the scheme and the carefully controlled pacing of the script become apparent.
What first appears simple is revealed as incredibly complicated.
And yet it is never hard to follow.
What few flaws there are (theatricality of the staging, Cummings performance and some cheesy dialogue) are easily overcome by the many, many truly incredible aspects to what is undeniably a classic of the suspense genre and of cinema itself.
And yes- there is a Hitchcock cameo and it is a riot.
| Rated | PG for some very mild violence. |
| Running Time: | 106 minutes (1hr 45mins - no credits to speak of) |
| Starring: |
| Grace Kelly | --- Margot Mary Wendice |
| Ray Milland | --- Tony Wendice |
| Robert Cummings | --- Mark Halliday |
| John Williams | --- Chief Inspector Hubbard |
| Antony Dawson | --- Captain Lesgate |
| Leo Britt | --- The Storyteller |
| Patrick Allen | --- Detective Pearson |
| George Alderson | --- First Detective |
| Robin Hughes | --- Sergeant O'Brien |
| Jack Cunningham | --- Bobby |
| Sanders Clark | --- Detective |
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