Spellbound Reviews

Spellbound (1945)

Gregory Peck, Ingrid Bergman & others great acting.

Great director.

OLD FASHIONED SUSPENCE FILM.

Spellbound without the spelling ...

Worth watching just to hear Gregory Peck announce with all the conviction he can muster: 'If there's one thing I hate - it's a SMUG WOMAN'.

The music is a bit exaggerated and some of the scenes, for example - the opening of all the doors after Bergman gets her first ever kiss, are well somewhat over dramatised and bordering on the absurd, within the context of what has actually just taken place.

The scene where Bergman gushingly chooses Bratwurst over ham still perplexes me. Was that supposed to be a sly sexual reference, her choosing a sausage over a piece of flat ham?

A rather simplistic analysis of psychiatry really but Peck and Bergman are both at the peak of their acting careers here and talent just oozes out of them irrespective of the plot.

As things progress they begin to unravel the mystery behind Peck's amnesia and there is enough there to keep you interested in the outcome.

Average Hitchcock....

with a formulaic plot is lifted above average by superb performances by Bergman and Peck and a very famous dream sequence designed by Salvador Dali.

Nothing special:

This is mediocre Hitchcock, the story is quite interesting, what dark secrets are locked in Gregory Pecks amnesia riddled mind ? But in general the story just plods along. It is worth watching for Ingrid Bergman who is always radiant in all films she stars in, she is a true screen beauty. Stick this on your list if you are a Hitchcock completist or if you want to kill a couple of hours one day. But to see Hitchcock in his prime go for, Psycho, Rear Window, The Birds, North by Northwest or Vertigo.

Sllooooooww!!

A sometimes painfully slow suspense film with trademark hitchcock cinematography. Good performances by all except Peck who brings little to his character. Certainly worth the watch for hitchcock fans who will enjoy the intense suspense closeups, changeovers and accelerated montages - moments of genius.

Aptly named!

After having read several reviews of this film, I was not expecting much... But I REALLY enjoyed it!

Hitchcock's masterly touch can be seen throughout the film, but especially in the famous, Dali-designed dream sequence, which is visually stunning, and even more impressive considering Hitch didn't have all the CGI effects and computer wizardry afforded to modern films!

I found the plot interesting and different, and with enough twists to keep you in suspense until the very end. The storyline may seem a little 'out there' to those unfamiliar with Freudian Psychoanalysis, but as big believer in Freud's theories, I saw no problems. Ingrid Bergman delivers a brilliant performance as the intelligent but sensitive Constance - a feat of its own in a time where the heroines in films tended to be somewhat over-feminine. Peck's performance was average, but he seemed slightly uncomfortable with his character throughout.

The score was a bit of a let-down too, as it was slightly over-used, and quite often inappropriate to the relevant scenes.

Anyone interested in Psychoanalysis will probably enjoy this film, and for us Hitchcock aficionados, it's essential viewing!

Super Sunday

An excellent film for romantics & Hitchcock fans. The whodunnit element isn't terribly complicated but the story flies along keeping you as rapt as the title suggests. Great Sunday afternoon fare.

Spellbound (1945)

The plot was a bit too far fetched but nice performances.

[Highly rated reviewer]

hitchcock

A classic by alfred hitchcock.

Nightmares, Sex, and Psychotherapy

After winning Oscars for "Gone with the Wind" and "Rebecca" producer David O. Selsnick was inexplicably depressed, and sought counseling. After a bit of time on the couch, he was eager to turn psychotherapy into the subject of a film - and so "Spellbound" was born. Directed by Hitchcock, the two produced a flawed but interesting thriller about a madman on the run with his sexy psychiatrist.

If you aren't a Hitchcock buff, there may only be only two reasons to recommend "Spellbound": 1) The fascinating dream sequence designed by Salvador Dali, and 2) The kernel of something in the film that could that could be truly great.

It's a shame that Hollywood only remakes really good movies, because there are lots of interesting pictures out there that, for whatever reason, never quite worked. "Spellbound" is one of those films that almost works, but doesn't. Some filmmaker, a Tim Burton or an M. Night Shyamalan, should get a hold of it and do it justice.