Review of Suspicion

Suspicion (1941)
7/10
Tension and thriller with excellent performances realized by the master of suspense
1 August 2006
A timid, attractive young girl named Lina(Joan Fontaine) falls in love with John(Gary Grant) an adventurer, wealthy man. Her parents( Dame May Witty and Sir Cedric Hardwicke) are opposed about the relationship. However, they early married ,living in Sussex . Then she gradually realizes and suspects that her hubby is allegedly a murderer and that she is the intended victim . Lina fears may be next on his list.

After ¨39 steps¨ and ¨Jamaica Inn¨ Hitchcock was encouraged to go to America and promptly won Oscar to best picture for his first film there, titled ¨Rebeca¨. Later,R.K.O, Radio Pictures offered him the direction of ¨Suspicion¨. The picture packs tension , thriller,suspense and excitement. The film is one of the splendid thrillers with 'imminent danger' as its theme, achieving the maximum impact on the audience and containing numerous exciting set pieces with usual Hitchcock touches . The movie is full of lingering images as the glass(Hitch put into the object a light) of milk and shot of the characters upstairs pacing up and down with shades on the walls.

The casting is frankly magnificent .Gary Grant, actually named Archibald Leach ( born in Bristol,1904) in his first Hitchock film is excellent. Joan Fontaine as the timid, shy bride consumed with fears is awesome and won a deserved Oscar to best main actress. First rate secondary cast constituted by Nigel Bruce ¨the famous Watson¨ who worked in ¨Rebeca¨ too ; Dame May Witty (The lady vanishes) ; Cedric Hardwicke(The rope)and Leo G.Carroll a habitual in Hitch movies. But to Hitch didn't like the film for the cutting out the ending, due to production's insistence to retain the sympathetic image Gary Grant, the most attractive of all Hollywood actors ; however Hitch will let ultimately to remake his movie .The motion picture is based on a novel titled : ¨Before the fact¨ and screen written by his familiar brain trust, his wife Alma Reville and Joan Harrison. Also shown in computer-colored version though best avoid it .It's remade in an inferior version by Andrew Grieve(1987)with Anthony Andrews and Jane Curtin.
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