Spellbound

Saw Spellbound. It was a Hitchcock movie whose broadest source of interest is that Salvador Dali helped out with the dream sequence. The dream sequence is indeed very Dali-esque, full of melty scenery and those crutch things. The rest of the film which surrounds this incongruous dream sequence concerns a psychoanalyst who falls in love with one of her patients. There's a bit of over-simplified psychology here (I think anyway. I am no expert.) but mental illness is presented as a faulty switch which must be reset and then all is well once more. The flipping of the switch, however, allows for much head-clutching histrionics on the part of the patient which I naturally greedily ate up.

Hitchcock's camerawork is inspired, as usual. His frames capture the characters like insects on a watchglass and he throws beautiful shadows almost everywhere. There are little show-piece shots of light under doors, slow zooms onto details and the climax is appropriately taught and gripping. The film indulges, unfortunately, in a lot of melodrama which must be bought into. Hitchcock was never one for subtlety and there is little to be had here (plot-wise anyway. As I say the mechanics are great.) Also, for today's audiance the madness of men is unfortunately something to be laughed at or ignored and it's difficult to sympathize with a man suffering from a "guilt complex" (especially when he seems just fine soon afterward.)

So, a good film. Slightly dated and pulpy but not without interest and wit.