Classic Film Review: The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

The Manchurian Candidate stars Laurence Harvey as Raymond Shaw, a former Korean POW who has been brainwashed into becoming a political assassin. On his return from combat, he was awarded the highest military honour available, something his mother Mrs Eleanor Shaw Iselin (Angela Lansbury) and Senator John Yerkes Iselin (James Gregory) are pleased to shout from the rooftops. They're waging a war against potential communists in positions of power, though Eleanor is very much the driving force. The trouble is, Major Bennett Marco (Frank Sinatra) is having flashbacks of his POW experience with Raymond Shaw where he seems to recall Shaw killing two members of the team and casts doubt on the heroic feats that gained Shaw his medal. Marco feels like he's going mad but a chance encounter convinces him he's right. From then on, his aim is to work out what's going on with Shaw and how he can stop it. This film also stars Janet Leigh as Eugenie Rose Chaney, a woman Marco meets on a train heading to New York.

I suppose the revelation for people who hadn't already appreciated the depth of their talents would be the brilliance of both Angela Lansbury and Frank Sinatra. Lansbury certainly should've won the Oscar for her supporting performance that easily steals the film. The way the character develops from an enthusiastic mother to master manipulator is a brilliant evolution that feels completely natural thanks to Lansbury's subtle performance. The best scene of the film easily belongs to her, though I won't ruin it for those unfamiliar with the plot. Frank Sinatra, too, puts in a stellar performance as the tortured Marco who then drags himself back together to try and stop the assassination attempt. As a dramatic actor, Sinatra is often overlooked but his roles in this film and in From Here to Eternity (1953, reviewed here) are proof that he was more than just a musical star.

I did have a few niggles with The Manchurian Candidate, though I understood the reasoning behind them. The flashback scenes where Shaw explains how his relationship with Jocelyn Jordan (Leslie Parrish) began and ended feels a little shoehorned in but, since the character becomes important very quickly, it was a necessary evil, and also allowed for another riveting Lansbury scene. Equally, Janet Leigh was monstrously over-billed, and I say that as someone who adores her in every role, regardless of the quality of the film. Her performance was excellent, yes, but her role was a small one.

Overall, this is another film that deserves all the praise. It's long but the last half an hour is a lesson in how to ramp up tension and keep it there. A fantastic film that is an intricate as it is suspenseful.

Classic Film Review: The Lady Vanishes (1938)

The Lady Vanishes tells the story of Iris Henderson (Margaret Lockwood) and her fellow bunch of travellers who are stranded overnight in an inn before their train gets started the next day. Before she gets on the train, Iris has an accident and is looked after by Miss Froy (May Whitty). After a nap, Iris wakes and discovers Miss Froy has vanished and none of her fellow passengers claim to remember her. Iris reluctantly enlists the help of Gilbert (Michael Redgrave) and they try to unravel the mystery of Miss Froy's disappearance. The cast includes Basil Radford and Naunton Wayne as the cricket-mad Charters and Caldicott, Paul Lukas as Dr. Hartz and Cecil Parker as Mr Todhunter.

This is the third version of this story I've now seen. I reviewed the 1979 film starring Angela Lansbury last year and, though I watched the 2013 television adaptation, I didn't review it. However, Hitchcock's interpretation of the story is delicious and outstrips the others, no question. It's atmospheric and witty without being overblown. The scenes on the train, particularly, are well-executed despite the confined space.

The cast is practically faultless. Michael Redgrave's first appearances as the irritating Gilbert in the hotel felt like a flamboyant sideshow, but once they settled into their double-act 'Sherlock Holmes and Watson' personalities on the train, the relationship between him and Iris was one of the highlights of the film. In addition, Radford and Wayne are excellent in their supporting roles and everyone down to the nun played by Catherine Lacey fulfil their parts properly.

After seeing three versions, it's very difficult to come to the story fresh but it still kept my attention for the most part, mainly due to Margaret Lockwood as the heroine. It's a completely different role to to her partnership with Redgrave in The Stars Look Down (1940, reviewed here) and, as such, demonstrates the versatility of both. Their chemistry sees the film through with able support from everybody else.

Classic Film Review: They Won't Believe Me (1947)

They Won't Believe Me is a film noir which stars Robert Young as Larry Ballantyne. When the film opens, Larry is on trial for the murder of his mistress Verna (Susan Hayward). He recounts to the jury his version of events, beginning with his relationship with his first mistress Janice (Jane Greer) and the way his wife Gretta (Rita Johnson) reacted to that. Larry's tale is unbelievable but his life hinges on it. Will the jury believe his version of events?

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. My first experience of Robert Young was in The Bride Walks Out (1936, reviewed here) and it was good to see him in a markedly different role. He gives a subtle performance as Larry - there's often a lot more going on in his face than you might originally notice. The scenes in the hospital, particularly, are demonstrative of that. Out of the three women, my favourite performance came from the relatively unknown Rita Johnson as Gretta Ballantyne. She simultaneously shows that she needs Larry's love desperately while manipulating him with her wealth. The most sympathetic woman of the three is supposed to be Janice, but even this is tricky because she planned to run away with Larry at one point. Janice's presence in the courtroom - and her status as a witness - necessitates her importance in the film as a whole and, in that sense, the character works. She also assists in showing a different side to Larry at the beginning of the film and the contrast between his relationship with her and his relationship with Verna is fascinating.

Ultimately, Larry suffers because he's unwilling to give up Gretta's money but he can't face a life on a lonely ranch with her. He's a selfish man but events do spiral out of his control in the end. However, sympathy for him has to be tempered by what he would've done if he'd had to - maybe he deserved to be on trial.

The Won't Believe Me is a suspenseful film that doesn't really seem to dip much. The last five minutes, especially, are brilliant with two twists that I didn't see coming. Overall, an excellent film.

Classic Film Review: Suspicion (1941)

Suspicion stars Joan Fontaine as Lina, a woman living with her parents who, rather unkindly, label her a spinster within her hearing. She has encountered Johnnie Aysgarth (Cary Grant) on a train and he pursues her. They swiftly elope and have an excellent honeymoon but when they return to Britain Lina has to confront the fact that Johnnie a chancer, a gambler who is adept at manipulating people. Her worries deepen when she suspects he means to kill his friend Beaky (Nigel Bruce) to procure money but is she correct about his intentions?

This is an excellent film, winning Joan Fontaine a much-deserved Oscar for her performance. The development of Lina from a bright but in-love heroine to a fearful wife who is petrified about the potential ruthlessness of the man she has married. Fontaine's a very subtle actress, sometimes the slight lift of an eyebrow is all that distinguishes an emotion, but she's very effective. A combination of an excellent script and her wonderful control of the role created a heroine who wasn't weak but didn't know exactly what to do with her suspicions either. The consistent use of her glasses throughout not only worked as a metaphor but added to the overall tension. Cary Grant works very well in a darker role than he is known for. The flashes of anger that punctuate the film create a sense of unease, encouraging the viewer to share Lina's beliefs rather than trust in Johnnie. There are some excellent scenes, showing Hitchcock's matchless talent for creating tension, for example, the long-shot of Johnnie delivering an odd-looking drink to his sick wife.

Ultimately, though, as gripping as the rest of the film was, I feel that the ending let it down. It wasn't true to the characters, nor very satisfying for the audience. I understand that the ending of the book was altogether different and this is yet another instance of executives interfering with story-telling. Nevertheless, Suspicion is an excellent film, worth watching for the Oscar-winning performance from Fontaine alone.

Classic Film Review: I Confess (1953)

I Confess stars Montgomery Clift as Father Michael Logan, a priest who hears a confession of murder from employee Otto Keller (O.E. Hasse) and is morally unable to act on it. When the police, headed by Karl Malden as Inspector Larrue, discover that Father Logan has links to the dead man, he quickly becomes a suspect himself. Unable to break Keller's confession, Father Logan faces the ultimate penalty for holding his silence.

With a cast that also includes Brian Aherne as Willy Robertson and Anne Baxter as Father Logan's past love Ruth (now married to Pierre Grandfort (Roger Dann)), I Confess certainly holds a lot of promise. And, for the most part, it lives up to it. The atmospheric introductions to Quebec City at the beginning set up a tense film, a feeling only enhanced by the confession in the opening minutes. From then on, the film is carried by Clift and he is truly excellent as Father Logan. His faith and stoicism could portray him as a silly figure but Clift manages to convey this as a deep sense of belief in something more important than the prospect of being hanged for a crime he didn't commit. The rest of the cast works well, especially O.E. Hasse who has a difficult role to play in convincing the audience he would rather a priest hang for a murder he committed than risk himself.

I had one major niggle. The short flashback sequence which depicts Father Logan's relationship with Ruth before and after the war is superfluous, nothing that couldn't have been explained more briefly in words alone. At that point, music overtook the film in something of an irritating manner, when it was used so well at other moments. However, other than this, the film slots together very well and creates and sustains tension until the very end. I honestly wasn't sure what the final half an hour would bring. An underrated Hitchcock - in fact, one I hadn't even heard of - and one definitely worth dusting off for the central performance alone.

Classic Film Review: Notorious (1946)

Notorious stars Ingrid Bergman as Alicia Huberman, the daughter of a Nazi sympathiser who has been convicted of treason. Alicia is convinced by the government, spearheaded by Devlin (Cary Grant), to infiltrate a group of her father's friends in Rio. While waiting for her assignment, Alicia vows to change her ways and begins a relationship with Devlin. However, her fake relationship with Alexander Sebastian (Claude Rains) quickly becomes serious - from his point of view - and he proposes to her, despite the misgivings of his mother (Leopoldine Konstantin). What follows is a game of cat and mouse that leaves Alicia's life in danger.

This is an excellent film. Cary Grant is at his suave best as Devlin, masking everything wherever possible, and Bergman's bad-girl-turned-good act is very appealing. There is definite chemistry between the pair, only really quantifiable when you compare the Alicia/Devlin relationship with that of Alicia/Sebastian. However, Rains is excellent in the film as a whole, particularly the last few scenes where his panic shines through. The supporting players add to the tension but, really, this film belongs to Grant and Bergman.

There are genuine moments of tension and mystery, and with it being a Hitchcock film you're never quite sure where it will go. Some of the camera angles, particularly at the beginning after Alicia's drunken stupor, add to the effect and the scene of her 'realisation' later on is both perfectly shot and perfectly acted. You have to pay attention to the sharp dialogue at times and I did rewind to catch full meanings on occasion but it all conspires to create a riveting finale.

Notorious richly deserves its reputation as one of Hitchcock's best. I doubt the tension will diminish on second viewing or many viewings after that.

Classic Film Review: Hotel Reserve (1944)

Hotel Reserve stars James Mason as an Austrian medical student living in France who is also a bit of an amateur photographer. His camera gets mixed up with someone else's and he finds himself arrested as a spy. The authorities believe his innocence but send him back to the hotel to investigate his fellow guests under the threat of having his naturalisation bid revoked. Among the people Vadassy has to investigate are the owner Suzanne Koch (Lucie Mannheim), who seems to be in a conspiracy with Emil Schmiler (Frederick Valk), and honeymooning couple, Andre (Herbert Lom) and Odette Roux (Patricia Medina).

While this film is peppered with tension, it didn't grip me as much as I thought it might. Mason is excellent as the anxious student stuck between doing something he really doesn't want to do and the threat of deportation. His scenes with Frederick Valk are particularly interesting but the film suffers from the audience knowing the truth all along. While this is meant to add to the suspense, it serves to make Vadassy's interactions with the rest of the cast a little redundant. For example, the innocent Mary Skelton (Clare Hamilton) would have been a viable suspect for her closeness to Vadassy, had the culprit not already been known. Plus, listing the suspects on the screen for the audiences' benefit was an annoying and lazy interlude.

Hotel Reserve does have some clever scenes - and some amusing ones too. The moment when Vadassy uses the brash Robert Duclos (Raymond Lovell) adds some lightness to a rather dark film. The finale chase was a little predictable but no less enjoyable for that fact. However, I do feel that the fate of Emil Schmiler could and should have been explored more, especially in its effect on Suzanne Koch. It was a subplot, yes, but one that needed more tying up than it had.

Overall, this is a good James Mason film, worth seeing for the leading man alone. While it is nothing spectacular, it does contain a grim foreboding of what is to come in France during the war.

Classic Film Review: Rebecca (1940)

Based on the book by Daphne Du Maurier, Rebecca tells the story of the second Mrs de Winter (Joan Fontaine) who marries Maxim de Winter (Laurence Olivier) after a whirlwind romance in Monte Carlo and returns to England to his family home of Manderley. Once there, however, she finds the house, her husband and the servants - particularly housekeeper Mrs Danvers (Judith Anderson) - all preoccupied with his first wife, Rebecca. Mrs de Winter at first feels inferior but the truth has the potential to be much more damaging.

You can certainly tell this is a Hitchcock film. Even as an early one, it displays some of the techniques he employs to such effect in later films. For instance, the scene when Mrs de Winter ventures into Rebecca's chamber is atmospheric to the extreme, with camera angles and lighting being deployed to their full potential. Equally, the character of Mrs Danvers is represented as menacing at all times thanks to Hitchcock's direction. Mixed with excellent performances from the three main actors, along with those from George Sanders, Florence Bates, Edward Fielding and Leonard Carey, this is a truly remarkable film.

Joan Fontaine is outstanding as the anxious bride. In a few scenes she seemed to almost quiver out from the screen, especially in her pivotal scene in the bedroom with Mrs Danvers. Laurence Olivier is equally engaging in his pivotal scenes towards the end of the film. In fact, whether it's a small scene or a large one, Olivier commands attention. In his first few scenes with Fontaine I actually found it difficult to concentrate on her, so overwhelming was Olivier's presence.

This is truly a gripping film. Some elements were altered in the transition from book to film but they work cinematically and that's the most important thing. Judith Anderson's performance works completely and I came away this film deeply unsettled by the character of Mrs Danvers. For me, she was the one who lived on, despite the chilling finale.

Classic Film Review: Bad Day at Black Rock (1955)

Bad Day at Black Rock is a riveting film which stars Spencer Tracy as John Macreedy, a stranger who gets off the train at Black Rock - the first time the train has stopped there in four years. It's a small town full of people suspicious at his appearance, more so when he starts asking questions about a Japanese farmer who used to live in the area. The main ringleader of the opposition is the intimidating Reno Smith (Robert Ryan), aided by his gang of friends including Hector (Lee Marvin) and Pete Wirth (John Ericson). However, two members of the community are more receptive to Macreedy's mission - Sheriff Horn (Dean Jagger) and Doc Velie (Walter Brennan). But as the search becomes more dangerous will Macreedy make it out of Black Rock alive?

Spencer Tracy gives a phenomenal performance as the one-armed stranger, especially considering he doesn't really talk that much. His mannerisms and quiet nature are central to the film and make for compelling viewing. Equally, the supporting cast are all very good, the most notable being Dean Jagger as the sheriff whose drunken state and nervous disposition contrast well with Tracy's Macreedy. Anne Francis also turns in a decent performance as Liz Wirth, though as the only woman in the cast she feels a bit of an anomaly at times.

There are two things that make this film exception apart from Tracy: the setting and the dialogue. The former is integral to the film, showing the desolation of Black Rock and Macreedy's isolation once he's there with no way of escape but it's used very effectively. One of the most important conversations of the film takes place on the railway track, a symbol about the inevitable progression of the story if ever I saw one. Equally, the dialogue throughout is sharp and rarely redundant. Almost every scene of this film is a work of art that moves the story forwards.

Overall, this is a tense film with some memorable moments, although these are as likely to be the 'quiet' ones as the moments of truth and revelation.

Classic Film Review: Gaslight (1940)

This review relates to the British version of Gaslight, released in 1940 starring Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard. It's based on Patrick Hamilton's play of two years earlier and, I think, follows the plot closely, even if the name of the main character is altered. Paul Mallen (Walbrook) and his wife Bella (Wynyard) move into a house which has been unoccupied since the murder of Alice Barlow twenty years ago. They are joined in the house by servants Elizabeth (Minnie Rayner) and Nancy (Cathleen Cordell) but it soon becomes clear that this is no idyllic marriage. Bella, it seems, is losing her mind and hiding things before claiming she has no knowledge of their whereabouts. The audience is soon let in on the fact that Paul's to blame for the objects moving and that his intention is to drive his wife insane.

Gaslight is a atmospheric film. While Walbrook was very much a stereotypical villain, I enjoyed Wynyard's portrayal of Bella. However, my favourite moments came courtesy of Frank Pettingell as Rough, a former detective involved in the original murder case. His interest is piqued by the arrival of Mallen, whom he immediately identifies as the nephew of the murder victim. He attempts to discover more, partly by befriending Bella and partly by using his employee's relationship with Nancy the parlourmaid. Paul Mallen is also utilising the parlourmaid for entertainment of his own.

Knowing what's going on gives the audience an edge over Bella and it creates unbearable suspense as Paul manipulates her more and more. The final few scenes were very good, particularly as Bella uses his own manipulations against Paul. For me, though, my favourite scene was Rough charging a hoop at Bella and her dog as an excuse to make her acquaintance. I loved that scene and I can't even explain why. Pettingell's an actor I want to look out for in other films and, yes, I would like to see the MGM version of Gaslight (1944, with Angela Lansbury as Nancy) at some point in the future.

'I've Seen This Somewhere Before...'

Foreshadowing is one of those things that rarely occurs in first drafts. Unless you've got the multi-tasking mind of a genius, that is. I barely manage to keep track of my characters, keep a vague idea of my plot, and grasp the realisation that I have to draw it to a conclusion at some point without worrying about the intricacies.

Then came the rewriting stage and I started panicking - yes, I was telling a story, but did my novel work on any other level. I was whining constantly to myself: I want to create something that'll last. Well, to be fair, isn't that what we all want?

Something that adds another dimension to a novel is foreshadowing. I'm a huge fan of Jessica Page Morrell's book Between the Lines, a masterclass in writing the subtle elements of fiction. Although many writing books can feel like repetitive wastes of time and money, this one gives practical advice and uses many examples to back up the theories.

According to Morrell, foreshadowing can be used to lay the groundwork for three specific things: set pieces, character transformations and secrets. The one that I've been focusing on in my latest rewrite is the notion of set pieces.

One dramatic scene towards the climax of my novel involves my heroine being thrown violently against a table, garnering herself a nasty head wound in the process. This action in itself is unsurprising given the situation but I wanted more so I dropped in clues along the way that everything was about to spiral out of control. More than this, I concocted a mirror scene to take place in an earlier chapter.

Lily, my heroine, has a perfectly plausible fall down some steps after suffering a night of panic and exhaustion. She is cleaned up by her friend, Marie, in a scene that foreshadows the aftermath of the table incident detailed above. By inserting this scene I aim to increase the tension a little as the reader realises that Lily isn't immune to injury. Also, I wanted the echoes in the second clean-up scene to confuse the reader. Marie's intentions are ambiguous throughout and I feel this unseats logic even more.

Added to this, screenwriters are often told to repeat important images. This fixes something of importance in the viewer's mind and highlights the significance of it. Marie's helping Lily says a lot about her as a character at both junctures.

See? Not something I could've accomplished in my first draft!

Something to try if you're struggling with foreshadowing is to imagine the individual beats along the way to a particular incident. If A has to happen for B to happen so that C can occur what about the bit between A and B? If it's exposition of some variety then perhaps it can be utilised to foreshadow forthcoming events as well as filling in backstory or plot detail.