JohnHowardReid
SYNOPSIS: A ruthless murderer marries his victim's niece and endeavors to gain control of her fortune by driving her slowly mad.NOTES: Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' Award, Best Actress, Ingrid Bergman (defeating Claudette Colbert in Since You Went Away, Bette Davis in Mr Skeffington, Greer Garson in Mrs Parkington, and Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity).Also won the award for black-and- white Art Direction (defeating Address Unknown, The Adventures of Mark Twain, Casanova Brown, Laura, No Time For Love, Since You Went Away, and Step Lively).Also nominated for Best Picture (Going My Way), Best Actor, Charles Boyer (Bing Crosby in Going My Way), Supporting Actress, Angela Lansbury, (Ethel Barrymore in None But the Lonely Heart), Screenplay (Going My Way), black-and-white Cinematography (Laura).Number 7 in The Film Daily annual poll of U.S. film critics. This film was a
re-make of a 1940 British National picture directed by Thorold Dickinson, starring Anton Walbrook and Diana Wynyard.COMMENT: Three ace screenwriters have managed the almost impossible task of turning Patrick Hamilton's superbly suspenseful stage play (called "Angel Street" in its 1941 Broadway season) into a somewhat less exciting motion picture. Director Cukor and his players put up a magnificent battle, but at crucial moments the screenplay lets them down. Nonetheless, Bergman makes a captivating victim, and Boyer, cast against type, is chillingly effective as her tormentor.The marvelously Victorian sets are atmospherically lit by the brilliantly skillful Joseph Ruttenberg.OTHER VIEWS: "Much of the fearful immediacy of the play is sadly lost in the film." - Bosley Crowther in The New York Times.
TheMovieSmith
I came across "Gaslight" while cruising through TCM's Video on Demand selection the other night. It was a title I had always wanted to see because it checked off two of my movie vices: Film-Noir and Ingrid Bergman (who I consider one of the greatest actress of all- time, if not the best). I sat down and prepared for what I was really hoping was going to be a good cinematic experience. The start of movie takes place a few years before the main story and leads to the introduction of the movie's main plot device (the jewels). I must confess I found the beginning of the movie (to about the Tower of London scene) to be rather boring and somewhat tedious. I persevered through, mainly because after reading other reviews and synopsis it felt like the ending was really going to pay off. Did it ever! Once I powered through the first half of the film or so, the story really picked up and as the story progressed Ingrid shown through more and more. Her performance was by far the most redeeming aspect of the film and through out the movie the story really keeps you guessing as to weather she was really disturbed or her husband (Charles Boyer) was driving her mad. The story in the second half really picks up (aided rather heavily by the detective which is strongly reminiscent of the John Williams detective character from "Dial M for Murder" in that he is a real know it all, when he shouldn't) and delivers with a tense, climactic ending which really nailed home Ingrid's win for Best Actress in the following Academy Awards. I must admit that after watching "Double Indemnity" multiple times I had always had trouble reconciling how Barbara Stanwyck didn't win the Oscar that year, but after seeing this film there is no doubt that Ingrid Bergman truly deserved it. A very, very strong film that highlights Ingrid Bergman's finest work and is a true (but underrated) classic.
Mutoto
George Cuckor became famous for his portrays of female characters and 'Gaslight' is no exception. Paola starts by being a shadow of her aunt mysteriously killed at her house in London. She seems destined to follow on her steps, even accepting to move back to the place where the murder happened. She then convinces herself she has lost her mind and finally turns around to find herself and see reality as it is. This process is brilliantly and subtly conducted by Cuckor, making the best use of Ingrid Bergman's talent, who gives the performance of a lifetime. 'Gaslight' is in many ways a display of Hollywood golden age, with a good script being served by a solid director and an all-star cast.
Sofia Duarte
I wasn't expecting much of this movie, because i'm not a Ingrid Bergman fan, i always think she over acted in the dramatic scenes. But i think she's perfect in this movie, she is believable every single time, you inevitably go with her downwards that spiral of depression and despair for believing she's losing her mind. Charles Boyer was flawless as the sociopath that ruins ones live to serve his interests solely. I loved some of his facial expressions, and particularly that close up on his face when he asked Bergman about the picture.The movie is brilliant! I do love a good psychological thriller, being one of my favorite genres. The story is incredibly good, the pace is right, the dialogs weren't very clever, they didn't have much depth as you would expect of this genre. What i mean is, Bergman believed to easily she was losing her mind without questioning herself and the times she did it was as if it was a rhetorical question. But given the year it was filmed it's excusable since men didn't expect women to think too much.Overall putting the film in the year he was filmed, it's pretty good, and very enjoyable even for todays audiences. I rate it as a "must see".
AD
