Thursday, August 08, 2019
Gaslight
- Commentary: Of course I was bound to own this movie! I am, after all a self-respecting movie maven-of-sorts. And, of course, it is this version I chose to own. Ingrid Bergman; Angela Lansbury; Charles Boyer; Joseph Cotten. Are you kidding? Is there any other version?!?
This movie is not only a pure delight of a thriller, for me, I love the way it's done. The planning of the contrasts between outside and inside, light and dark, expansive and claustrophobic, are, yes, thrilling for me to watch. Angela Lansbury is a delicious tart. Ingrid Bergman is a surprisingly unshrinking violet. Charles Boyer plays against type so well, it's hard to remember his performances as a romantic male lead.
The main reason I thought to buy it recently is because of the current craze for using the word "gaslight" and its derivatives, especially in news and commentary. When I hear these young ones using it, I chuckle internally. I'm sure a majority of these earnest politicos have no idea of the term's derivation. In fact, when I watch this movie, I often think of my niece, who shares my love of movies (and is an actor) and I partly bought the movie so I would have it the next time she visits because, you know, she's of the generation of people who is tossing this term around and I have a sneaking suspicion she doesn't know where it comes from.
To this day, an utter gem of a movie. And, yes, the site to which I linked the title of this post gives a review of both the 1940 and 1944 movies. Mine is the 1944 version with Ingrid Bergman, although I've wished to see the 1940 one, just out of curiosity.
By the way, I've linked Bergman's name to an article featuring interviews of three people done for Roger Ebert's site in 2015.
Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Actor Role Charles Boyer Gregory Anton/Sergis Bauer Ingrid Bergman Paula Alquist Anton Joseph Cotton Brian Cameron Dame May Whitty Bessie Thwaites Angela Lansbury Nancy Oliver Barbara Everest Elizabeth Tompkins Emil Rameau Maestro Guardi Edmund Breon General Huddleston Halliwell Hobbes Mr. Mufflin Heather Thatcher Lady Mildred Dalroy Lawrence Grossmith Lord Freddy Dalroy Jakob Gimpel Pianist
As well, just in case, here's the Wikipedia write up to this particular film.
Release Date: 1944
Directed by George Cukor.
Labels: angela-lansbury, drama3, film-noir1, ingrid-bergman, melodramaA, mystery1, period1, suspense1, thriller1
