Review of Dial M for Murder (1954) by Alan M — 08 Aug 2008

A single room in a middle-class London flat is the residence of one of Alfred Hitchcock's greatest thrillers, Dial 'M' For Murder.

We are invited into the lives of sophisticated gentleman, Ray Milland and his trophy wife, Grace Kelly; both playing out their roles in a marriage as theatrical as the staging of the movie.

As we peer beyond the façade, we are immersed in the murky waters of betrayal and murder, which washes away Milland's charming exterior to expose a cruel egotist, bruised by the infidelity of the fragile Kelly, seeking the love and affection deficient in Milland.

This is the raw material with which Hitchcock, the master craftsman, fashions a work of consummate skill and pioneering vision, indicative of an artist in complete control of his medium.

Furthermore, great praise is due to all who collaborated on this movie (and all the others), as they are the building blocks of the pedestal upon which Hitchcock sits.

The product is a glorious amalgam of sharp editing by Rudi Fehr, expressive cinematography by Robert Burks and an overwrought music score by Dimitri Tiomkin. These elements are unified in a claustrophobic and refined thriller that manipulates us with prods of tension, dwelling on every detail for maximum impact.

The highlight of Dial 'M' For Murder is the magnificently realised attack on Grace Kelly. The darkened room conceals the evil intentions, but the creeping shadow casts an ominous threat. The edgy music gradually gathers momentum, cutting through your nerves with each thrust of the violin bow. Then, out of the darkness, echoes the forbidding ring of the telephone......The music erupts into a frenetic wail and the suspense breaks, yielding a brutal intensity that spirals out of control, before culminating with a grand finale that leaves a searing imprint on cinematic history.