Review of Frenzy (1972) by Arash X — 01 Nov 2009

This later Hitchcock film is all over the place. It's almost like a Nineteenth Century novel in that it has comedic sub-plots and biting class commentary. I laughed out loud at the scenes involving the persistent detective and his wife who loves to prepare "exotic" French cuisine. Another scene where Anna Massey's character meets her end is filmed so brilliantly that it conveys the horror and violence she faces with a subtlety that delivers all of the terror we expect from Hitch. It is one of his best moments. The more well-known murder scene crosses the line into voyeurism. One could argue that the first attack sets up the subtlety of the second. Still, the scene goes on for a long time and is difficult to watch.

In the end, this is about a man who is falsely accused. In Hitchcock's world, it's' easy to be suspect and not so easy to be innocent.