Review of I Confess (1953) by Gary T — 15 Jan 2015

WOW......WOW.....WOW.....WOW....WOW.....WOW...STUNNING.....FANTASTIC.....GENIUS.....AMAZING.....FANTASTIC.....ABSOLUTLEY BRILLIANT.....MAN I HAVE JUST SEEN THIS MOVIE 4 THE 1ST TIME N THINK THAT THIS IS SUCH A BRILLIANT MOVIE 2 WATCH......its got a good cast of actors/actresses throughout this movie.....I think that Montgomery clift (.R.I.P.), anne baxter (.R.I.P.), karl malden (.R.I.P.), brian aherne (.R.I.P.), dolly haas (.R.I.P.), play good roles/parts throughout this movie.....I think that the director of this drama/classics movie had done a fantastic job of directing this movie because you never know what 2 expect throughout this movie.....

Production.

I Confess had one of the longest "preproductions" of any Hitchcock film, with almost 12 writers working on the script for Hitchcock over an eight-year period. (Hitchcock had taken time off for the wedding of his daughter Patricia Hitchcock in 1951, and Hitchcock was in the midst of dissolving his partnership in Transatlantic Pictures with Sidney Bernstein.) The original screenplay, following the source play, had the priest and his lover having an illegitimate baby, and the priest being executed at the end of the film. These aspects of the script were removed at the insistence of executives at Warner Brothers because they feared a negative reaction.

Shooting took place in Hollywood and Quebec in under two months. Hitchcock had planned on using Quebec-area churches at no cost. When the local diocese read the original script by George Tabori, it objected to the priest's execution and rescinded its permission. When Tabori refused to change the script, Hitchcock brought in William Archibald to rewrite it.

Hitchcock, as was his custom, created detailed storyboards for each scene. He could not understand Clift's Method acting technique and quickly became frustrated with Clift when he blew take after take for failing to follow Hitchcock's instructions.

Cognizant of the difficulty non-Catholics would have in understanding the priest's reluctance to expose Keller, Hitchcock said,.

We Catholics know that a priest cannot disclose the secret of the confessional, but the Protestants, the atheists, and the agnostics all say, 'Ridiculous! No man would remain silent and sacrifice his life for such a thing.'.

Alfred Hitchcock's cameo can be seen during the second minute-right after the opening credits-as he walks across the top of a steep stairway.

Reception.

Critical response.

The film was banned in the Irish Republic because it showed a priest having a relationship with a woman (even though, in the film, the relationship takes place before the character becomes a priest).

The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.

I Confess was a favorite among French New Wave film makers, according to filmmaker/historian Peter Bogdanovich.

Film critic Sarah Ortiz, has described I Confess as "the most Catholic film of Hitchcock's films.".

Adaptations.

I Confess was adapted to the radio program Lux Radio Theatre on September 21, 1953 with Cary Grant in Montgomery Clift's role.

Man this is such a brilliant movie 2 watch, I think that this is such a beautifully directed movie 2 watch, its got a fantastic cast throughout this movie....man this is such a thrilling breath taking movie 2 watch, it is such a brilliant movie 2 watch, its got a great cast throughout this movie....it is such a classics movie 2 watch, it is such a brilliant movie 2 watch, it is such a fantastic movie 2 watch, with a great cast throughout this movie......