Review of Suspicion (1941) by Filipeneto — 30 Mar 2020

This is not one of Alfred Hitchcock's best films... although he is highly regarded and has all the merit for it, he made several films that would not stand out nor would we realize they were his if his name did not appear on the screen. I speak at least of us, the laity, who do not study his work and technique in depth.

Inspired by a book, this film has suspense and a story with outlines of impending crime: a rich girl who marries against her parents 'will and only later realizes that she married a compulsive gambler who may be interested in her parents' money. As the film unfolds, she fears for her life. It looks good, it looks like the kind of movies the director likes to make ... but while watching it I found everything so warm that I was surprised by it. And the end? It is undoubtedly one of the worst in Hitchcock's films, as it is tremendously anti-climatic.

The cast is led by Cary Grant (in his first collaboration with Hitchcock) and Joan Fontaine. The way the film was conceived accentuates the professional work of the actors and both were very good, but in general it is a film that goes unnoticed in the filmography of both artists. Fontaine is graceful, she has a sweet vulnerability that makes her nice, but that is all and it is hard to believe that she won an Oscar for Best Actress here. Grant is very good, and shows a certain rudeness, misogyny and lack of consideration for his wife that make him worthy of distrust and even dislike. I personally hated his character and the way he made decisions in spite of what his wife might want and without talking to her. I also think that there was a lack of chemistry between Grant and Fontaine. It seems that they never got along and that Grant couldn't stand the good relationship between Fontaine and Hitchcock. In the secondary cast Nigel Bruce stands out.

At a technical level the film is impeccable, as is usual in Hitchcock's films. Very well filmed, with excellent photography and a very skillful use of black and white and contrast, it was very well edited and the editing work is very good, having been closely supervised by the director. Good scenarios, costumes and a soundtrack complement the production values of this film, which, despite being good, did not amaze or absorb me like others by the same director.