Review of The Trouble with Harry (1955) by Dan G — 10 Jul 2012

This is a charming little film, one that you can't help but hold a smile throughout, despite the fact that it all revolves around a corpse. The film is beautifully composed, never straying more than ten minutes without cutting to a shot of the lush autumnal landscape of the small Vermont village where the film is set. The film boasts some great performances too, Edmund Gwenn is fantastic as Captain Wiles; his pre-hunt conversation with 'old faithful' is really heartwarming. Mildred Natwick is a treat to watch as the reserved Miss Gravely.

What struck me as the film progressed was each character's indifference to the death of Harry, each of them takes it as a matter of fact circumstance. This creates a little uneasiness; a pinch of the macabre and this is how we know Hitchcock was calling the shots.