Review of To Catch a Thief (1955) by Philip S — 23 May 2010

Adapting a book to the big screen is one of the oldest practices in Hollywood. Even in Hollywood's golden age, it happened. In some cases, the adaptations were done relatively well. In others, not so well. This is still the case in modern Hollywood. But when Alfred Hitchcock bought the rights to the novel upon which this movie is based, it was one of the best decisions that could have been made. Even if there are variances between the original story and the movie, the big screen adaptation is one of the greatest crime stories to ever hit the big screen.

What made this story so enjoyable is debateable. Perhaps it is that half of the movie was actually filmed on location in the south of France--as noted in the bonus features. Perhaps it was the obvious chemistry between the cast members. Or it could have been the story itself. While the story is a crime drama of sorts, the performances put on by the cast made it feel almost like a dramedy, more than a drama. This, too, was discussed in the bonus features. Even the double entendres put in are so subtle that no parents today would find the story too offensive for most younger audiences. Among the funniest of them involves a makeout scene and fireworks off in the distance of Paris. Perhaps all of these factors combined are what made the movie so enjoyable. The double entrendres, like so many other aspects of the movie are also discussed in the story. Learning how Hitchcock got past objections over content by certain individuals was rather funny.

The story presented in this movie is enjoyment from beginning to end. And the dvd presentation only adds to the overall enjoyment factor. Far too many dvd's today offer so little in terms of bonus features. This presentation, though, offers a pleasant in-depth look not only into the making of the movie, but into Hitchcock himself by members of his family. Even in the "making of" featurette, audiences are offered insight into what made Hitchcock want to make the movie, and make it the way in which he did.

Alfred Hitchcock may not have broken new ground when he adapted the novel 'To Catch a Thief' into a movie. This type of practice had been done well before him. However, in many of those cases, the movie failed to capture the original story whether the story was changed or not. However, Hitchcock, and his cast created an adaptation that is a success and more. Whether it was the bonus features, the story, the cast, or the director himself, audiences will find one reason or another to applaud what is easily one of the best crime stories--and general movies--of all time.