Spellbound [PG]

Dr. Constance Petersen is the picture perfect psychiatrist: she wears glasses, she’s prim and neatly presented, and she prefers textbooks to relationships. But when the young and handsome Dr. Edwards joins the staff of her workplace, she falls head over heels in love with him. All too quickly, she discovers that Dr. Edwards is really a schizophrenic imposter wanted for the murder of the real Dr. Edwards. Convinced of his innocence, Constance devotes herself to curing his illness and securing his freedom, but her psychoanalytic investigation is going to unearth some disturbing truths. 

I have to admit that after Frenzy, my admiration for Alfred Hitchcock had plummeted quite a bit. But after Spellbound, I am whole-heartedly back on the Hitchcock bandwagon and eager to add this one to the collection. 

Dr. Constance Petersen is the picture perfect psychiatrist: she wears glasses, she’s prim and neatly presented, and she prefers textbooks to relationships. But when the young and handsome Dr. Edwards joins the staff of her workplace, she immediately falls head over heels in love with him. All too quickly, she discovers that Dr. Edwards is really a schizophrenic imposter, suffering from amnesia and wanted for the murder of the real Dr. Edwards. Convinced of his innocence, Constance devotes herself to curing the poor man’s illness and securing his freedom. But her psychoanalytic investigation is about to unearth some disturbing evidence. 

This has to be the most romantic film that Hitchcock has ever done! It was the absolute perfect balance of mystery and suspense and a dramatic (almost forbidden) romance. It may have even taken the place of Vertigo as my favourite Hitchcock film. 

During the 40s, movies about psychoanalysis were all the rage, which in a way is perfect for the style of Hitchcock. With its story of an investigation within an investigation, Spellbound is almost a romantic cross between Psycho and Marnie (both of which are later films, I do realise.) 

And the story wasn’t the only genius thing about the film: the sets used in the dream sequences were designed by none other than surrealist artist Salvador Dali, making the film visually stunning as well as a masterpiece of the written word. 

Ingrid Bergman stars as Dr. Constance Petersen and she is too beautiful. She delivered a performance that was romantic, concerned, professional, and she was just an all around gem! She has to be up there with Bette Davis and Marilyn Monroe on my favourite actresses list. I absolutely LOVED her in this! 

Gregory Peck stars as the patient that holds Constance’s affections. Possibly one of the most handsome actors in cinema history, he gave a performance that was charming, troubled, aggressive, and romantically unstable. I have found a new love in Gregory Peck! 

Starring Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll, John Emery, Steven Geray, Paul Harvey, Donald Curtis, Rhonda Fleming, Norman Lloyd, Wallace Ford, Bill Goodwin, Art Baker, Regis Toomey, Irving Bacon, and backed by an absolutely beautiful, Academy Award winning soundtrack by Miklos Rozsa, Spellbound is a magnificent film filled with suspense, terror, brilliant camera usage, and romance. I loved it from start to finish and firmly believe that this is my favourite Hitchcock film!