Without the benefit of psychological expertise, it is fair to say that Gregory Anton (Boyer) is a certifiable psychopath. Not only does he kill a famous London singer for the chance to find some priceless jewels, but also when he fails, he waits for ten years and seduces the niece of his victim so that he will be able to get back into the house, which she now owns. The niece, Paula Alquist Anton (Bergman) falls head over heels for Gregory; they are soon married and, initially against her wishes, back living at the home in the Thornton Square section of London. Gregory begins to drive Paula mad slowly, first by giving her something then removing it secretly, chastising her for being forgetful. Soon Paula begins to hear sounds coming from the attic, and the gaslights dimming, while Gregory feigns innocence. When he begins to pin servants (one played by Lansbury, in her first role) against her and shaming her in public, she loses all control and, truly believing she is mad, hits her breaking point. Meanwhile, Paula's strange behavior doesn't go by unnoticed for Brian Cameron (Cotton), a Scotland Yard detective who was once a great admirer of Paula's aunt. Brian decides to look into the goings-on in the Anton house and when he uncovers the mystery, must convince Paula of the truth in order to save her life.
"Gaslight" is an essential film in the suspense genre; at times it was easy to forget that it was not a Hitchcock film, rather, directed by the masterful George Cukor, a man as known for his romantic comedies as for his melodramas. At times, "Gaslight" is genuinely creepy; the fact that it takes place at the turn of the century and we must rely on small lamps or natural lighting adds to the dramatic shadows and lighting. The Oscar-winning set design also contributes to the spooky atmosphere. Bergman, who won an Oscar for her performance in this film, is so fragile one expects her to crack any minute. A sheltered and timid woman after discovering her aunt's body as a child, she briefly comes out of her shell when she thinks she has found true love, until her husband begins his machination. Cotten, an excellent actor, was underused in this film, though he is technically the film's hero. It is Charles Boyer who turns in what I consider to be the most incredible performance of the film. He can turn his character from a charming, romantic man to a raving (or worse, icy) psychopath within seconds. With just a quick flash of his eyes, you know that he has locked on to yet another way to toy with Paula's mind. Good beat evil at the Academy Awards that year (at least on screen it was Bing Crosby that won for "Going my Way", but at least he didn't beat his kids until he got home) but Boyer's performance should have won out.
There were several suspense films that were released in 1944, (one of them, "The Uninvited" is quite good) but "Gaslight" has a hint of originality to it. I'm sure there are instances that I can't come up with from the silent film era in which one spouse tries to convince the other of their insanity for mercenary reasons, and there are many films that have visited this theme since, but "Gaslight" stands out because the villain is just SO evil that even people (like myself) who look for dark themes in their films may have a hard time grasping how much of a real deal this guy is. I would particularly recommend this film to Ingrid Bergman fans, but if you enjoy Cukor's lighter fare ("The Philadelphia Story", "My Fair Lady", "Pat & Mike") check out this rare thriller from his filmography. Even his most melodramatic of melodramas can't compare to this one. 7/10 --Shelly
"Gaslight" is an essential film in the suspense genre; at times it was easy to forget that it was not a Hitchcock film, rather, directed by the masterful George Cukor, a man as known for his romantic comedies as for his melodramas. At times, "Gaslight" is genuinely creepy; the fact that it takes place at the turn of the century and we must rely on small lamps or natural lighting adds to the dramatic shadows and lighting. The Oscar-winning set design also contributes to the spooky atmosphere. Bergman, who won an Oscar for her performance in this film, is so fragile one expects her to crack any minute. A sheltered and timid woman after discovering her aunt's body as a child, she briefly comes out of her shell when she thinks she has found true love, until her husband begins his machination. Cotten, an excellent actor, was underused in this film, though he is technically the film's hero. It is Charles Boyer who turns in what I consider to be the most incredible performance of the film. He can turn his character from a charming, romantic man to a raving (or worse, icy) psychopath within seconds. With just a quick flash of his eyes, you know that he has locked on to yet another way to toy with Paula's mind. Good beat evil at the Academy Awards that year (at least on screen it was Bing Crosby that won for "Going my Way", but at least he didn't beat his kids until he got home) but Boyer's performance should have won out.
There were several suspense films that were released in 1944, (one of them, "The Uninvited" is quite good) but "Gaslight" has a hint of originality to it. I'm sure there are instances that I can't come up with from the silent film era in which one spouse tries to convince the other of their insanity for mercenary reasons, and there are many films that have visited this theme since, but "Gaslight" stands out because the villain is just SO evil that even people (like myself) who look for dark themes in their films may have a hard time grasping how much of a real deal this guy is. I would particularly recommend this film to Ingrid Bergman fans, but if you enjoy Cukor's lighter fare ("The Philadelphia Story", "My Fair Lady", "Pat & Mike") check out this rare thriller from his filmography. Even his most melodramatic of melodramas can't compare to this one. 7/10 --Shelly