I Confess

Starring: Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden, Brian Aherne, O.E. Hasse
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock
Rating: Not rated
Genre: Film Noir, Crime, Thriller
1953

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A man (O.E. Hasse) confesses a murder he recently committed to a priest (Montgomery Clift). Held by the vow to not reveal what was told to him in confession, the priest remains silent. His decision becomes more difficult when he is then suspected of the crime.

Review:

Tim: While I thought I Confess was decent, I was also somewhat disappointed. This is one of the films often found on "Hitchcock's Most Underrated Films" lists. I disagree with this. I don't believe this is one of Hitchcock's best films. The movie is good, but by no means great. The story is interesting, the premise is thought-provoking, but there are some big flaws that hurt the movie.

The biggest strength of this film is the interesting premise- a local priest hears the confession of a murderer. He cannot tell the police because he is bound by the Roman Catholic seal of confession. Things become even more difficult when he is accused of the same crime. Now he is faced with an impossible decision- does he risk his soul to save his life, or risk his life to save his soul? This is the most exciting and interesting aspect of the film because it makes you wonder what you would do in the same situation. Different people with various levels of faith would feel differently about what to do. I honestly don't know what I would do in this situation- it is that uncertainty that makes this an interesting, thought provoking film.

The cast was interesting. I was actually not a fan of Montgomery Clift at all. I know many people think he was amazing in this film, but I simply didn't see it. Clift gives a wooden, stoic performance that frustrated me because of how calm he seemed in some very frantic, stressful situations. I wanted to see him sweat, to show a little humanity and emotion. I was shocked that he managed to have the same look on his face throughout the entire film. I was bored with his performance and wanted him to show some range. I don't see how people thought he was great.

Anne Baxter was fairly good in a smaller role. The scene in the police station is the highlight, and she's fairly stunning there. I thought she evoked emotion quite well, and came across as a believable, interesting character. I certainly didn't think she was outstanding by any means, but she was good. Karl Malden was good as the Inspector. I liked his supporting performance, and believe he may have been the best of the cast. Unfortunately, no one really emerged as the star of the film. I thought the performances were good, but not good enough.

Alfred Hitchcock is such an amazing director. I wish I could love every single one of his films. I Confess certainly has a unique story, and the thought provoking, thrilling decision at the heart of this movie is fascinating to think about. Unfortunately, an interesting premise and a tough question do not make a great movie. The performances needed to be better. The story was good, but dragged a bit in the middle. Hitchcock created an interesting film, but it wasn't as thrilling as it should have been. This is a decent film, but certainly not one of Hitchcock's best.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 6.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Rope, North by Northwest, Dial M for Murder, Strangers on a Train