I Confess 1953

     This film is based on the play Nos deux consciences (Our Two Consciences) by Paul Anthelme from 1902.  Anthelme was a journalist and he also wrote under the name Paul Bourde.  The setting of this film is in Quebec, Canada.  Father Michael Logan is a priest at a Catholic church.  Otto and Alma Kellar are the caretaker and the housekeeper at the church.  He usually works at the home of Villette in the garden on Wednesdays.  Otto enters the house of lawyer Villette and he takes some money.   Villette catches him and Otto kills him.  He wanted the money to start a new life for them.  Otto returns to the church and he sees that Father Michael is working late.  He asks Father Michael to hear his confession and he knows that Father Michael will not be able to tell anyone what he says in confession.  Two schoolgirls come the police station and they say they saw a priest leaving Villette’s house the night of the murder.  The police find a priest’s robe in Father Michael’s room with bloodstains.  It appears that other clothing and items were hiding the robe.  When the police find out that Father Michael is a former of boyfriend of Ruth Grandfort, they also learn that Villette was blackmailing Ruth.  All evidence seems to point to Father Michael as the killer and he cannot speak to clear himself.

     You know this is a Hitchcock movie with all the twists and turns.  Also, the man wrongfully accused is one of his favorite themes.  You don’t know how this is going to turn out from the beginning until almost the conclusion.  Otto has steel blue eyes and he’s always on the lookout for someone to accuse him of the murder.  I thought Otto might murder Father Michael to make sure he kept his mouth shut?  Otto’s wife Alma knows that Otto is the killer and there are many times she wants to say something but she can’t say anything!!  4* (I really liked this movie)

95 min, Crime directed by Alfred Hitchcock with Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden, Brian Aherne, O.E. Hasse, Roger Dann, Dolly Haas, Charles Andre.

Note:  Imdb 7.3 out of 10, 80% critic 76% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, 4.5* out of 5* with 181 reviews, Slant Magazine 4* out of 4*, Empire Online 3* out of 5*.

Special Note:  Filmed in 972 rue Saint-Jean, 1 Rue des Carrieres, Halls of Justice, Levis Ferry Dock Lower Town, Old Quarter, Grande Allee Est, St. Lawrence River, Parliament Building, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada; Burbank, California.  Montgomery Clift drank during filming and his eyes appear glazed when he’s on the ferry.  Hitchcock asked an assistant director and Karl Malden to talk to Clift about it.  Hitchcock was a non-confrontational director.  Originally, Hitchcock wanted Anita Bjork as Ruth Grandfort after he saw her in the film Miss Julie of 1951.  Warner Bros. insisted that he find another actress.  Hitchcock always created detailed storyboards for each scene.  He became frustrated with Clift and didn’t understand his Method acting technique.  Dolly Haas plays Alma Keller and she was selected because of her physical resemblance to Alma Reville, Hitchcock’s wife.  There are two other films with the same title from 1970 and 1999.