Plot: What’s it about?
Dr. Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) is a gifted psychiatrist, as she has almost endless understanding of human nature. But while her instincts remain sharp as can be, her persona comes off as cold, distant, and sometimes even uncaring. At the institution where she works, the chief of staff has retired and in his place, a new worker is brought in and the arrival of this new coworker is certain to alter Petersen’s life forever. The new chief of staff is Dr. Anthony Edwards (Gregory Peck), a famous psychiatrist with a more humanistic approach, quite a contrast to the bookish Petersen, to be sure. But Edwards is soon head over heels for his beautiful, but cold coworker, though he isn’t the type to give up too easily. She becomes involved with the new chief of staff, but attempts to keep her distance, as she doesn’t want to fall in love. When Edwards is revealed to be a paranoid amnesiac impostor, Petersen winds up on the run with him and the two experience a whirlwind of false identities, psychoanalysis, and romance.
This is not the typical Hitchcock picture, but it is a well crafted movie and above all else, Spellbound is loads of fun to watch. As with a lot of mysteries or thrillers, if you sit down and think about the events, you’ll notice some glaring holes, but trust me, you’ll be too drawn into the film to notice while you watch. A lot of the press on Spellbound is given to the dream sequence, which was designed by artist Salvador Dali and of course, is a most unique and interesting stretch of cinema. But it was trimmed down a lot, so while it is an important part of the movie, I don’t think it is as vital as some claim it to be. Spellbound has some great performances, but Gregory Peck comes off a little lacking, without the needed juice for his role. This never presents much of an issue however, as those around him rise to enhance those scenes. In truth, the performances and material are more over the top than we’re used to in Hitchcock’s efforts, but it all weaves together well and like I said, the movie is very enjoyable. Not as masterful as Hitchcock’s elite level thrillers, but a well done and highly entertaining motion picture. I recommend it to fans of Hitchcock and anyone interested in thrillers, but make sure you nab this Criterion Collection edition.
As I stated above, I found his performance to be rather lackluster, but Gregory Peck’s work here is still acceptable. I suppose his effort is dull at times, when it shouldn’t be, but Peck has good screen presence, which helps balance it all out a little. The role seems to need more mystery, charisma, and passion, while Peck is satisfied to be mundane and like I said, even dull and in some scenes, that lessens the impact. The main problem comes with the more love driven sequences with his female costar, as these scenes lack heat and passion, which is hard to believe, given the beauty of his costar. Even so, Peck has solid presence and while too reserved to fully bring the role to life, he does well enough. Other films with Peck include Cape Fear, The Omen, Mackenna’s Gold, To Kill a Mockingbird, and The Guns of Navarone. The cast also includes Ingrid Bergman (Casablanca, Notorious), Leo G. Carroll (North by Northwest, The Parent Trap), and Michael Chekhov (Song of Russia, Holiday For Sinners).
Video: How does it look?
Spellbound is presented in a full frame transfer, as intended. I’ve never seen this movie look so good, as Criterion has done some extensive restoration work here, giving us an excellent visual presentation. The restored visuals simply shine, starting with a glowing source print that shows minimal defects, a tremendous restoration effort indeed. The image is sharper than expected, though some scenes are intentionally soft, but even then, detail remains high. The contrast is well balanced also, so the black & white visuals remain refined and stark throughout. Another superb presentation from Criterion, who have went beyond even the extra mile here.
Audio: How does it sound?
The included mono option has been restored & remastered, with terrific overall results. I heard minimal age signs here, which means the elements come through in clean & clear form, simply wonderful work. I heard no distortion with the musical score either, which is terrific news. The dialogue remains crisp and sharp at all times, with no volume errors to report. This is an excellent audio treatment, thanks to Criterion’s care and restoration. This disc also includes optional English subtitles.
Supplements: What are the extras?
I’ll start this section with Hitchcock scholar Marian Keane’s audio commentary track, which is the same kind of track she offered on Criterion’s release of Notorious. Keane breaks down the movie scene by scene, looking at small details, themes, and of course, the big picture. Not a track to everyone’s tastes, but film buffs should enjoy the session. You can also browse an in depth illustrated essay on the Salvador Dali designed dream sequence, as well as listen to excerpts from an audio interview with composer Miklos Rozsa. This disc also includes the complete 1948 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation, a New York Public Radio piece, a collection of hundreds of behind the scenes photos & documents, and the film’s theatrical trailer.
