Though the title “Spellbound” has come to be associated with many pictures, perhaps the most conspicuous of these is Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 psychological thriller. Here’s a closer look at this work of art:
Spellbound (1945)
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Gregory Peck, Michael Chekhov, Leo G. Carroll
Synopsis
Ingrid Bergman portrays a skilled psychiatrist, Dr. Constance Petersen, working at a mental hospital located in Vermont. Here, she meets a new hospital director, Dr. Anthony Edwardes, played by Gregory Peck. Edwardes tries to cover his true self and his strange acts make Constance suspicious of him. Later, she learns that he is an amnesiac and thinks he may be the perpetrator behind the disappearance of the real Dr. Edwardes.
In the course of the new developments, Constance’s emotions get the best of her and she falls in love with Edwardes. Constance is compelled to figure out above all else the truth of Edwardes’s identity and the trauma that mentally prevents him from revealing his true self. They run from the police and follow the path of therapy with shocking results where repressed memories, meaningful dreams and treason have turned out to be central to the plot.
Cinematic Context and Importance
- The groundbreaking use of psychoanalysis:
Real events would qualify as primary sources in Freudian psychoanalysis. “Spellbound” focuses on allegations or suggestions of repressed trauma and feelings of guilt, and attempts to seek the dreamer’s narrative. The insanity plot is replete with guesswork as well as being a historical first in terms of the cinematic study of psychoanalysis.
- Salvador Dalí’s Dream Sequence:
The artist Salvador Dali went off the wall with this dream sequence that contained bizarre elements and outlandish settings, but such ineffable imaginations fit in well within the broader themes of the film. Dali’s work highlights the significant themes of the film and is still one of the great achievements of cinematic art.
- Mastering of typical Hitchcock characters such as suspense:
The film contains a great deal of tension with many twists and turns too. The film also has atmospheric qualities thanks to extremely well mastered and skilled use of all the elements of suspense. Their chemistry provides an additional layer to the story as Bergman and Peck, call into play areas of love with areas of interspersed intrigue.
Cinematic Reception
The film “Spellbound” was well received with critical acclaims from the audience who appreciated the bold themes the filmmakers had explored as well as the direction from Hitchcock. It received six Oscar nominations and won for Miklós Rózsa’s Original Score that became iconic for it was one of the first uses of the theremin which made the film creepy.
Memorable Quotes
- Casting: While Gregory Peck first arrived in Hollywood as little known, this film made him a star and married him to Ingrid Bergman allowing this pairing to become forever etched into the annals of on screen couples of that time
- What Dalí wanted: While the initial cut of dalí’s sequence was longer, it was very much cut for pacing reasons. Still, the visuals that remain are nothing less than a bold exploration of the crossover between fine art and cinema.
- Hitchcock View on Psycho-Analysis: Despite his realistic attitude towards psychoanalysts, Hitchcock employed their techniques in his work to ensure that there was narrative cohesion and depth in his characters.
Suggestions
If you liked “Spellbound”, you may also be interested in the following movies:
- “Rebecca” (1940): A different Classic Hitchcock movie with psychological aspects.
- “Gaslight” (1944): Ingsrid Bergman won an Oscar for her participation in it, a psychological thrill horror manipulated around memory.
- “Vertigo” (1958): One of the creations of his genius, its about obsession, fantasies and losing psychological strength.