Dial M for Murder

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source: Dial M for Murder

Dial M for Murder

SPOILER: There are many who believe that Alfred Hitchcock was a visionary genius; but personally, I fail to see the appeal in his films. I like some 1950s movies - those of Billy Wilder are great, but I find Hitchcock gets stiff performances from his casts, uses preposterous plots and in 'Dial M for Murder', there's a surprising absence of action - just a lot of talk. To summarise the story, a man plans an improbably complex murder; when the plan goes wrong, he frames his wife; but when his wife's friend and a sympathetic policeman get suspicious, they manage to trap him (albeit via the peculiar device of taking her from prison on the eve of her planned execution to help find the evidence to damn him and free her). He takes his capture with sang froid, and the film ends. I suppose Hitchcock was an original, in attempting to tell tales more complex than those previously attempted in cinema; but in an age of over-plotted and under-motivated thrillers, I wonder if his influence can be wholly considered good.

Surprisingly this is a lesser-known Hitchcock film but still stands up today as an exciting thriller full of twists and turns. Ray Milland is excellent as ex-tennis pro Tony Wendice who decides to commit the perfect murder of his wife (Grace Kelly) when he learns of her affair with Robert Cummings (who isn't given much to do). In fact, Milland's subtle performance has you wanting the murder plot to work! Though it has to be said, Kelly's helpless female turn does not help in this regard either. Hitchcock's skill here is to totally involve the viewer in the labyrinthine plot involving keys, telephone calls and stockings so that at the end of the film you haven't even noticed that virtually all the scenes are in one room. If you like clever, wordy films with a touch of humour then I recommend `Dial M For Murder'. 8/10

Six years after Rope, Hitchcock released another adaptation from a play, still behind closed doors, but a lot more conventional than its experimental predecessor. Unfortunately, although Dial M for Murder is a real improvement, it is not free from flaws, of which some are recurrent with the English director. It's a shame because it started pretty well. One easily gets carried away by the flowing dialogues, and wonders where this story is going to lead to. Granted though it is a bit far-fetched but nonetheless it arouses curiosity. Unfortunately, as soon as we pass the murder (and the intermission), the script struggles a little too much until the final outcome. The second part lacks tension, suspense, but most importantly rhythm which is strongly crippling, let alone for a confined movie. Once again, and as it happens too often with Hitchcock, this is a lukewarm feature, not a total flop but not fully accomplished either.

Reading these comments you'd think that this was the perfect film. An incredible plan of the perfect murder. The problem is that none of the characters are likable, the plot contains more holes than Swiss Cheese and police that act far out of character so as not to be believable whatsoever. This movie has aged badly. The contrivances of old films are all present here. I was wondering whether this was a play of some sort and lo and behold it was. Like Hitchcock's other loser film, Rope, this one has annoying characters doing things that people just don't do. The film takes place primarily in one room, the apartment. Rear Window is a far superior film to this one. Like most films, the fawning fans gladly overlook the horrendous flaws so that they can proudly proclaim "Ooooh, it's a Hitchcock!" This is just a conceit where Hitchcock thinks he can lazily work his genius and all the fools in the audience won't notice. You will. You'll be asking yourself one question from the start, being... "why the heck not make a third copy of the key?" That's just for starters. The last third of the film you'll be groaning... don't say I didn't warn you.

It really takes someone as intellectually alive as Hitchcock to make a stinker as leaden, and dead on arrival as Dial M for Murder. There it sits, lacking any of his signature technique, stagebound and lifeless as when the first word of it was written, not benefiting from any of his intelligence. Characters talk and talk and talk, always indoors, in a drawing room, because it was written for the stage and Hitch couldn't be bothered to open it up. So it's unbearably claustrophobic. Even if you look out a window it's a phony as can be. Ray Milland is dull as dishwater. For a thrill, after what feels like 5 hours, we cut to the insides of a phone interchange. All of it seen through the eyes of normative British police who can't wait to put things right again. ho-hum. I'd suggest more needed to go morally wrong in this snoozer to generate some interest. For a director whose filmic inventions could fill an encyclopedia, this is a tedious, unimaginative project. The only memorable moment in this (which is also grotesque) is when the stooge hired to kill Grace Kelly fails, and falls onto his back, driving a pair of scissors deeper into his body. Hitch regretted this and never did it again. (The knife is never seen injuring Leigh in Psycho). Rent 'Sudden Fear' with Joan Crawford for some actual thrills eked from this same scenario. This should have been called 'Hitchcock Collects a Paycheck,' Dial H for 'Humdrum,' or Dial U for 'Unremarkable.'