Movie Review: "Gaslight"

1944's "Gaslight"

Starring: Ingrid Bergman, Charles Boyer, Joseph Cotton (and Angela Lansbury)

"The film opens just after world-famous opera singer Alice Alquist has been murdered. The perpetrator bolted, without the jewels he sought, after being interrupted by Paula, Alice's niece, who was raised by her aunt following her mother's death.

"Paula is sent to Italy so that she can train to be an opera star, with the same teacher who once trained Alice. She studies with him for years, all the while trying to forget that terrible night at Number 9 on Thornton Square in London.

"Paula meets Gregory Anton and soon falls in love with him. She eventually ends her long tutelage to marry him. He persuades her they should live in the long-vacant London townhouse her aunt bequeathed her and, to help calm her anxieties, suggests they store all of Alice's furnishings away in the attic. Before they do, Paula discovers a letter addressed to her aunt by a man named Sergius Bauer, dated only two days before the murder, tucked away in a music book. Gregory's reaction is swift and violent, but he quickly composes himself, explaining his outburst as one of frustration at the bad memories his bride is experiencing.

"After Alice's things are packed away in the attic and the door blocked, things take a turn for the bizarre. At theTower of London, Paula loses a brooch that Gregory had given her, despite its having been stored safely in her handbag. Pictures disappear from the walls of the house, footsteps are heard in the sealed attic, and the gaslights dim and brighten for no apparent reason. Gregory insinuates that Paula is responsible, but she professes no recollection of doing such things.

"Gregory does everything in his power to isolate his wife from other people, allowing her neither to go out nor have visitors. On the one occasion when he does take her out to a musical gathering at a friend's house, he shows Paula his watch chain, from which his watch has mysteriously disappeared. When he finds it in her handbag, she becomes hysterical, and Gregory takes her home." (Wikipedia)

Eventually we realized that Gregory is making Paula think she is losing her mind...and a young detective eventually finds out why.

Now for my review...I LOVED this movie! (Just a note...those who know and love Angela Lansbury, should know this is her first big screen debut. Neat!) Super creepy and a it's funny...I actually started it one night and had to finish it another day. That night I had insane dreams about it and why Gregory was doing what he was doing to Paula and what not! Super crazy! But anyway, it was an awesome movie! I loved it and I definitely recommend it! It was a definite thriller and the acting is superb. That Gregory dude is creepy! It also had fabulous cinematography! Anyway, if you like old thrillers this is definitely one you should see!