My favorite Hitchcock

Rating: 10/10 (18 October 2009)

What a movie! Like the other Hichcock classics made around this time the atmosphere is so evoking. It is difficult to determine how he accomplish this. It's probably the mix of a unique story and clever lines.
You need exceptional acting to deliver these dialoges. And both James Steward and Kim Novak does it with perfection. Not to say that the film is especially talky. There are also scenes where Hichcock uses silence to make the film a puzzling mystery. Especially the scenes where Madeleine Elster is sitting lost in her own thoughts.
As in many other of his films the female character suffers from a bizarre obsession. Hichcock is THE master of portraying extreme personalities in a believable way. The reason is probably that he also show their more normal and rational side. The frustration of falling in love with the wrong person is a central theme in the story. The theme is common, but is given a unique and refreshing treatment.
The suspense is pure miracle! Highly recommended.