Lovely film, great acting, but what is the big deal?

Rating: Null/10 (16 September 2000)

I must be very shallow because I just don't get the reverence everyone has for this film. I viewed this film recently on AMC after watching documentaries about Hitchcock and fashion in his movies. There is no doubt in my mind that this is one of the lovelier movies made in U.S. in the color movie era. I also found the acting of the two leads to be striking (although not overly sympathetic). I guess I just didn't find the plot or psychology of the film to be as rich as I had thought it would be. Perhaps I've seen too many imitations on TV? Perhaps I was expecting more of a mystery--Hitchcock chose to reveal the twists some time before the ending. I also thought the ending was too sudden and convenient. Maybe a 1950's movie is just too dated for me.