Once a Hitchcock fan, always a Hitchcock fan...x
Oh I'll forever love the cheesiness of Alfred Hitchcock and his obsession with happy endings, however far-fetched and sometimes sinister they are. Salvador Dalí's surreal dream sequence is superb too, though people of that time clearly relies on the (non-existent ) accuracy of psychoanalysis too much (which is ridiculous). The dream (especially it represented in Dalí's artform), much like the discipline should be obscure, ambiguous and even misleading instead of being meaningful and accurate if "interpreted correctly". But it was a time where psychoanalysis was regarded as "true science" so I guess it's my fault choosing films of the 50s to watch...not to mention misogyny in old films is canon and women's passion is portrayed to be something irrational, something that's doomed to be laughed at.Though I do agree that the progress of Constance "falling in love" can be more elaborated and fleshed-out so that her later actions can be more justified.
Needless to say Bergman is amazing in this. Seguing from her "strong female" performance in Notorious , she's again playing a very determined, rational and smart female character who knows how to utilise the circumstance to her advantage (the counterpoint of her cinematic presence would be Joan Fontaine). Her nearly androgynous presence breaks the gender stereotypes of the 50s and is very endearing ///w///
Btw, I love the hurt/comfort dynamic in this. Handsome and vulnerable man who's intellectural, lost in himself and desperately needs saving? Seems like my type.
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