Gaslight | Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman

Gaslight | Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman | Both Good, But the Brits Win

DVDs:

Gaslight

	Gaslight Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman Warner Home Video, 2004 average customer review:based on 42 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Are you Gaslighting Me?

I saw this movie about 7 years ago as a rental from a library, even on VHS it was a winner. I have been waiting for it to come out on DVD so I can finally buy it. All of the characters are great in this movie, Angela Lansbury has her acting debut & is feisty, Joseph Cotten is the handsome detective who knows something is up, Charles Boyer, what can I say, that voice is amazing, Ingrid Bergman plays beautiful, fragile, naieve(sp)Paula. I watched the 1940 version of Gaslight after I watched the 1944 one and wasn't to impressed, maybe it was because I had something to compare it to. This one though is definatley a keeper.

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Both Good, But the Brits Win

MGM was probably right to try to do away with the prints of the British Gaslight (if the story is true), released four years before it's own version starring Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer. The story is almost identical; the differences are in the stars and how they're directed.

An old lady in Victorian England is killed for her jewels, but the killer can't find them. Flash forward. The woman's niece, now grown, is newly married and she and her husband move into the old lady's home, now hers. Before long strange things begin to happen, the gas lights dim unaccountably, pictures are moved, the husband finds reasons to be gone at night, and her increasing nervous condition means she must be kept more and more isolated from those who once knew her. There's only her husband, the housekeeper and the maid in the house. Is she going mad? (Here's the spoiler). The husband certainly hopes so, because he's the killer. He's behind the strange happenings and his wife's isolation. He's busily looking for the jewels in the house's attic at night, and he wants his wife out of the way permanently.

The British and the American versions are both good, but (and all these are just my opinions): As the wife, Ingrid Bergman overacts impressively. All that tearing up and clutching at hankies... all those trembling lips and desperate looks. Diana Wynyard does a better job of suggesting deep distress, but Bergman is a joy just to look at. Charles Boyer was, in my view, a great actor, but he is being compared with Anton Walbrook, just as great an actor. Walbrook could be magnificent at showing subtle menace and ruthless charm. In the British version the cop, played by Frank Pettingell, is an older guy, wise and experienced, who has Walbrook's number but needs evidence. This part is now played by Joseph Cotten as a budding love interest for Bergman. He seems, to me, more like a brave puppy nipping at Boyer's shoes. Angela Lansbury, at 19 in her first movie, is terrific as the maid..sweet frosting on the outside but all self-centered tart on the inside. Cathleen Cordell played the role in the Brit version, and was just about as good.

The U.S. version is about 30 minutes longer than the Brit version, and it shows. A lot of the time is spent caressing Bergman with the camera. Cukor directed, but I wish Hitchcock had. He'd probably have spent as much time focused on Bergman, but I think the movie would have moved faster and with more tension. The ending (possible spoiler ahead ), when Bergman faces down a tied-up Boyer, is all Bergman and all "acting."

I think it was great that Warner released the DVD of Cukor's Gaslight with the British version. The comparisons are almost as interesting as the movies themselves. Both movies are well worth a watch.

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Psychological Semi-thriller

"Gaslight" is a 1944 movie that delves into the idea that the criminal mind can gradually take control of another human being. It makes its' case in the form of Charles Boyer playing a murderer who, for reasons not initially known, seeks to exert such control over his wife, played by Ingrid Bergman. Identifying Boyer as a murderer is not giving anything away in this movie. The strength of the movie is in watching this control slowly and steadily take shape. Knowing the good guys and the bad guy enables us to focus on these developments without being distracted by "who done it." There are some mysteries that are solved during the course of the movie which do add to its'impact.

With a psychological drama such as this, the acting is critical for success. In this case, the cast is exceptional. Charles Boyer lokks and acts the part of the evil manipulator. Ingrid Bergman won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of the manipulated wife. Her descent into bewilderment is impressive to watch. The movie is well-directed by George Cukor and must have been a big hit in its' day.

I limited my rating to four stars for the same reason I referred to it as a semi-thriller. I felt that could have been a bit more done to effectuate a greater sense of impending doom. I previously noted that the strength of the movie lies in its' psychological development. However, I thought there was room for more suspense. Knowing "who done it" from the start was OK; it was the not knowing who done what or why that I felt could have been better developed.

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The Battle of 1940 and 1944's Remake Resolved...Finally!!

Here is where I will break up the two films (the 1940s version, and the 1944 remake) to show you the differences and once and for all declare which one was better.

Gaslight (1940)

What a crisp, deeply rooted thriller Thorold Dickinson created. With vile creatures (Paul) and goofy policemen and maids, we are easily captured into the world of the Mallens. Diana Wynyard does a spectacular job as Bella, giving us the right amount of insecurity coupled with fear. She is the true victim of this film and Dickinson does not let us forget that. Wynyard is nearly overshadowed by my favorite character of the film, Paul Mallen, played with so much evil by Anton Walbrook. I have seen several films in my life, and I must say that Walbrook ranks amoung some of the most sinister villains of them all. He has no super powers, just the ability to manipulate Bella mentally, proving that he is stronger than her. He thrives on Bella's insecurities and makes them into his greatest form of punishment. These two working together really transformed this 40s thriller into something concrete and powerful. It is the dynamic between the two that kept me glued to my seat and continually asking for more.

Coupled with the superb acting is the creativeness of Dickinson and his writer A.R. Rowlinson. Together they set the mood with darkened corners and alleyways with that constantly looming feeling that the events are going to get grittier down the road. This team made Victorian London a spooky place to visit at night. They make Bella the victim throughout this entire film, making even me wonder if she really was slowly going mad. It isn't until the end that the truth is revealed and even then we are left in suspense. It isn't until the credits roll is the film over, and that is hard to accomplish for directors of the thriller genre today. Dickinson proved that he could handle all the elements with the greatest of ease and bring them to the screen in a film that would last the test of time. I am not embarrassed to show this film to friends because I do believe that they would see the value in this production.

Grade: ***** out of *****

Gaslight (1944)

This remake was the epitome of Hollywood's hands in the cookie jar. Instead of leaving a masterpiece at rest, the studio chose to remake this film only four years after the original was released and completely butchered it. To begin, they brought too many bigger named stars into the picture. Ingrid Bergman overacted her part as Paula Alquist, bringing Hollywood insanity to the screen instead of this feeling of real fear or insecurity. Also troubling is the role of her husband, played by Charles Boyer, who never quite gets that slimy taste in your mouth like Walbrook did. He is acting, and you can tell from the moment that he opens his mouth on screen. Add in one of the maids played by Angela Lansbury (of Murder, She Wrote notoriety) and you have a literal Hollywood remake equation. We have all seen this before, more money = bigger actors + bigger publicity + more chances for Oscars. Boy, did this equation work well for Bergman. She was awarded an Oscar for her portrayal (and nearly everyone else was nominated for their parts) of Paula, which to me seemed like nothing more than overacting to get that feeling of "insanity". There was no reality to her performance, and sadly should not have been awarded.

Watching these two back to back you really see how Hollywood the 1944 version became. It became even more apparent when there was more stories added to build character depth. The beginning where Paula is related to the murders and the subplot dealing with how her and Charles Boyer met was hysterical. It was unnecessary and a waste of time. The original did not carry these scenes and it was better, wouldn't you think that studio bosses would want to keep a good idea instead of turning it to mush? These added scenes and mixture of events only created a jumbled mess that was harder for me to follow than really enjoy. With so much excitement after watching the original, this was very difficult to watch. Director Cukor never captured that eeriness of the gaslight or the darkness of London as well as Dickinson was able to. Cukor was a Hollywood dog following the leash that was given to him by the studio. It was sad to see these two together and do not suggest this version. The beauty and innocence coupled with fear and insecurity just wasn't the central theme of this film (as it was with the original) and ultimately it hurt it in the long run.

Grade: * out of *****

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Good but not in the same class as 1939

This is a fine movie - don't get me wrong. But the 1939 British film with Diana Wynyarde and Anton Walbrook in the leading roles is an absolute classic. The performances are superb. How long are we going to have to wait before we can get this version on DVD?

reviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, page 6, 7, 8, 9

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