Dial M for Murder remains one of my favourite Hitchock mysteries. I love so much about it, but especially how overly complicated the murder plot is, how the heroine is a woman having an affair who the film makes us side with despite the values of the time which normally would have had us condemn her, and how she manages to defend herself instead of waiting for a man to rescue her. The story remains a gripping one no matter how many times I watch it, each time I hold my breath in anticipation of what will happen although I know from all the times I've watched it.
What should be a liability is a strength for me for I love the way Milland's character lays out his maniacal plot, so well thought through and yet so precarious. It relies so heavily on so many dominoes falling exactly right and is always on the edge of failing yet he steers it so deliberately it almost cannot fail. And even when it does fail he just maneuvers again and takes it on another path. He is so odious the way he draws his petty criminal acquaintance into this scheme and how he revels in having come up with the perfect murder. But then Kelly manages to throw it all into disarray by fighting to keep herself alive. Milland's determination is so strong he twists it all into a new plan. He is one of the most vile villains I've seen on the screen with his jealousy and his willingness to use others without showing hardly any feeling.
In fact it is the way this film centres his jealousy as his evil which I find so fascinating. Especially for the time, when a woman having an affair would have been the ultimate shame, the fact that this story makes her the hero we sympathize with while it is the jealous man which is painted as wrong and downright repulsive, is so refreshingly progressive. Even today, toxic monogamy and masculinity would justify him seeking a revenge of some sort even if not murder but Hitchcock's point of view doesn't let him get away with any sympathy. He's a monster, frustrated that he couldn't' control her and bent on exploiting his wife for her money.
The film isn't perfect in this angle as Kelly's character falls into a shock reaction which forces her to wait for the clever policeman to solve the crime. And her dim witted but well meaning lover, while willing to sacrifice anything to save her, is not up for the job. This is a battle of wits between two men with very different views on how to use their intellect.
But in the end it is the plot's relentless teetering on the edge of success or failure that keeps me glued to my seat. It's got scandal and violence and mystery and it's all wrapped into such a tight and satisfying package. When the film's big moment comes the film switches from its rather stage like approach of telling the story to add a more cinematic flare. The score and movement of the camera swell into a perfect storm of emotion and pure silver screen glory. The attack is one of the most gripping moments I've ever seen on screen and each time it takes my breath away.
Dial M for Murder is easily one of Hitchcock's best films as a portrait of an evil man whose luck and scrupulous intellect almost let him get away with the perfect murder.
Dial M for Murder
Starring: Grace Kelly, Ray Milland, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: Frederick Knott
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