Frenzy is fascinating and surprisingly horrific. While not as famous as some of Hitchock's other thrillers, his second to last film tells the story of a serial killer but while doing so highlights the generalized misogyny in (in this case) British society as we witness true brutalization of women at the hands of men, both literally (men consistently act violently and threateningly towards the women characters) and rhetorically (men discuss casually violence against women with glee). There is a scene early on when a man discusses how dead whores are good for the tourist trade. Frenzy is a shocking indictment of male violence that is rather unflinching and often difficult to watch.
Frenzy was Hitchcock's triumphant return to British film making after decades of working in America. The film starts with a celebratory shot down the Thames while the score practically plays God Save the Queen. It is also his return to one of his most popular tropes, the innocent man caught in the frenzy of a hunt for a murderer. All of this returning adds up to what is considered by many to be his last great film.
Frenzy is remarkably good, continuing to surprise me as it went along with the innovation of how the story is told. There are incredible shots like a tracking shot which is extremely unnerving and a wonderful chase involving a potato truck. But it is how strikingly powerful the film's exposure of male hatred of women is portrayed. The film is intense and often difficult to watch. I was worried the film might blur the lines a bit as it portrays its violence but generally I felt it handled the murders in ways that highlighted their impact and humanizes their victims without sensationalizing those killings.
There is also a delicious subplot about the inspector and his wife's disgusting food which is a wonderful counterbalance to the heaviness of the rest of the film. Hitchcock balances it all very well and it all adds up to a very chilling yet entertaining film. Even up to the end, the film keeps you on the edge of your seat and reminds you of Hitchcock's glory days.
Frenzy
Starring: Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Alex McCowen, Billie Whitelaw, Anna Massey, Barbara Leigh-Hunt, Vivien Merchant
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Writer: Anthony Shaffer
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