I Confess

Year:  1953

Filming:  Black & White

Length:  95 minutes

Genre:  Drama/Inspirational/Religious/Suspense

Maturity:  PG (for intense thematic elements)

Cast:  Montgomery Clift (Fr. Michael Logan), Anne Baxter (Ruth Grandfort), O.E. Hass (Otto Keller), Dolly Haas (Alma Keller), Roger Dann (Pierre Grandfort), Karl Malden (Inspector Larrue), Ovila Legare (Monsieur Villette), Brian Aherne (Willy Robertson)

         

Director:  Alfred Hitchcock

Personal Rating:  5 Stars

***

    “Technically one of Hitchcock’s best”, I Confess is not your run-of-the-mill murder mystery. Instead, it reveals a little-known aspect of The Master of Suspense: his lingering fascination with and devotion to the Catholic Faith. Being a member of the endangered species of British Cradle Catholics, Hitchcock rarely revealed his religious allegiances in his productions, but this is a noteworthy exception, and his only film that can truly fit into the noble genre of “inspirational.”

    Montgomery Clift stars as Father Michael Logan, a Canadian Catholic priest serving in Quebec. But his routine life takes a turn when the sacristan, Otto Keller, confesses to having murdered a prominent businessman, Monsieur Villette, and Logan is sworn to secrecy under the Seal of Confession. He tries to convince the Keller to turn himself over the authorities, but instead the penitent sets out to frame the priest as the real killer.

   Meanwhile, Ruth Grandfort, the beautiful wife of a prominent Canadian lawyer, sets out to clear Fr. Logan by exposing a complex web of rumor, scandal, and blackmail that connects them both with the murdered Villette. But by bringing old secrets and new struggles to light, she only adds to the mounting suspicions that Logan was carrying on a romantic affair with her, and that he did indeed have a motive to silence Villette.  

    As the net closes, Logan must make a decision whether to flee the city and the false accusations or turn himself over to the police to be tried for murder. Even though he knows all the evidence is pointing against him and he has little hope of acquittal unless he reveals what he heard in Confession, he will not disgrace his priesthood by running away, and decides to stay and face his fate head-on.

    Once he is brought to trial, the prosecution relies heavily on the emotionally distraught testimony of love-lorn Ruth and the blood-stained cassock found among Logan’s possessions. In a twist of irony, Otto Keller, the real murderer, is also brought forward to testify against the priest. Now Fr. Logan must wrestle with the decision whether to seize his last chance to save his own life before it is too late, or to abide by the Seal of Confession.   

    This movie is one of those vintage gems that leaves one speechless by the sheer impact of the story and artful depiction of the setting. The black-and-white scenes filmed on location in old Quebec are deliciously dark and foreboding, and there are some glorious scenes of church interiors with soaring altars that seem to speak of hope in the midst of desolation. All this combines to create a seamless movement from one mood to another.

    There are also a lot of typical “Hitchcockian” bits involving doing weird things with dinnerware (like trying to balance a penny between two forks or a glass of water on one’s chin) and his trade-mark “walk-ons” as a parishioner coming out of church and a pedestrian meandering down a dark alleyway. There are also loads of suspenseful, dialogue-driven encounters and a big chase sequence with a lot of shooting. As I said, that’s Hitchcock.

    Thanks to an excellent cast, the intensity of the characters wrestling with their inner demons is palpable. Montgomery Clift portrays Fr. Logan in a deeply human way, yet makes his devotion to his priesthood the keystone of his character. There are any number of really engrossing sequences in this film dealing with Logan’s inner turmoil and the battle that rages within him between his identity as a priest and a man, comparing his own crosses to the Cross of Christ.

    The scene where he walks through Quebec, uncertain whether to run away or stay to face an unfair trial, is paralleled by the beautiful life-sized Stations of the Cross he walks past in the park. His anguished journey finally draws him back inside a church, his eyes uplifted towards the altar, before finally turning himself over to authorities. Again, in the court itself, there is a shot of Logan sitting in the interrogation box, which fades out on the face of the priest and brings into focus the crucifix hanging on the wall behind him, reminding the viewer of Christ’s own unjust trial and punishment.

    One burning question remains: Is Anne Baxter always doomed to be type-cast as a somewhat pathetic, generally annoying former flame, fading enchantress, trying to reclaim the affections of her ex-boyfriend at his expense? After a while, it gets nothing short of monotonous knowing exactly what sort of character she is bound to be! That having been said, I think she grew sufficiently comfortable with these parts to pull them off quite well. As Ruth Grandfort, she effectively makes you want to shout, “Shut up!” when she starts spilling her past indiscriminately and making things worse and worse for her Logan who she just won’t give up, even though he has clearly given her up for his calling to the priesthood. Happily, he is much more understanding towards her than Moses was in The Ten Commandments!

    O.E. Hass and Dolly Haas also do an excellent job as Otto and Alma Keller. The way Otto verbally pins Fr. Logan into a corner, testing him to see if he will reveal what was said in Confession, and taunting him with the fact that he is framing him for the murder, is so blood-boiling, heightened by the look of disbelief and horror on Montgomery Clift’s face. Alma is also a wonderfully complex character, caught between her loyalty to her husband and her own guilt for helping to destroy the priest who has been so kind to them as immigrants. In the end, she will choose to do the right thing, saving Fr. Logan by sacrificing herself.

    Interestingly, I Confess was initially not very well received because non-Catholic viewers had a hard time understanding the rationale behind The Seal of Confession and why it would so noble, instead of just stupid, for a priest to conceal the identity of the murderer. That is why the very sparse “romance” element in the film is often played up to the hilt, with movie covers displaying smooching sequences that never, ever occurred! There was also a move to exploit the murder mystery angle, introducing smothering sequences on the cover that never, ever occurred!

     But all this beating around the bush is silly, and it belies the fact that the storyline cannot be accurately called a “romance” since one party is no longer involved in the would-be relationship, and it cannot be accurately called a “mystery” since we already know who the murderer is from the start. The truth is that Alfred Hitchcock, in spite of his other ghoulish and risqué pictures, had molded a boldly spiritual, deeply inspirational testimony to his own Catholic Faith and the priests who had educated him. It makes me want to shout, “Hitchcock, why couldn’t you have made more movies like this instead of that other weird, dumb stuff you made?”   

    In spite of hang-ups in the non-Catholic world, the undeniable quality of I Confess caused it to come into its own in later years, and it has come to be accepted as an excellent example of suspense cinema, complete with unusual conundrum and powerful resolution. For me, the most poignant scene of all has to be the conclusion in which Fr. Logan once again gives absolution to his tormenter, Otto Keller, after Keller is mortally wounded. The first time I watched this, my jaw just hung open for a long time, and I knew I would have to watch it again before long. For once agreeing with the general consensus of critics, I would definitely rate this intricate study of human strength weakness and strength as the best film the Master of Suspense ever directed or produced.

Ruth Grandfort (Anne Baxter) meets with Fr. Logan (Montgomery Clift) on board a ferry

The Ten Commandments

Year:  1956

Filming:  Color

Length:  220 minutes

Genre:  Biblical/Epic

Maturity:  PG (for intense thematic elements)

Cast:  Charlton Heston (Moses), Yul Brynner (Pharaoh Ramses), Anne Baxter (Nefretiri), Yvonne De Carlo (Sephora), John Derik (Joshua), Debra Paget (Lilia), Edward G. Robinson (Dathan), Vincent Price (Baka)

Director:  Cecil B. DeMille 

Personal Rating:  4 Stars

***

    Some movies are so classic they should absolutely positively be seen at least one in a lifetime. With regards to The Ten Commandments, it still remains an Easter tradition set in stone for many. In spite of some far-fetched twists in the plot and hammy acting in places, Cecil B. DeMille’s “baby” has grown and thrived because it succeeded in his mission to make the Bible exciting and touched a chord for the post-war world trying to assess the true meaning of liberty.

    Charlton Heston stars as Prince Moses of Egypt, a Hebrew rescued from the Nile by Pharaoh’s daughter when he was only an infant. However, his adopted mother is the only one who knows this, and goes the extra mile to conceal it from her brother, Pharoah Seti, and the royal court. Favored by Seti and despised by his adopted cousin, Ramses, Moses wins great military victories and builds magnificent cities all while romancing with the seductive princess Nefretiri.

    But his lavish lifestyle comes to a grinding halt when a Hebrew swaddling cloth reveals his true identity. Unbeknownst to everyone else, he goes down to the mud pits and works like a slave to be with his “people”. In the course of his time there, he strangles an Egyptian taskmaster for trying to misuse an Israelite woman, Lilia, and for beating her lover, Joshua. He apprehended and brought before the Pharaoh’s throne to the shock of all. He then boisterously declares that he is favor of freedom for the slaves and is sent into exile in the desert.

    When he seems doomed to die, he is rescued by Bedouin shepherdess, Sephora, and her bevy of younger sisters, all overjoyed at finding a real live man! He gradually adapts to his life as a member of the tribe and tends his flocks beneath Mount Sinai, considered to be inhabited by God. He eventually marries Sephora, even though he is still mooning over Nefretiri who had thrown herself at his feet during his trial before Pharoah and vowed she would never forget him.  

    One day Moses runs into Joshua, who has escaped from captivity and come to hail him as the Chosen One who will lead the Children of Israel out of bondage. Moses is skeptical at first, but then he spies a burning bush that is not consumed by the flames on top of the Holy Mountain and decides he must see it more closely. He has a mystical experience with God, and acknowledges his mission to lead his people to the Promised Land. Coming down from Sinai, he is no longer himself.

    In Egypt, Moses and his brother Aaron go head-to-head with now Pharoah Ramses, his old rival, who has married Nefretiri and has a small son. Pharoah, needless to say, isn’t particularly moved when Moses tells him to “Let my people go!” As a result, the famous plagues descend on Egypt. At the same time Nefretiri tries to romantically reconnect with Moses, but he spurns her, and she in turn hardens Pharoah even further against him.

    When the final deadly plague slays the first-born of every house in Egypt, including the royal palace, the Hebrews are finally allowed their freedom. But Pharoah is soon goaded into changing his changing his mind by the embittered Nefretiri who has lost both her old love and her child. A climactic chase ensues, ending up at the shores of The Red Sea and the parting of the waters for the Israelites. But the conflict is not over. While Moses ascends Mount Sinai once more to receive the Commandments of God, the Children of Israel will come up against their own worst enemy: their sinful nature.

    The Ten Commandments is the Biblical epic from the golden era of the 1950’s. DeMille was an expert at serving up a feast for the eyes, and this was his ultimate extravaganza of panache and panorama. It’s a richly detailed drama, laden with sub-plots and character analysis as well as visual splendor. For the time period, the special effects were nothing less than stunning. While we might now be excused for cracking a smirk when the cartoonish fire descends from the sky or the green fog machine emits its lethal substance, or the gelatin Red Sea is poured out of monstrous cartons in reverse, it would be nothing less than pompous for us to sneer.  

    Beyond these imaginative efforts, there are some truly grand scenes including the mass Exodus of the Children of Israel. It is so well choreographed, impressive in its scale but also intimate in the way it focuses on individuals, such as a little boy herding ducks and a woman giving birth to a baby and old man dying and asking for his shrub to be planted in the Promised Land. The subsequent chase by Pharaoh and his charioteers is also a masterpiece.

    One clip that always stays with me is when Nefretiri gazes out of her balcony as we see the full might of the Egyptian host charge across desert, shimmering from the heat and golden sand. Of course the race between the walls of jello-water may be a tad hoaky, but it is still pretty exciting. One more note I have to make involves the color of the sky at intense moments. The eerie blood-red color or storm-black hew it sometimes takes on is deliciously surreal.

    This film is chock full of artful symbolism, like the moment when Nefretiri is playing Hounds and Jackals with Pharoah Seti and the head of her game piece flies off, skidding across the marble floor and landing at Ramses’ feet. Also there is the scene when Ramses tries to discredit Moses with his father, casually laying weights on a scale as each charge is leveled against his brother. Accused on giving the slaves too many privileges, Moses slams down a brick on the other side of the scale, demonstrating the fact that he has gotten his slaves to build a city, whereas Ramses has not.

    The bulk of the main acting is pretty good. Charlton Heston shines once again as the man-against-the-odds, going from glory to griminess before reemerging as liberator. As in equally famous role as Judah Ben-Hur, he rather block-headedly refuses to make use of the opportunities afforded him by his exalted position, even spurning Seti’s offer to forgive him providing he vow he would not lead the Hebrews in rebellion against him. Instead of using tact or grace in his wording (which I think could have helped his people much more from the get-go!), he declares he definitely would lead “his people” rebellion after all!

   The thing that’s a bit irksome in this is his instant disavowal of his loyalty to Egypt and the Pharaoh, even though he was been raised in the court since an infant. Great, so he’s Hebrew by blood, but does that change all his past perceptions and beliefs in a twinkling? The whole thing is blown up for dramatic effect, and even I will admit it is dramatic if a bit unrealistic. One way or another, it does help propel him on his search for the divine. In an interesting twist, Heston is voice of God coming from the burning bush, since he thought interlocutions may well come out that way. A bit cheesy the way they slowed down his voice to sound almost like an alien, but interesting concept nonetheless.

    His counterpart, Yul Brynner, makes a wonderfully agile villain that you almost find yourself admiring at given times. He may be a power-hungry slave-driver who miscalculates when he defies the Hebrew God, but he has a certain noble, authoritative stride to his step, even when he finds his world crumbling around him. Judging from the way he beseeches his Egyptian god of darkness to restore the life of his son, he seems to be a very religious man. By the end of the film, he seems to have experienced enlightenment the hard way when he admits, “Moses’ god is God.”

    The character of Nefretiri, played by Anne Baxter, is probably one of my least favorite in the film. First of all, I think she throws things off in the way of plot and historical accuracy. Yes, she is your typical sword-and-sandal seductress fare, and I don’t suppose the epic would be quite complete without her. But she’s basically a sex symbol with a pathetic lack of depth who finds herself in a worn cycle of being misused while in search of true love. Actually, one of the main emotions here character draws from me is pity.

    Needless to say, the whole little love triangle with Moses, Ramses, and Nefretiri is a fabrication, and I think the character of Moses comes off the worse for it. When he is Prince of Egypt, he is gung-ho about their passionate love affair. But when he returns to Egypt years later as “The Messenger of God”, he treats her with an extremely cold attitude. Yes, she is making a nuisance of herself trying to rekindle their old romance, but I would think it would be more instinctive to feel a deep compassion for his former flame and treat her more sensitively, even if she was trying to get him to sin. She is a lost soul seeking love in all the wrong places, and instead of being firm yet still loving, he comes off as almost flaunting his new position as prophet with a haughty air.

    One love triangle apparently wasn’t sufficient, so they decided have Nefretiri and Sephora come head-to-head over Moses as well before being mutually disillusioned by his role as prophet. “You lost him when he went in search of his God,” Sephora explains. “I lost him when he found his God.” We do seem to “lose touch” with Moses as soon as he descends from Mount Sinai. This is a pity, since it deprives us of getting into his head during the most pivotal points of the movie. That having been said, I like the way these two female leads are contrasted with poetic language to explain that inner beauty is the most important of all. “Love is not an art to us; it is life to us”, Sephora tells Moses.

     Nothing is mentioned in The Bible or elsewhere about Ramses planning on killing the Jewish first-borns during the “let-my-people-go” crisis. It would have been more accurate and reasonable if the film had just hearkened back to the killings of infants when Moses was a baby and indicated that The Angel of Death was avenging that travesty than creating a new one for sensationalism purposes. This addition leads to another awkward moment: Nefretiri goes the extra mile to save Moses’ son, but Moses doesn’t show her much compassion when her own son is sentenced to die or make any major moves to try to save him.

    Two of the worst miscasts have to be the casting of Vincent Price as Baka and Edward G. Robinson as Dathan for this film. Put simply, they doom themselves by being themselves…..with turbines! Shades of John Wayne as Kublai Kahn in The Conqueror, to be sure. But that’s another gruesome tale.  And of course these two incongruent odd-balls would make a run for the same less-than-impressed girl.

    This unfortunate female, Lilia, serves as a representation of the Nation of Israel – “a water lily in the mud”.” Loved by Joshua, bringer down of walls, and misused by creepy miscasts, she almost dies as a result of the green mist but is saved by Joshua who paint’s lamb’s blood over Dathan’s door. She is later almost sacrificed at the altar of the golden calf but is rescued by Moses in the nick of time.  Innocence, defilement, and redemption – the cycle is emblematic of The Chosen People in The Old Testament.

    The Ten Commandments, for all its eccentricities and quirks, remains a masterpiece of storyteller and spectacle that cannot be repeated, and watching it is an Easter tradition for thousands, including myself. I think the transcendence of it can be best captured in the scenes where Moses is struggling through the desert being poured out, bled dry, and left literally in the dust. It is a precursor to Christ’s 40 days in the desert, and emblematic of all those who must be beaten out before they can find God and their calling in life by following His Word. As Pharoah famously says: “So let it be written; so let it be done.”   

  

Moses (Charlton Heston) descends Mt. Sinai with The Ten Commandments