I Confess

Genre: suspense
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Release: 1953
Studio: First National - Warner Bros. Pictures
Rating: -
MBiS score: 7.1/10


A Compromising Silence


While confession to a Catholic priest guarantees secrecy to the sinner in exchange for the admission of his guilt, this privilege can seriously hinder the quest for justice in the secular world. Fifty years after playwright Paul Anthelme exploited this conflict for its dramatic potential, Alfred Hitchcock follows suit with I CONFESS, a thriller in which a young and ardent priest is trapped by his vow of silence.

Late one night, Father Logan (Montgomery Clift) receives the confession of a man who has just committed murder and, because of his vow before God, soon becomes the prime suspect in the case. From this premise, Hitchcock has fashioned a competent suspense movie full of twists and turns, noble sentiments and evil intentions. I won’t comment on the production and acting which I found quite adequate, with standout performances by Clift and Anne Baxter as Ruth Grandfort.

The real surprises lie elsewhere, especially in the locale selected. Choosing Quebec City as a backdrop allowed for effective setups and religious metaphors but also a few unintentionally hilarious bits for Quebecers like me. I got a big kick out of the Canadian Pacific logo and the debate in the National Assembly… believe me, times haven’t changed very much since then! As for the plot, I read somewhere that Hitchcock deviated from the path taken by Anthelme and it shows because a couple of events in the movie feel improvised if not unnatural. Warning – Spoilers ahead! For instance, the denouement includes an incredibly accurate pistol shot in a crowd, the gunman trying to escape by dashing inexplicably to the posh Château Frontenac hotel (despite his meanness, that guy sure has excellent taste!) and people waltzing into the final armed confrontation as if it were a social gathering. Moreover, since our baddie had also committed the original crime for money, you may wonder why he didn't ask for a raise in the first place.

All in all, this film is still a decent choice if you prefer solid entertainment to brute logic but I must confess that I’m a stickler for plotlines. Nevertheless, I absolve you readily for watching it. I did too.


MBiS

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