51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hitchcock's last great film, June 7, 1999
By A Customer
This was a critical fiasco when it came out in the early Sixties, and Hedren was widely blamed for the film's failure. Most film critics now see it as one of Hitchcock's greatest masterpieces from his late mature period, however--on a par with VERTIGO, PSYCHO, and THE BIRDS.
This is not a film for those new to Hitchcock or his themes: the lack of a typical mystery or suspense plot may seem surprising for those expecting Hitchcock's more obvious bag of tricks. But as an in-depth character study of a truly unhappy woman and the (just as pathological) man who loves her, this one is every bit as riveting and fascinating and anything Hitchcock ever did--and when Marnie enters the Rutland mansion in her riding habit wielding a pistol after the foxhunting sequence you'll be at the edge of your seat to see what she'll do.
The linchpin of the film is Hedren, who gives what must be the most underrated performance in Hitchcock's oeuvre--and clearly one of the very finest. Her refusal to warm up--either to Connery's character or to audiences--has made it a difficult performance for many to grasp, but those who dismiss it are greatly mistaken. Her joy when Connery brings her beloved horse to the mansion, her faltering childlike tones during the film's denouement, and her lightning-fast changes of mood during the great word-association secene show how truly talented and stunning this actress really is. You have only to see her incredible facial expression during the hunting scene when the hounds are ripping up the fox to shreds (and Marnie's aristocratic friends are laughing at the spectacle) to appreciate what a complex talent Hedren is, and how thoroughly Hollywood wasted its opportunities to use her well.
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29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Definitive Hitch, April 28, 2006
"Marnie" is probably one of the best examples of Hitchcock's work that epitomizes this great director's style. Even if you didn't know this was a Hitch film, if you know his style, by 5 minutes in you would recognize this as definitive Hitch. The attention that is paid to every tell-tale detail, the camera angles, the way he has of drawing you into every word of dialouge of a captivating story and always intriguing characters,... and the way only Hitch can make a kiss more provocative than any R rated film of today, will cast the Hitch spell on you once more.
"Marnie" is a psychological drama focusing on a deeply disturbed woman's compulsive behavior. She's a thief and a liar, and is getting away with it until she hit a road block in one Mark Rutland. Hired by Mark's compay as a payroll clerk, we already see the wheels turning in Marnie's unstable mind. Her plans to rob the Rutland vault go as planned, except for one hitch(excuse the pun), Mark is on to her and stops her dead in her tracks. He could easily turn her in, but Mark is attracted to this troubled woman, plans to delve into her psyche, and so what else could he do but marry her to keep her out of trouble.
Mark finds that Marnie's troubles go very deep. Not only is she a thief, but has a horrible fear of being touched by a man, and he forms an obsession of his own. That of trying to cure his lovely but psychologically ill wife. As Marnie herself puts it to him..."You've got a pathological fix on a woman who is not only an admitted criminal, but who screams if you come near her!"...Yup, lots of work to be done here to unlock the sins of the past. And it's done in only a way that Hitch can do it.
Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery are Marnie and Mark, and under the superb direction of the master, turn in impeccable performances. Diane Baker adds her talents as the meddling and suspicious sister-in-law, be sure to watch for Bruce Dern, and Bernard Herrmann's score as always adds the perfect haunting touch to this twisted tale.
Looking for Hitch...early on(about 5 min in), looking mighty suspicious himself while exiting a hotel room.
Highly recommended for the Hitch fan.
Thanks and enjoy.......Laurie
more Hitch stuff:
Hitchcock's Notebooks: An Authorized and Illustrated Look Inside the C
Alfred Hitchcock Double Feature Volume One - Sabotage / The Man Who Knew Too Much [VHS]
Alfred Hitchcock Presents (Poison, The Perfect Crime, Dip in the Pool, One More Mile to Go)
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47 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hitchcock's Marnie on DVD, July 29, 2000
This is one of Hitchcock's masterpieces. It has been highly underrated and misunderstood by viewers and many critics alike. It is not a straightforward narrative as it deals with the compulsive and obsessive nature of its two main characters (Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery). The viewer has to become absorbed and drawn into the film's sights and sounds. The viewer has to elicit from what is seen and heard to fathom the motivations of the film's two main characters. Some of its images are just unforgettable and disturbingly haunting. Sound too plays an important part in the viewer's experience. In accompaniment is Bernard Herrmann's low key score. I watched this film again several times over. Herrmann's score is always present, yet never intrusive. I used to think this score was somewhat repetitive, but it is quite diverse. It complements the images in such a way that it almost evokes some hidden and suppressed experience from the viewer that creates an emotional bond with the main title character of the film. I found the DVD print to be of exceptional quality and most pleasing in the wide-screen presentation (a prerequisite in this format). The supplemental material on the disc was interesting and worthwhile, especially the discussion on the evolution of the film from print to image. I highly recommend this DVD and was surprised to see it released in this format prior to other Hitchcock films.
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