Customer Reviews

The Paradine Case

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Alida Valli didn't make very many pictures in the USA, but the ones she did are without exception worth seeing.

In Italy, of course, she is as important to the indigenous cinema as Sophia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida put together. But here is the USA, she starred in a mere handful of pictures, and we remember her mainly via her connection to David Selznick, for whom she made THE THIRD MAN and THE PARADINE CASE. THE MIRACLE OF THE BELLS and WALK SOFTLY, STRANGER are also worth seeing. In THE PARADINE CASE, she is on trial for murdering her husband in a stuffy British courtroom, to which her sultry and exotic beauty is continually being counterpointed. She is a bird in a gilded cage all right, literally and figuratively. Gregory Peck falls hard for her, and it's watching how low he goes that makes this film one of Hitchcock's best. He even quarrels with his wife, the cold, perfect Ann Todd, and makes it plain to her and to everyone in their bourgeois social circle that he has fallen in love with his client, thus breaking all the rules in one fell swoop.

He begins to suspect that Valli has been framed, and he begins to suspect Louis Jourdan, Paradine's handsome manservant, of an illicit interest in his master's wife. The scenes between Peck and Jourdan are fiery and full of passion. Each of them is fighting for his life and honor. There is as well an erotic charge between the two of them. In a sense Peck is representing the colonialist who seeks authenticity by embroiling himself in the lives and bodies of a darker and more obviously sexed people, whether they be Italian or French. He gets slapped down for his efforts.

Even if you've seen THE PARADINE CASE fifty times, there's always something fresh to watch, whether it's Charles Coburn acting especially kinky, or Ann Todd from THE SEVENTH VEIL acting masochistic one more time. But most of all the movie is trying to make us see Valli as a new Garbo, who had retired from the screen and whom Selznick believed we would swallow Valli as a successor to. In my opinion, she's greater than Garbo by a country mile.

Thus spake Andre La Tour, the valet and the catalyst for the murder of Col. Paradine. Valli is Mrs. Paradine, and she wants Andre La Tour, so badly she murders her husband and benefactor to remove any and all obstacles standing between her and La Tour. Louis Jourdan is La Tour, and handsome in a sharp, chiseled way; Valli is really something to see, very beautiful and arresting, and the accent further enhances her mysterious image. Gregory Peck, her attorney, falls for her, hard and fast, and is almost sympathetic in his desire to possess her. Ann Todd, a curious mixture of ice and warmth, is steadfast in her loyalty to her husband, and Joan Tetzel is good as her friend and the daughter of Charles Coburn, (I enjoy the banter between Coburn and Tetzel, he is always a joy to watch)who is a colleague of Gregory Peck's. The score by Franz Waxman is one of the stars of the movie, and haunting, as his music always is. The movie is unusual and quieter than the typical Hitchcockian fare, but should not be judged more harshly for that, but taken on it's own merits, which it has in abundance. Charles Laughton ("curious how the convolutions of a walnut resemble those of the human brain...") is wonderful as the censorious and righteous Judge of the proceedings, and rather an unpleastant bully to his wife, Ethel Barrymore, who seems rather wasted in this weak role as the much maligned wife. She is one of my favorite actresses, but I much prefer her in "The Spiral Staircase", a much richer role and one more worthy of her immense talent. I own this on VHS and DVD, and of course, the DVD is far superior in quality.

Pleasant and interesting courtroom drama set in England, about a beautiful young widow, accused of murdering her much-older, rich and blind husband, defended on trial by a successful barrister who, in the process, gets caught under her spell, eventually falling in love with her.

Italian actress (Alida) Valli is alluring, ravishing, sophisticated and mysterious, as the lady in question. Gregory Peck is good as the barrister, so absolutely infatuated with Valli, that risks his own career for her sake. English actress Ann Todd is also good as his troubled wife. Others in this stellar cast: Charles Coburn, Joan Tetzel, Louis Jourdan, Ethel Barrymore and, last but not least, Charles Laughton, who gives an excellent performance as an aristrocratic, rather cruel and ironic Judge.

THE PARADINE CASE is an opulent production concerning the elegantly statuesque and enigmatic Mrs. Paradine placed on trial for the murder of her husband. Mrs. Paradine is played with subtle radiance by Alida Valli who embodies the alluring vision of pulchritude that barrister Gregory Peck has created and fallen under the spell of. Gregory Peck's obsessive character is a forerunner to James Stewart's role in Hitchcock's VERTIGO. Obsessive behavior can be destructive as is seen in the relationship that Peck has with his loyal wife portrayed by Ann Todd. However, the greatest role and performance in this film is in the form of Louis Jourdan. Jourdan is an unwavering curiosity in his quixotic role as Mr. Paradine's manservant. His relationship with Mrs. Paradine and her late husband remains a conundrum. Jourdan's performance as a man of steadfast loyalty to both duty and passion is one of brilliance. If there is one Alfred Hitchcock film that is truly misunderstood and underrated it is THE PARADINE CASE.

Frankly, I can't see what the fuss is all about. We watch Gregory Peck's character make a fool of himself for an nearly two hours over his beautiful client, Mrs. Paradine, with whom he is harmlessly infatuated. Well, it would have been a harmless infatuation if he weren't such a damn fool.. making sloppy errors that no lawyer, as good as he is supposed to be, would ever make, no matter how moony and googly eyed he was over his client. The dramatic climax of the movie left me thinking, "Was that all?". The only high points in The Paradine Case for me were a young and very good-looking Louis Jordan, and the usual Hitchcock directorial touches; one scene in particular I found odd and strangely delightful: At one point Gregory Peck is confronted by Louis Jordan's suspiciously enigmatic character. The more they protest they hate each other, the closer they move toward each other, and the tension and chemistry was so odd I felt convinced they were either about to tear into each other like wild dogs, or make out. *laugh*

But really, the story is a bit too silly and melodramatic for my taste. I found Marnie to be a *much* better film [at least stylistically, and sloppy 60's psychology I can excuse more easily than melodrama], and I understand that it's generally panned, while this gets nothing but praise [from Amazon reviewers, at any rate]. Go figure.

With Hitchcock you never can be sure when one of his throwaway minor efforts, through a second and third viewing, years apart, can summon up intriging motives and subtle obsessions. Peck's being smittened by a women who admits is not of "easy virtue" and stays smittened inspite of her sneering castrating tone with him concerning her on again off again love/hate relations with her valet, who either assisted her or paid witness to the death of her blind husband. Peck (her defence lawyer Keane) is blindly convinced of her innocence.One can't help recalling Hitchcock's masterpiece of obsession Vertigo, especially in the scene when his jealous wife fears that her husband will fail to get her acquitted. that would mean he would carry his love into her death. the supporting cast are essential to the ambience of the plot, especially Ethel Barrymore's frightened "Birdie"type behavoir as the judges wife. I think The Paradine case deserves a new trial.

... Hitchcock himself said, in his Francois Truffaut interview, that he was handed this script by the studio and forced to work with it. Work with it he did, "The Paradine Case features excellent performances by nearly all involved. The leads aside, Peck and Valli are both good, there is Charles Laughton, Ann Todd, Louis Jourdan and Ethel Barrymore, who received an Academy Award nomination. The magic of Alfred Hitchcock was also in his ability to work with even the weakest script and make a compelling film, if not a great film. In the same interview he says much the same for the script of "I Confess" with Montgomery Clift. Even the story for "Vertigo". one of his best works and my all time favorite, he admits had some real problems that he felt were never completely solved. Hitchcock was an artist and made great films, inspite of sometimes getting handed a less than desirable script or having to cast a studio player under contract. This was more often the case in his earlier studio days when he had less artistic control. I enjoy "The Paradine Case", as the actors, under the master's direction, truly practice their craft.

Alfred Hitchcock's THE PARADINE CASE is an interesting film from this director. On the surface it appears to be about a courtroom murder case where the accused Misses Paradine (Alida Valli) is defended by barrister (Gregory Peck) who becomes infatuated by here statuesque beauty and in doing so undermines his marriage to Ann Todd. Valli is accused of murdering her husband who we never see in person but only in a portrait. We never actually see the murder on screen. We must rely on the testimony of the witnesses to come to some conclusion about Mister Paradine's demise. Louis Jourdan is the late Mister Paradine's manservant. His relationship to both Mister and Misses Paradine leaves many questions for the viewer. Jourdan who delivers one of his best performances expertly plays this pivotal character. The film is really about relationships ending and evolving and to a degree about relationships that are imagined. Relationships end or are put on hold. Relationships reveal sharp realities for the central characters and they must come to terms with their own conduct. Other relationships such as Charels Laughton and his wife Ethel Barrymore have remained static and listless. They each fulfill what is left of a relationship that should never have been. The submissive Barrymore dutifully endures the bullying nature of Laughton, the presiding judge. Being a David O. Selznick's picture the production is lavish yet somehow it is overshadowed by the bleak nature of the screenplay. The production values are almost a counterpoint to the story and to actress Valli's rather sullen performance, which remains a bit of an enigma. Gregory Peck's performance is very good. Because of his basic good nature the viewer feels for his flawed character and his realization of this that will no doubt come by the end of the film. Louis Jourdan flat out gives a memorable and impressive performance showing off his mastery of histrionics. This film deserves long overdue attention.

Nominally an Alfred Hitchcock film, it has egomaniac David O. Selznick's paw prints all over it (and his name, literally, all over the opening credits). It's surprising he didn't claim he played all the on-screen parts, did the cinematography, and wrote the film score! Selznick rewrote the script and essentially took full credit as the screenplay writer. The film was a box office disaster, and the last of Hitchcock's films for Selznick (Hitchcock did not review his contract--wonder why?!).

The script plays like a Selznick memo (dull, sappy, and overly wordy) except for the court room scenes which are taught, dramatic, and suspenseful. These were probably written by Alma Reville (Hitchcock's spouse) which seem to have some how escaped the full impact of the "Selznick Touch." The stellar cast includes Gregory Peck (straining to act older with gray streaks of hair), Alida Valli (stunning and "presented" by Selznick), and Ann Todd (who has never looked worse). Score is by Franz Waxman whose lush and haunting music invokes memories of his earlier scores for REBECCA (1940) and SUSPICION (1941), and helps much to counteract Selznick's tedious, repetitious dialog. There is more than a hint of homosexuality between the murder victim, a blind Colonel Paradine (never seen except in a painting), and his valet (played by a very young Louis Jourdan "presented" by Selznick).

Hitchcock appears on-screen leaving a train car (behind Peck) with a cello case. This is the reverse of his forth-coming cameo in STRANGERS ON A TRAIN (1951). (What's with Hitchcock and trains, anyway?)

The restored film presented on this disc is a thing of beauty.

WILLIAM FLANIGAN, Ph.D.

It's long been known that Hitchcock didn't get too much excitement out of making this film-- Selznick had long since outworn his welcome, but this was his screenplay, so the Master was operating with strings attached. And yet this is still a terrifically entertaining film to watch, one that goes swimming through several nasty pools of the psyche. Feel the seductive undertow in the filming and editing of the entrance into Mrs. Paradine's at the opening-- if Hitchcock isn't entranced with Alida Valli, he's faking it beautifully. And that swoony scene where Gregory Peck visits her bedroom back at the family's country estate!-- here is a seed of "Vertigo." That obsessive fetishism isn't limited to the Peck-Valli relationship, however. Consider that little conversation between Peck's barrister colleague and his daughter, who pals around with the Ann Todd character. And Charles Laughton gives a superbly wicked performance, with the especially nasty twist in that final scene with his heretofore seemingly almost senile wife. "The Paradine Case" is no rival for "Notorious" or "Marnie", cinematically or as an exploration of Hitchcock's obsessions, but the steam is still there, and it makes this underappreciated work worthy of consideration as a sort of cult classic, sitting not unproudly on the shelf with the dozen-plus masterworks from the peerless Hitch.