To Catch a Thief (Alfred Hitchcock, 1955)
So what's Alfred Hitchcock's worst film of the 1950s (the period most
critics/scholars deem his greatest decade)? I used to think it was the
meringue-stuffed To Catch a Thief (1955). But having just watched it
again for the first time in eons, I'm struck by its pungent view of the
wealthy. If the film feels inert compared to the masterpieces
surrounding it, then that's because it's primarily about rich people
courting danger in the face of being so bored with all their money.
In this respect, the most important character is neither Cary Grant nor
Grace Kelly; it's the crass, bourbon-swilling, nouveau riche widow
Jessie (Jessie Royce Landis, one of dozens of actors who gave Hitch's
films so much of their depth) who's cool with her jewels being stolen
since she'll be reimbursed by John Williams' beleaguered insurance man.
It just might be Hitchcock's most trenchant take on class. Other
positives (apart from the famous fireworks): the dollar-green night
scenes, the gorgeous location shooting, Cary Grant cruising man flesh,
and a typically brilliant final shot which knocks the stuffing out of
the requisite heterosexual coupling. So what IS Hitch's worst film of
the 1950s?
Labels: Hitchcock
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