A Year of Hitchcock by Jim McDevitt & Eric San Juan

Author:Jim McDevitt & Eric San Juan
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780810863897
Publisher: Scarecrow Press

So, too, do we see hints of Rebecca. In that film’s case, it was a female intruder into a house all but ruled by a servant who prompted the turmoil to follow. In Under Capricorn, the intruder is male. When Adare arrives on the scene, the servant, Milly, secretly enamored with Sam Flusky and keeping Mrs. Flusky in a constant drunken stupor because of it, adopts the bitter lover-who-could-not-be role Mrs. Danvers plays in Rebecca.

The thematic heart of Under Capricorn works well enough for what it is. Milly is suitably manipulative, and Adare’s intentions are left unclear long enough to leave you guessing, revealed in time to spark Sam Flusky into misguided action. The problem is that this subject matter is simply not Hitchcock’s specialty. As we’ve previously discussed, love is no stranger to the films of Alfred Hitchcock, nor is lost love. But as the focus? This is a character-driven story, and Hitchcock is a plot-driven director. As visually lush as this film is, he falls just short of realizing the tone needed to create an engaging story. And yes, just short. Under Capricorn has a reputation as one of Alfred Hitchcock’s worst films, but it is not a deserved reputation. As a character-driven period piece it may be wildly out of character for Hitchcock, but that doesn’t mean there is not worthwhile filmmaking here.

In fact, Under Capricorn features some of the most audacious and lush cinematography of his career. The 117 minutes here are worthwhile for the grand dinner introduction scene alone. Over the course of eight or nine minutes, the camera is nothing short of a roving eye, leading us through a dank and dirty kitchen, through a dining room that will play a key role in the film, a foyer that will do the same, then into a side room where Sam Flusky meets guest after guest, all as the camera moves and shapes each conversation. It’s incredible work that preceded the famous Copacabana entry shot in Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas (1990) by more than forty years. Hitchcock couldn’t have pulled this off without the experience provided by Rope. With the lessons learned there, he managed to create one of the single most spectacular shots of his career, on par with the wonderful zooms in Young and Innocent and Notorious.

We also get a less audacious long take in Lady Henrietta’s confession scene, but one that may be even more impressive than the dinner scene because it’s so focused on raw performance. For just short of nine minutes, Ingrid Bergman puts on an acting clinic. No cuts. No breaks. No pauses. Just Ingrid Bergman revealing that the drunken, sick Lady Henrietta was a more tortured soul than we previously imagined, letting unfold the entire story of how the Flusky couple came to be: their tragedy, their turmoil, the dark days that made Sam who he is. All of it. It’s a powerful, well-acted, tastefully staged scene.

WHERE’S HITCH?

Hitchcock appears on the steps in front of a government building, about thirteen minutes into the film.

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