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  Directed by
  Starring
  Specs
  • Full Frame
  • Dual Layer ( )
  Languages
  • English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Mono
  Subtitles
  • None
  Extras
  • 3 Theatrical trailer
  • Cast/crew biographies
  • Photo gallery
  • 2 Music-only track

Spellbound (1945)

MRA/MRA . R4 . B&W . 106 mins . PG . PAL

  Feature
Contract

Spellbound is seen by many critics as one of Alfred Hitchcock's lesser movies.

True, the plot is contrived, and features unbelievable psychiatric mumbo-jumbo from the days when American society believed that head-shrinking offered cures for everything.

The psychiatriac contrivances make the story creak audibly. But they cannot destroy the fact that there is real story-telling power at work here. We see one of the most potent screen combinations ever, in Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. As such a potent team, they rival Ingrid's pairing, also for Hitchcock, with Cary Grant in Notorious.

The story, about the edge of insanity, forgotten and mistaken identities, is really only the staging point for one of Hitchcock's most overt love stories.

The sensuality of it (created for the most part by the loving cinematography of Ingrid Bergman) is accentuated by the creation by leading Hollywood composer Miklos Rozsa of probably his finest, and most haunting score - featuring the weirdly moving, atmospheric Theremin, an early electronic instrument of unearthly style.

The story begins when Dr. Anthony Edwardes (Gregory Peck) arrives at a mental institution to take over the reigns from its ruling head, Dr. Murchison (Leo G. Carroll). He is uncovered as an impostor. And he was the last person seen with the real Dr. Murchison just before Murchison was murdered. He can't remember who he really is. He can't remember what happened. All we know is that he is quite mad, and Ingrid, one of the Institution's doctors, has fallen in love with him.

These are the ingredients for a ride through suspense and romance which you'll want to take again and again. It may not be one of Hitchcock's very greatest, but it's one of my personal all-time favourites.

  Video
Contract

The transfer appears to have been made from the same excellent print from which the American Criterion edition was struck. In fact, because of the slight quality improvement possible with PAL, the image seems slightly superior to that Criterion edition. There is some film grain and the occasional understandable sign of wear, but the image is clear and sharp, and tones and contrasts in the black and white image are beautifully delineated.

And, just like in the Criterion edition, the sharp-eyed viewers will notice that for a split-second, at a crucial moment, the black-and-white image switches to a brilliant blood-drenched red. Watch for it...

  Audio
Contract

The mono soundtrack preserves the full richness of the original dialogue and of Miklos Rozsa's wonderful score. There's no escaping the fact that this is a 1940s audio presentation, but this is as good as it's ever going to be heard.

  Extras
Contract

The edition is pretty bare-bones compared to the feature-packed Region 1 Criterion disc.

But it does offer the main special feature from that set - the original, rarely heard entrance and exit music composed by Rozsa and used for only special early screenings of the movie. These become in fact virtual suites from the cinema, and stand alone as great musical items.

There are text-based talent files for director and main actors, a high-quality photo gallery with 15 stills and three theatrical trailers; these are for Spellbound, a letter-boxed version of the original trailer (with black borders around all sides to allow us to see the complete original image), a standard-presentation trailer for a return season of Rebecca and a very slightly letter-boxed original trailer for Notorious. Quality varies between them, but they are great viewing.

  Overall  
Contract

Buy it. It must be a part of any serious DVD collection.


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      And I quote...
    "Become spellbound by the potent chemistry between Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck in this psychological thriller."
    - Anthony Clarke
      Review Equipment
    • DVD Player:
          Panasonic A330
    • TV:
          Loewe Profil Plus 3272 68cm
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