Film Review: Gaslight (1944)

Today’s media establishment is trying and often succeeding to convince people, many of them supposed to be intelligent and educated, to act like little children and believe anything they are being told. Many of those who comment that sad state of affairs use the word “gaslighting”, which has already been used a lot to describe more generic forms of psychological manipulation. The word has entered English vocabulary relatively recently and it is one of rare that has origin in the title of a film. That film was Gaslight, 1944 period thriller directed by George Cukor.

The film is based on 1938 stage play by British author Patrick Hamilton which had been adapted in eponymous 1940 British film directed by Thorold Dickinson. Hollywood version has the plot set in Victorian London. Protagonist, played by Ingrid Bergman, is Paula Alquist, niece of famous opera singer Alice Alquist who had been strangled to death ten years earlier. Paula has been trying to follow her aunt’s career by studying singing in Italy. There she meets charming pianist Gregory Anton (played by Charles Boyer) and marries him after whirlwind romance. Her husband insists that they move to the London house Paula has inherited from her aunt. She obliges, despite her old home being the site of unresolved crime and source of psychological trauma. Soon afterwards, she begins to lose things and hear strange noises, while her husband claims that she is forgetful and imagine things. While her mental state worsens, Scotland Yard detective Paul Cameron (played by Joseph Cotten) becomes interested in resolving the murder and begins to follow Paula, convinced that she or people around her might have something to do with the crime.

1944 version of Gaslight is often described as “Hitchcockian”, although it bear marks of more generic production of Classic Hollywood at the top of its game. It was produced by MGM, the dominant studio at the time, with its executives quite impressed with the enormous success of the stage play at Broadway which had total of 1295 performances. MGM bought film rights with stipulation that 1940 British version had to be destroyed which, like in some other fortunate cases, wasn’t followed through, although the earlier film became obscure for number of decades. New version was very expensive, with most of the budget spent on Victorian London being meticulously reconstructed in studio with particular eye for props, costumes and other period details. Such ambitious project had to be given to the most experienced director and George Cukor qualified, despite his reputation being built on melodramas rather thrillers. While suspenseful and atmospheric enough to pass as Hitchcock’s film to the inexperienced viewers, Gaslight benefited most from Cukor’s famed ability to work with women. In this particular case Swedish actress Ingrid Bergman, who was enjoying immense popularity, handled her role very well, easily displaying emotional extremes from crazy love, psychological trauma, descent into madness and vindictiveness near the end. Bergman often considered role of Paula to be one of her best, and this was confirmed by receiving the first of her three Oscars for it.

French actor Charles Boyer proved to be very good match. Like in many of his Hollywood films, he radiated charm and suaveness that could be easily transformed into something much more sinister. Gaslight, unlike many of modern thrillers with similar concept, doesn’t want to play with viewer’s expectations. Script is clearly setting Gregory as villain and all but telegraphs that the Paula’s “madness” is product of her husband’s manipulation. There is a brief moment near the end when it is suggested that Gregory’s gaslighting campaign might be too successful and in a way that could prove fatal for the manipulator. The makers, bound by strict censorship rules of Hays Code, don’t dare to go there and opt for more conventional happy ending. The same censorship concerns, on the other hands, don’t prevent the introduction of character of Anton’s maid Nancy Oliver that gives specific period flavour and sort of social commentary. Played by teenage Angela Lansbury in her first film role, Nancy is described as disdainful to her mistress and openly promiscuous, in line with English class stereotypes of “proles” compensating for their inferior social position with more liberal attitudes to sex. Those stereotypes are used by Gregory who unashamedly flirts with his young employee solely in order to further rattle his wife. Casting of Joseph Cotten in the role of police detective who would provide deus ex machina resolution was less fortunate. His character, described as middle-aged man in play, was made younger strictly for box office purposes and hints of future romance between him and Paula. Cotten does what he can with his role, but his unexplained American accent sticks like a sore thumb in film set in Victorian England. Dame May Whitty, who appears in the role of Paula’s nosy neighbour, appears mostly as misguided comic relief and something of a fan service.

Despite those flaws, Gaslight is very well-made film that had good results at the box office. Unlike many of the classic thrillers, it was never remade for big screen, probably because of its premise becoming part of popular culture and title adding new word to vocabulary. This proved to be blessing in disguise, because newer viewers can still enjoy and appreciate this thriller from Hollywood’s golden age.

RATING: 7/10 (+++)

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