Perhaps it’s because I had just finished watching the efficient Dial M for Murder the night before, but it seems clear to me that Hitchcock stretched Torn Curtain past the point of suspense and wandered well into the territory of laborious. There is about 20-30 minutes that could have easily been cut out of the film without losing anything significant. Instead I’m subjected to completely superfluous characters, such as the bafflingly irritating Countess who constantly wails about her US Sponsors, and the annoyingly stern lady on the bus. If the Countess is supposed to be a tragic character designed to capture our sympathies, she is a total failure, since Lila Kedrova’s acting is hilariously poor at times.
More concerning is Hitchcock attempting to create far too many suspense sequences, especially towards the end during the escape. The scene in the post office seems to highlight the frustrating waiting times created by bureaucracy rather than create any sense of tension at the possibility of being caught. Even worse is Paul Newman being forced to yell “fire!” in a crowded theatre in order to evade the authorities.
by Chiranjit Goswami | Source: Universal “The Masterpiece Collection” DVD
01 Jan 2006 1:09 PM | Submit Comment