Suspicion - Alfred Hitchcock

Suspicion, from 1941, has Cary Grant as Johnny Aysgarth, and Joan Fontaine as his love interest, Lina McLaidlaw. This was Fontaine's second and last film with Hitchcock, while it was Grants first of four Hitchcock films. This film also includes May Whitty from The Lady Vanishes as Lina's mother, as well as Leo G. Carroll in his second of six Hitchcock films. So it is a great cast.

The story starts in the dark with Johnny accidentally running into Lina's legs in a dark train compartment that he is stumbling into, hungover. Once the train comes out of the tunnel, he sees Lina and gives her the full toe to face look-over. In my view, this should tell you everything you need to know about Johnny. When the conductor comes in and asks to see their tickets, you find that Johnny only has a 3rd class ticket and the compartment is a 1st class compartment. He asks Lina if she can pay for the difference as he doesn't have any money. Another clue to what sort of guy Johnny is. They happen to be heading to the same hunt in the same village. He asks about her and is told by his female companions that he shouldn't bother. However he does. He shows up on her doorstep with his female companions, to take her to church. However as they approach the church he tells her that he wants to go on a walk instead. I get hints of Mr. de Winter, getting everything he wants regardless of what other people may want. The next scene that we see is Johnny and Lina struggling on top of a hill. It looks like she is struggling to be free of him and when the camera finally gets into a closer shot we hear him explain that he was just trying to fix her hair. Clearly he was doing it without being asked, or without asking for consent. He makes fun of her hair, calls her monkeyface (which he will continue to do through out the film), touches her on her collar bone, and seems to be acting like a bully. So far, Johnny is a despicable character - despite looking like Cary Grant. They walk back to her house, he tells her he will meet her at 3 for another walk and she says no. However she then overhears her parents talking about how she will end up being a spinster, and as she turns to head to the door - there he is, right in her way, eavesdropping as well. She kisses him and heads inside.

Wikipedia calls this film a romantic psychological thriller film noir. IMDB has it listed as Film-Noir, Mystery, Thriller. Personally, this is another film like Rebecca where I just want the characters to talk to each other honestly and openly. Aysgarth is always telling lies and making up stories and then giving gifts to make-up for when he treats her badly. McLaidlaw just accepts it, yet is suspicious all the time as well. Her needs mean nothing compared to what he wants. Aysgarth is a total cad, and I would call him an asshole. Clearly this is not a film I enjoyed. However, there are some great visual shots, and the characters are strong - clearly to prompt this sort of reaction. There is great use of shadows, specifically the shadows of the window panes that create a weblike shadow on the floor of the house. There is some suspense to see if Aysgarth really is a killer or not, and I don't feel that this really gets resolved at the end. That question still hangs out there in my mind. From what I have read Hitchcock did want to make Aysgarth the killer, but the studio would not allow Cary Grant to be the bad guy. The film is just over 90 min and yet it feels long to me. That could be due to my not liking the characters. I know other people have other views. There is a cameo, and I watched this as part of the Signature Collection. This edition has a short make-of documentary, as well as the theatrical trailer as part of the special features. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards, and won Joan Fontaine an Oscar for best actress.