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I Confess Movie Review

I Confess is a 1953 noir film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Montgomery Clift and Anne Baxter. It’s a solid, but disappointing flick.

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“I never thought of the priesthood

as offering a hiding place“

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A priest Father Michael Logan is suspected of murder. He can only clear himself by violating the sanctity of the confessional. The premise behind this movie is splendid. Not only is this movie the most Christian picture that Hitchcock has ever produced, but it’s also one of his most believable in terms of storyline itself and every single scenario.

But there also lies a problem. Unfortunately, the movie is never as fun nor as suspenseful as you’d come to expect from Hitch. There is some suspense here, but most of it came at the expense of the drama as the film mostly works as a drama with some noir elements, but I would say that it’s far from thrilling in any shape or form.

Anne Baxter is excellent as Ruth Grandfort. Her performance is terrific and the character is very well written. I also loved Karl Malden in the role of the inspector. He’s very memorable and he steals his every scene. The standout naturally is Montgomery Clift whose Father Logan is a superbly developed, wonderful character that represents the best Christian qualities you could think of. Again, the movie is surprisingly spiritual, but executed in a natural, not forced manner.

I Confess also features excellent dialogue as many conversations and interrogations here are very engaging and interesting. Again, as a drama, the film is very strong, but as a noir feature, I wouldn’t say so. The atmosphere is simply lacking, though there is some of it in the climax and some scenes such as the flashback scene are wonderfully poetic in their execution and ominous as well.

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But still, the movie rarely gained momentum in terms of genuinely thrilling the audience, which is something that most Hitchcock movies do at least a couple of times per film. His direction here is solid, but far from his best works. I expected more from the villain himself, but again the flashback and the interrogations are my favorite scenes here. The cinematography is also superb.

Superbly acted by Montgomery Clift, Karl Malden and Anne Baxter, but clearly lacking in suspense, I Confess is a middling Hitchcock effort that benefits from a couple of great scenes and stellar dialogue, but it is so bereft of genuinely thrilling moments and a stronger noir atmosphere. It is most notable for its interesting premise and spiritual themes.