Soon after this film began, it was obvious why this is one of the least famous of Hitchcock's films of the era. First, there really isn't any mystery or suspense--it's just a costume drama. Second, and I am surprised no one else seemed to pick up on this, but the film looked ugly despite the nice costumes and sets. This is because it looks like everything was shot in a sound stage--even the outdoor shots. In addition, the matte paintings are among the least realistic and ugly I have ever seen. It just too me out of the mood to see sloppy and flat paintings which were supposed to be mansions.
The film is set in 1831 in the colony of Australia. Oddly, the film stars an American (Joseph Cotton), a Swede (Ingrid Bergman) and an Englishman who plays an Irishman (Michael Wilding). Wilding is a poor relative of the new Governor and is looking for a way to earn his fortune in this new land. He meets up with the brooding Cotton--who is immensely wealthy and an ex-convict (of course, MOST of Australia was settled by convicts during this period). But, when he goes to dinner at Cotton's home, he sees that he knows the man's wife (Bergman). Sadly, she is an alcoholic--and a pathetic one at that. So, Wilding makes it his job to help rehabilitate her--and obviously falls for her in the process. Standing in the way is the contemptible Milly--the housekeeper who does a great job of keeping house but also seems to enjoy keeping the mistress of the house drunk and ineffectual. She is a viper--and much like the crazed housekeeper in "Rebecca". In addition, the husband is a deeply screwed up man--and this becomes obvious the more his wife tries to regain normality. In other words, he and the housekeeper both seem to be working very hard to keep her an emotional invalid.
This is a pretty dull and ponderous film from start to finish. While it could have been interesting, oddly it wasn't. Intense music and great twists, signs of Hitchcock, are strangely absent in this slow, slow, slow film. It just lumbers along to its conclusion. Truly a disappointment and indifferently made --and you just can't believe a director as talented as Hitchcock could make such an uninspired film. It's not terrible...just not very good or interesting.
The film is set in 1831 in the colony of Australia. Oddly, the film stars an American (Joseph Cotton), a Swede (Ingrid Bergman) and an Englishman who plays an Irishman (Michael Wilding). Wilding is a poor relative of the new Governor and is looking for a way to earn his fortune in this new land. He meets up with the brooding Cotton--who is immensely wealthy and an ex-convict (of course, MOST of Australia was settled by convicts during this period). But, when he goes to dinner at Cotton's home, he sees that he knows the man's wife (Bergman). Sadly, she is an alcoholic--and a pathetic one at that. So, Wilding makes it his job to help rehabilitate her--and obviously falls for her in the process. Standing in the way is the contemptible Milly--the housekeeper who does a great job of keeping house but also seems to enjoy keeping the mistress of the house drunk and ineffectual. She is a viper--and much like the crazed housekeeper in "Rebecca". In addition, the husband is a deeply screwed up man--and this becomes obvious the more his wife tries to regain normality. In other words, he and the housekeeper both seem to be working very hard to keep her an emotional invalid.
This is a pretty dull and ponderous film from start to finish. While it could have been interesting, oddly it wasn't. Intense music and great twists, signs of Hitchcock, are strangely absent in this slow, slow, slow film. It just lumbers along to its conclusion. Truly a disappointment and indifferently made --and you just can't believe a director as talented as Hitchcock could make such an uninspired film. It's not terrible...just not very good or interesting.