The Trouble With Harry is that he is dead, and the folks that may have caused his death want to avoid any entanglements with the law, so they bury him. And then for reasons explained in the movie they dig him up, then bury him again, and then do it all over again.
Alfred Hitchcock set out to prove that an American film could feature the same dark sense of macabre comedy so often featured in British films. Hitchcock's black comedy is set in the beautiful New England countryside at the height of autumn splendor. It's telling that Hitchcock would set his tale of murder and death amongst the beauty of a small Vermont town.
The movie opens with a young boy (Jerry Mathers) wandering the country side. Suddenly three shots ring out. Then there are two distinct angry voices, yelling. Finally there is a thud and the sound of something falling. The boy runs to the source of the sounds and finds the body of a man. He runs off.
Along comes Captain Wiles (Edmund Gwenn). He has been out hunting rabbits and believes he may have shot the man accidentally. He goes through his pockets and learns he is Harry Warp, from Boston. Distressed he decides to bury the body. As he is dragging Harry into the woods along comes Miss Gravely and in a bit of dialogue she sets the tone for the entire movie. It turns out it is possible Miss Gravely killed Harry
Before long the boy comes back with his mom, Jennifer Rodgers (Shirley MacLaine in her screen debut) and she recognizes Harry. He is her husband, whom she clocked over the head with a milk bottle and possibly killed.
As Captain Wiles waits in the bushes for the coast to be clear a homeless man comes along and steals Harry's shoes. Then the town Doctor passes by and finally the village artist, Sam Marlowe (John Forsythe). It appears Harry could not have picked a busier place in the forest to die.
The movie continues in that style, introducing Deputy Sheriff Calvin Wiggs (Royal Dano) the one man everyone wants to hide Harry from. These quirky individuals want to ensure that Harry is taken care of with the least amount of trouble possible.
On top the film is a visually beautiful but unsettling little tale, but underneath it takes on two New England Puritanical taboos, sex and death. The film is morally ambiguous. No one is upset that Harry is dead, just inconvenienced. The film is set in autumn on purpose. While autumn is beautiful it also announces the onset of death. The movie argues that death is part of life, to be welcomed, not feared.
The Trouble With Harry has very casual sex talk (unusual for a film made in 1956) and is loaded with double entendres and sexually suggestive lines. Miss Gravely with her repressed sexuality represents the Puritan who believes death, and sex, should be "covered-up" and not spoken of.
This is one of Alfred Hitchcock's most understated movies. It features a delightful score by Bernard Hermann, his first of eight, for Hitchcock. With it's themes of murder and death it could be considered the only film noir to be set in the bright light of day
The film was not well received in the U.S. when released in 1956, but was a hit overseas. Due to legal matters it was withdrawn from circulation until 1984. When it was re-released by Universal it was declared a classic. Hitchcock listed it as one of his favorite films.
At the Movie House rating **** stars
Movies of Interest:
Family Plot
Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Weekend At Bernie's
Arsenic And Old Lace
A New Leaf
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Shallow Grave
The Ladykillers
Unfaithfully Yours
A Slight Case Of Murder
3 comments:
Just referring you to my comments under the American....you may not have seen them
By the way, to put that movie in the class of Conversation, Parallax View and Jackel borders on the ludicrous...but you can find out more of my much anticipated comment by referring back to that movie
I did see your comments. If you would like me to answer them please express them in a more lucid and coherent manner and I will refute them point by point.
By the way I did not compare this film to The Bourne films or any other films. I said it was the anti-Bourne film, menaing it is the complete opposite of those movies.
At the bottom I listed other films of interests that share similiar themes or subject matter.
Day of the Jackal - assassination thriller
The Conversation - themes of isolation
The Limey - similiar style of film making
The International - eurpoean style Thriller
The Parralax View - Assassination thriller
Please see my respons eto oyur respinse on the American, wiiner of the Award for Most Stupid and Forced Plot Devices in a Single Movie
For some reason it reprinted three times, I apologize for the technical problem
Post a Comment