Does anyone else agree with me that by movie's end, the Jeffrey Hunter character really *is* insane? I'm not talking about the way he's shouting as he's being dragged back to the asylum - I'm thinking more about his declaration of love for Dr. Viveca Lindfors.
This is a little late in coming, I guess, but if I recall correctly the whole point of the movie is that he is out of his mind from the start. It's seen through his eyes from inside the asylum all the way through, much like the CALIGARI remake of about the same time (which itself was based more on the European film LABYRINTH from 1959 than the legendary silent).
One of the first neo-noirs.
Nothing is more beautiful than nothing.
...I've got to hit the sack but my memory from seeing this years ago is that Hunter hatches a plan to kill Andrews and "get off" by pretending he's insane and when he is "cured" he and Francis will marry. But after he does so, she denies any knowledge of the plot and asks why he killed her beloved husband. Either
- She's double-crossing him and ploted to have him get rid of her husband but had no intention of going off with him.
- He is insane and reamed up the whole plot on his won with no urging from her. We just think she's gone along with with because we've been seeing everything from his point of view.
I remember thinking this was a brilliant film, a minor classic with great performances from everyone, including the very under-rated Hunter.
I might stay up and watch it again and have a total different opinion but it's just too late in the evening.
The past is a series of presents. The present is living history we are privileged to witness
The question was left up in the air deliberately...
Was he insane *before* or *driven* insane by his "perfect" plan to appear insane?
I believe he was driven insane:
* No evidence he was any suffering any mental problems.
* Only started having issues as he fell in love with women.
* Only mention of issues was by 1st Dr visit where he mentions childhood but it was explained logically and didn't seem abnormal.
Looks like he had potential issues that were pulled out as he got further entangled with the women. Then as he dove head first into the plan, he got lost within it. As noted in the movie, the mind is powerful and full of mysteries. The movie is intended to make us feel uncomfortable with the notion that a person (not just any person -- a smart person) could drifted into insanity, and the dangers/powers of the mind.
The main character took the challenge to appear insane with dedication only a very smart person could take on, but it proved to much for him. Was he really insane before? I don't think there is any proof. We see a professional scientist working with his colleagues with no history. He literally has to create a history of mental problems in his plan.
Finally, note a comment by the police in the start of movie that, "There are a lot of crazy people out there," when referring to the fake attempt by one women to point finger at him for the phone calls. This is intended as a comment to us, the viewers, that we too could be pulled into insanity. Further, at the end of the movie, we see the camera shot pull out away from the scientist dragged away screaming, "I'm not insane!" to a higher and higher Google Earth like view of the institution, showing the larger campus, and then the city view -- all done on purpose by director to point a warning that anyone in the larger society is susceptible.
Good movie for the time period. Nicely directed.
If you're going to plan, and execute the murder of your lovers spouse, you're insane (at least to some degree).
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