I Confess (1953)

Synopsis:

In Quebec, Canada, a Catholic priest (Montgomery Clift, A Place in the Sun), hears the confession of a murderer (O. E. Hasse, Decision Before Dawn) but can’t inform the police about the crime because he is bound by the confessional seal.

Reaction & Thoughts:

“I must confess to you. I must tell someone.”

When I first watched Alfred Hitchcock’s I Confess, I liked the premise of the film more than anything else: a Catholic priest is willing to die to protect the secrecy of confession. But seeing it again now, I realized that this is for the most part a one-idea movie that could have used more complications. Nevertheless, it’s a finely constructed slow-burn drama, enriched by the superior performance of star Montgomery Clift.

As most people already know, Hitchcock was raised a Catholic, thus it was definitely a personal project for the director. Apparently, Hitchcock spent many years developing the screenplay with various writers, but I can’t say that all that hard work paid off: the final script by George Tabori (Secret Ceremony) is certainly a little bony.

Although there is a subplot about the priest’s ex-girlfriend, played by Anne Baxter (All About Eve), the story mainly focuses around the clergyman’s dilemma. That’s okay, but my main issue with the film is that it’s made clear from the outset that the priest isn’t going to break confidence, so the scenario lacks suspense. Granted, this isn’t your typical Hitchcock thriller. It’s pretty obvious that the director is more interested in exploring the conflicts among characters, than about creating edge-of-your-seat moments.

In any event, I Confess worked better for me as an allegory for the anti-red hysteria of the ’50s. Once I started seeing it as a social critique, not as a study on Catholic dogma, I began enjoying it more. Although I’m sure Hitchcock would have wrung my neck for rejecting his true motives in favor of my own interpretation, I couldn’t help myself and see the film as a commentary on the volatile political atmosphere of the time.

Intentionally or not, the priest’s unwillingness to divulge information obtained in confession resembles the attitude of many people who flatly refused to name any names during the House Committee on Un-American Activities hearings. From that perspective, I Confess can be seen as the flip side to Elia Kazan’s classic On the Waterfront (1954), which is about someone who informs on others for the greater good.

Clift’s heartfelt performance as the troubled priest gave me another reason to like the film. He conveys the clergyman’s inner pain beautifully. I’ve read that Clift was Hitchcock’s third choice — he wanted either James Stewart or Laurence Olivier — and that he didn’t get along with the notoriously moody actor, but Clift is great! Monty has extraordinarily expressive eyes, and it’s something Hitch uses effectively.

On the other hand, Baxter is just fine as Clift’s former lover — she doesn’t have any chemistry with Clift. But the supporting cast is nearly as good as Clift. Karl Malden (A Streetcar Named Desire) is superb as the inquisitive cop investigating the murder. O. E. Hasse and Dolly Hass are terrific as the killer and his wife, respectively, I also liked Brian Aherne (The Best of Everything), who plays a prosecuting attorney.

Conclusions & Final Thoughts:

Pardon the pun, but I confess that I didn’t like I Confess as much as other Hitchcock films. But it’s an exceptionally well-directed and acted movie. It’s also splendidly shot and scored — the cinematography by Robert Burks (Strangers on a Train) and music by Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon) are major pluses. While it may not be one of Hitch’s best thrillers, I Confess is still a good flick. B&W, 93 minutes, Not Rated.

Hitch’s cameo

Theatrical Trailer: