MovieChat Forums > Suspicion (1941) Discussion > Money

Money

posted 14 years ago by Steamboy
5 replies | jump to latest

I liked Suspicion when I first saw it and loved it the second time, a decade and some years later. One thing disturbed me on this second viewing though, it's the money issue. They can't afford that sumptuous mansion they live in, it must cost millions, she doesn't have much money and as he says he never had any. Even by supposing he managed to get the papers signed without actually paying anything yet, they could not possibly have kept the place for long. Still, they seem well settled as time marches on. It makes no sense whatsoever, this is much more critical than the 2000 grands he stole.

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[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] PoppyTransfusion 12 years ago

I got the impression that not much time had passed in the film. It seemed to be filmed over one or two seasons. However, your point is valid. I wondered where the money for the servants' wages were coming from. I doubt Ethel, or cook, would have stuck around for long without their weekly wage.

Away with the manners of withered virgins

[–] kenny-164 12 years ago

On one hand I would agree with the OP that in effect an argument can be made that it is too implausible that they would continue for any significant length of time in their residence. Lina did have some money, though, and that somewhat lessened the pressure, I would think. But more generally the awareness of how unstable their situation was fed into the overall tenuousness of the situation, adding an edginess, I think. It worked on the emotional level, even if somewhat questionable on the purely logical level.

[–] Harold_Robbins 11 years ago

Money is huge issue in the original novel BEFORE THE FACT, and is the prime motivation for many of Johnnie's actions, most of which were omitted from the film.

"In my case, self-absorption is completely justified."

[–] lynnrnsd 11 years ago

He says, when she confronts him about how he afforded the honeymoon, that he's been borrowing from people, and that there must be someone he hasn't touched yet for a loan. He was charming enough that he could put off the creditors and get people to loan him money-- that's how he'd survived up to the point he married Lina. He even managed to get money out of her on their first meeting on the train!