MovieChat Forums > Suspicion (1941) Discussion > The set up was ridiculous!

The set up was ridiculous!

posted 19 years ago by jgroub
13 replies | jump to latest

Before I go on, I have to say that I didn't watch the whole film. I couldn't. It was just too silly.

The whole idea of Lina falling in love with Johnny made no sense whatsoever. When it was revealed that the whole sequence of events (after they kiss and she goes inside) of her making the phone call, going to the post office, seeing him in the society pages, and then looking up his number in the phone book and attempting to call him again, all took place within ONE WEEK made her look like a deranged psychotic stalker.

Then the fact that as soon as he comes into the ball, drives her away, and then they get married - I mean, come on. This is the third time they've met, and she's running away with him? That's insane. I couldn't buy the film after that.

And this movie is rated a 7.5? Please. Now look, I'm not trying to bash Cary Grant or Alfred Hitchcock. It's just that the set up to the rest of the movie was ridiculous. I turned it off after he bought the chairs back from the antique shop with the racing winnings. My wife says it got better after that, but frankly, I don't believe her.

Please don't bash me too hard!

[–] Golden_Oldies 19 years ago

First off, you got to remember in a lot of old movies people always fell in love and got married, it was the thing to do. If you loved someone you married them. Personally, I never for one moment blieved that Lina was really in love with Johnnie. She was scared she would die an old maid, and the thought of any man falling in love with her was ridiculous, so when Johnnie does she is surprised and excited. Also, remember she overhears her parents talking (I forget what about exactly) somewhere along the lines of 'She will die a spinster' or whatever. Anad I agree she did look like a deranged obsessive, but then if she had never been loved she must have wanted it to work so badly.

The film progresses a lot more from that point, you really should have stayed with it. You get to see Lina sort of fear Johnnie, and you can see that's becsuse they know so little about each other due to marrying so quick! You can't judge a film on the first half, if I had done that a lot of movies in my books would be crappy. You can't bash it's rating if you haven't seen it!!! Ok it's not a amazing film but it's a good watch! If only for Cary Grant *Drool*

Wanna cry, wanna croon, wanna laugh like a loon...

[–] katycapone 19 years ago

I think she was taken by his charm and good looks.

[–] SmackRacer 19 years ago

also it is specifically set-up that Lina is afraid off becoming a spinster. She over hears her parents talking about how she isn't the marrying type. This would be a horrible fate for a girl in th 40's. Suddenly there is a man in her life to throw her attention to and she does.

[–] 19 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Clothes-Off 17 years ago

Well, it's been two years since this subject was started, but I have to add that to me it wasn't the SET UP that was ridiculous--it was the subsequent events that defied belief.

No matter how lonely Lina might have been (and it wasn't clearly established that she was at first), or how handsome and charming Johnnie was, no woman would have put up with that much without going to her parents and admitting she'd made a terrible mistake.

It should have been over the minute she found out he'd sold those chairs, which she made VERY CLEAR were precious family heirlooms. But then again, people do get taken by con artists for extended periods of time.

IMO that's where the movie fails, because whether or not he was a murderer he was still an AWFUL husband.

"Well, for once the rich white man is in control!" C. M. Burns

[–] rexshard93 17 years ago

Lina disliked her father's attitude more than Johnnie's immaturity. That is one of the reasons why she didn't leave Johnnie. Another reason is if she goes back, then she will be again called a spinster by her own parents.

Johnnie was a character who tried to please his wife Lina as much as he could. Although he knew he was an awful husband, still he loved Lina. We see him as an awful husband, because he was financially broken and he acted very immature whenever he was with Beaky.

[–] Clothes-Off 17 years ago

Johnnie was a character who tried to please his wife Lina as much as he could. Although he knew he was an awful husband, still he loved Lina. We see him as an awful husband, because he was financially broken and he acted very immature whenever he was with Beaky.

The only time I recall him pleasing her was when he took that job, and that was only because he had no choice as she wasn't going to touch her inheritance (which he was counting on).

And of course when he bought the chairs back, but he was rotten to sell them in the first place.

To me his being awful had nothing to do with being broke or immature, because he still could have demonstratd selfless love for Lina, but instead he showed an astronomical level of selfishness that only men of that era could get away with.

If she had had a bank account in her name only he would have drained it just like David Strathairn did to Kathy Bates in Delores Claiborne, I'm convinced. Cary Grant did an excellent job peortraying his caddishness, but even his charm couldn't make up for all the deception she found out about.

THere's a great speech in the recent movie Death at a Funeral by a woman who has a man pursuing her all through the movie. She tells him even though he loves her, he's still selfish because all he thinks of is wanting to be with her, not of her happiness or what's best--or something to that affect, you have to see it.

"Well, for once the rich white man is in control!" C. M. Burns

[–] rexshard93 17 years ago

What about the 2 chairs. Lina never tells Johnnie to bring back the chairs. she just says "if they are gone, they are gone." But Johnnie decided to bring back the chair, because he knew that Lina loved those chairs.

But that is my opinion.

Lina also says this "Oh I know you didn't marry me for my money. You could have done much better elsewhere."

[–] LordLustworthy 17 years ago

Just liking her because she was beautiful and had a good heart was nothing. Neither was buying back the chairs just to get himself out of the doghouse with her.

Sure, he loved here--in the most selfish, egocentric way possible. Reminded me of The Collector. He just wanted to have her.

"They're all gonna laugh at you! They're all gonna laugh at you!

[–] rexshard93 17 years ago

What do you mean? Johnnie is a very mysterious character. It is true that he steals and lies. But he is a wonderful friend to Beaky ever since his childhood.

if he wanted money, then he could have done much better than somebody like Lina.

[–] LordLustworthy 17 years ago

Some of these men don't pick the obvious richest choices, but rather those with whom they could get away with the most. (And some of them even have friends who put up with them like Beaky.)

They count on hopeless romantics (like some IMDb posters? ;-)) to give them the benefit of the doubt so they can continue their leeching.

[–] rexshard93 17 years ago

I do agree with you that some of these men don't pick obvious richest choices. But in the case of murder, it is very hard to explain if Johnnie is a murderer or not.

The Reaction to Brandy was problem that Beaky had before. Johnnie decided to kill Beaky only after the marriage of Lina and Johnnie. And Johnnie's relationship with Beaky starts from childhood.

[–] heather_m1986 15 years ago

The same thing happens in modern movies except they would meet on tbe train, go for a walk, go to the ball and then they would have sex. In a modern movie if they were in love for one week and then have sex and then moved in together nobody would bat an eyelash but in films of that time, women and men couldn't live together without being married