MovieChat Forums > Gaslight (1944) Discussion > The Evil That Men Do

The Evil That Men Do

posted 17 years ago by schappe1
7 replies | jump to latest

I've added this tonight to the list of famous films I've seen and deleted it from the ones I had not yet seen. The acting is excellent. I can see why Bergman won the Oscar, (primarily, I think for the attic scene). I agree that Joseph Cotten's accent hardly suggests a Scotland Yard detective, (I would have thought he could have done better than that), but the movie needed a hero. Someone on the site for the 1940 movie described Charles Boyer as "boring". He's hardly that. And it was fun seeing Angela Lansbury in her debut role at the age of 18. This was a case for Jessica Fletcher if I ever saw one.

But the film was more disturbing than entertaining. We hear so much about spousal abuse and all the things husbands do to undermine and isolate their wives so they can control them. It must have seemed bizarrely villainous in 1944 but in 2008 it seems real, sad and scary.

[–] heyuactor 15 years ago

Good post, schappel.

"Did you make coffee...? Make it!"--Cheyenne.

[–] Eumenides_0 15 years ago

I wonder if he was as bizarre as you think. Even in the 20th century women were still considered property of their husbands; they effectively controlled them, decided whether they could leave the house, decided who they coul visit, and if they wanted they could well isolate them from the whole world, as the 'domestic angels' they were supposed to be.

I think Boyer showed a reality that was common knowledge but ignored by society. He showed what an abusive husband can do to his wife and how easily he can do it.

This world is a comedy to those that think, a tragedy to those that feel.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] 15 years ago

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[–] Pipeman_Toronto 15 years ago

...the bigoted ideas that feminism has implanted in the minds of women

Which ideas are these?

[–] jackboot 14 years ago

schappe1 ~I can see why Bergman won the Oscar, (primarily, I think for the attic scene).

I thought that the scene at the chamber music concert was particularly strong!! She went from confident and happy and was ultimately reduced to a crumbling mess with her confidence in herself completely undermined, all her composure lost as she brokedown in front of everyone there at a society event, unable to pull herself together.

[–] heyteegs (1207) 4 years ago

I think you summed it up nicely. I had never seen it until today and I was very disturbed by both characters. But it’s well made and I was riveted.