Since she's completely in his thrall, she never senses that he represents a threat. Paula's self-doubt builds slowly as her husband meticulously orchestrates her spiral into insanity. But no film like Basic Instinct can match this picture's intricate psychology. The more familiar Brian becomes with the situation, however, the more convinced he is that Paula's current circumstances are somehow related to her aunt's murder and a cache of missing jewels.īy the convoluted standards of many of today's ultra-slick thrillers, Gaslight may be seen as slow-moving and obvious. And he disappears every night on clandestine business of his own.Ī local Scotland Yard officer, Brian Cameron (Joseph Cotten), takes an interest in Paula's predicament, but Gregory and Nancy conspire to keep them from meeting. He hires a forthright young maid, Nancy (Angela Lansbury in her feature debut), who holds her mistress in contempt. He convinces Paula that she's having delusions, and, as a result, isn't well enough to see visitors. Once there, Gregory's attentiveness acquires a sinister edge. Gregory wants to live in England, so he and Paula move into a house that she inherited from her late aunt, a well-known singer who was murdered a decade ago. Less than a week later, she and Gregory are on their honeymoon.Īt this point, Gaslight turns ominous. When Paula confirms his suspicions, and indicates that she may marry the gentleman in question, Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer), she is released from her studies. Over the past few weeks, however, her attention has not been on her craft, and her wily mentor remarks that he believes that she's in love. We are introduced to Paula, a young English singer living and studying in Italy during the latter half of the nineteenth century. The first half-hour of Gaslight is deceptively romantic. Bergman, essaying a much different character from either of her last two roles (Maria in 1943's For Whom the Bell Tolls and Ilsa in 1942's Casablanca), is alluring and convincing as a woman held captive by her own fears. Ingrid Bergman won her first Oscar for portraying Paula Alquist, the vulnerable, insecure heroine of George Cukor's diabolical, atmospheric thriller, Gaslight.
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