FILM REVIEW: Gaslight (1940, UK)

A genre-based portrait of an oppressive marriage.

Director: Thorold Dickinson / Screenplay: A.R. Rawlinson, Bridget Boland (based on a play by Patrick Hamilton) / Producers: John Corfield / Starring: Anton Walbrook, Diana Wynyard / Cinematography: Bernard Knowles / Editing: Sidney Cole / Music: Richard Addinsell / Production Company: British National Films / Runtime: 89 minutes.

Based on a popular play by Patrick Hamilton, Gaslight follows a married couple, who recently moved into a house next to the site of an unsolved murder from years before. The story particularly revolves around the husband's mysterious plan to slowly drive his wife to insanity.

Directed by Thorold Dickinson, Gaslight would be remade only a handful of years later by MGM, who allegedly insisted on having all prints of the original destroyed. While the 1944 version is arguably more refined and conventional in its crafting of suspense, Dickinson's approach is far more geared towards offering a relentless depiction of the oppressive experience of a psychologically abusive marriage.

This approach imbues the movie with a sense of hopelessness and claustrophobia that, despite lacking the kinetic energy of its remake, feels more genuine and sincere. Anton Walbrook's portrayal of the husband, thoroughly conveying the despicability of his character, further enhances this effect.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Recommended related viewing: Diabolique (dir. Henri-Georges Clouzot, 1955)