La loi du silence

I could follow the film just by looking into Montgomery Clift's extraordinary face. Look at his reaction to the confession. Clift's eyes are a symphony of emotions with him doing nothing. Powerful, brilliant, unforgettable. I forgot it was a Hitchcock film not matter how suspenseful it is, and it is, because Clift's internal torture is so pungent. Dimitri Tiomkin's score, terrific as it is, pushes us away from Hitchcock's territory. What I'm saying is that is not Bernard Herrmann.

A blonde Anne Baxter, an intense Karl Malden, and a delightful Brian Aherne keeps us a bit dislocated. The conclusion, framed by faces reacting to Clift's secret is a powerful and totally satisfying ending.

I Confess's story takes place in Quebec City, Canada is adapted from the French story Nos Deux Consciences. And the whole thing is about a priest's conscience. Does he keep his vows even at the cost of his own freedom and maybe his life, certainly his reputation.

That is what Montgomery Clift is faced with. German actor O.E. Hasse who Clift worked with on The Big Lift is the caretaker of a church where Clift is assigned. He takes the priest's garments and commits murder in them. And then offers confession to Clift. Clift knows the murder victim as well and could have his own reason for doing him harm. Of course police detective Karl Malden suspects him.

How this all gets resolved is the plot of the story. But let me give you a hint. The title of the original story is Our Two Consciences. And the consciences referred to are Monty Clift's and someone else's.

Clift and the rest of the cast do a fine job in this minor Alfred Hitchcock film. But the acting honors in this go to O.E. Hasse, an really oily malevolent villain who is enjoying the predicament he's put the priest in. You won't forget him.

Fans of Hitchcock and Clift will be entertained and others will enjoy it as well.

I Confess is one of those movies that almost reaches the brink of greatness, but just doesn't quite make it. Hitchcock's direction is certainly fine, if not a bit pedestrian. There are no signature scenes that seems to be present in many of his other films (such as the shower scene in Psycho, or the Mount Rushmore chase in North By Northwest). There is a flashback sequence, showing Clift before his character was a priest, that starts off beautifully....the camera is slightly cock-eyed, and Anne Baxter descends the staircase in slow motion, almost flowing down the stairs. However, the rest of the flashback just doesn't live up to the potential established in that first shot. Karl Malden is good as usual. Clift does an okay job in the role of the priest who hears the confession of the murderer. Anne Baxter is very good, and the supporting cast is certainly fine. I have also had a problem with the musical score of this film. Seems that Jack Warner had a standing rule at WB studios, of filling nearly every second of a film's soundtrack with background music. I'm sure Hitchcock and Tiomkin both cringed at this insane policy. Tiomkin DOES provide the film with a beautiful love theme of sorts. I recommend this film, but I don't guarantee that you'll be watching a classic. *** out of ****.

Much like "The Wrong Man", another Alfred Hitchcock gem, "I Confess" is a classic "what if?" scenario, this time involving a Catholic priest and a confession that completely changes his life.

For a basic plot summary, "I Confess" sees Father Michael Logan (Montgomery Clift) hear the confession of murderer Otto Keller (O.E. Hasse). Sworn to secrecy by the tradition of the confessional, however, Father Logan must grapple with his devotion to the cloth when outing Otto would mean saving himself and the woman he loves.

This is a simple little film (nothing grandeur or over-the-top about it), but at the same time it works very well on a number of different levels. The acting is superb (also including Anne Baxter in a key role), the plot is classic Hitchcock character-driven suspense, and the narrative keeps progressing forward in such a way that it continues to build upon itself. In other words, the pressure only continues to mount on Logan as each new development in the murder case comes to light.

Overall, "I Confess" is a solid Hitch effort that, while maybe not in "Top Ten" status for the famous director, is most certainly worth a viewing for the emotional characters and progressive drama.

An Alfred Hitchcock film with very little action or suspense, this moral issue- drama still maintains interest for the most part. Montgomery Clift is intriguing as "Father William Logan," a Catholic priest from Quebec who hears a murder confession, is charged with the crime himself, and never wavers from his vow to keep confessions private.

The question Hitchcock apparently poses with this is is, "Is that still morally right when it means you leave a killer out on the loose?"

Complicating the matter is an old girlfriend, played by Anne Baxter, who still loves the priest. However, once again the cleric remains true to his vows and doesn't get involved with her.

Karl Malden, meanwhile, plays a gung-ho cop out to solve the crime.

This movie could use a little more suspense and action, plus a bit of the old Hitchcock humor, but still is more than passable.