Dial M For Murder

I wanted to watch a thriller. My brain reminded me of Alfred Hitchcock. That is when I started ‘Dial M for Murder’ and what can I say besides- I got what I wanted.

Tony Wendice, a retired English tennis player, has found out about his wife, Margot, having an affair with American crime fiction writer Mark Halliday. Tony is so upset with the news that he plans the perfect murder. He blackmails one of his classmates, who had become a small-time con man, into killing his wife for a ransom. It is a plan with all the things figured out, but a tedious one where the slightest of the things could mess everything up. And not to my surprise some things do not go as planned. But smart Tony is quick to adjust the plan to put the blame on his wife itself to keep himself clear. And in this mayhem, we go on to change perspectives and stories more than once.

The film’s entire critical action logically occurs within a single room. It reminded me of ‘Rear Window’, another of Hitchcocks thrillers, where the protagonist, who has a broken leg, gets a little too curious about his neighbourhood, leading him to unveil some unexpected truth. It also took place entirely in one room. Hitchcock found no necessity in expanding the action merely for the sake of it, and instead, he embraced the opportunity to engage in claustrophobic games. Although the scenery of the movie does not change, the direction by Hitchcock, keeps you on your toes all the time. The confinement, in fact, intensifies the action. He has presented the material on the screen with remarkable visual definitions.

 Mr.Hitchcock has accomplished this technical feat of creating a tense and captivating atmosphere with only a handful of individuals present in the room. In order for it to happen effectively, it relied heavily on the presence of talented actors. Everyone has done their job incredibly well. But above all, the performance that I remembered even after the movie, was that of Ray Milland (Tony Wendice). He shows those dark, lifeless eyes that watch everything unfold and plan on his next move. His performance makes his character confident and smart. The scene in which he invites his classmate Lesgate, revealing his plan and making him a part of it even though he doesn’t want to, is such a beautifully played scene. Even stage actor John Williams adds great weight to the film.