Marnie
The Master of Suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, creates a spellbinding portrait of a disturbed woman, and the man who tries to save her, in this unrelenting psychological thriller. 'Tippi' Hedren is Marnie, a compulsive thief and liar who goes to work for Mark Rutland (Sean Connery), then attempts to rob him. Mark impulsively marries the troubled beauty and attempts to discover the reasons for her obsessive behavior. When a terrible accident pushes his wife to the edge, Mark forces Marnie to confront her terrors and her past in a shattering, inescapable conclusion.
Member Reviews
Marnie, Shmarmy - Squish
There's a deep theme of madness meshed with unprofessionalism. The madness is far too out there but without the crazy kitschy zest that added something to Spellbound, whereas the unprofessionalism comes from the undercurrent of a film destined for failure. This is the kind of film that is more a series of events than occur to two people rather than a story. The editing is so strong in defining the elements into chapters that it felt like there were parts missing, that nuance and subtext just didn't exist.
Any Hitchcock fan knows that this isn't one of his greats, nor is there any great reason for going out of your way to getting this.Good. - KeithTalent
A Hitchcock film from 1964 about a woman with issues, big issues, and the guy that tries to "fix" her. Sean Connery is awesome in this as he takes on the enormous task of turning Marnie (Tippi Hedren as one of the most frustrating and annoying characters ever in a film) from a troubled, frigid, thief into a well-adjusted, loving wife. There are some great scenes and individual shots in this film, though I did find some of the other things Hitchcock did a little odd. Not a scary movie at all, but their are a few spots with excellent suspense and tension; started very strong, dragged a bit in the middle, but had a good end.Lesser Hitchcock But Still a Good Film - Gregg
Marnie (Tippi Hedren) is a young woman with numerous false identities who robs her employers once she has established a position of trust, and then disappears. Following her latest windfall she returns home to her mother with whom her relationship is strained, before starting the cycle again. This time though there may be a problem as her employer Mark Rutland(Sean Connery) has met her before, whether he recognizes or not he is obviously intrigued by her and curious about some psychoses Marnie exhibits that may be connected to a traumatic experience from her childhood.
While this may not be one of Hitchcock’s best films but this is still a good movie and very nearly a great movie. The film is wonderfully composed and shot, and still looks impressive today despite some not to impressive visual effects. Additionally we have strong performances from both Tippi Hedren and Sean Connery in a somewhat atypical role. The film also features another wonderful score Bernard Herrmann in what would sadly be his last collaboration with Hitchcock.
The psychological component of the plot has been criticized perhaps rightly but it is still largely effective in the context of the story. On the other hand the caper component of the film while only a minor plot in the film is very well plotted and effectively presented. The love story is unusual and there is one incident that will justifiably upset some viewers.
It’s interesting that despite good performances from Hedren in both Marnie and the Birds for Hitchcock, she would not match this success again in her career. This is perhaps due to a spat with Hitchcock that kept her from working awhile as she had signed an exclusive contract with him.
It’s interesting to see in the bonus materials (which are above average) how the film was promoted upon its release as a ‘sex mystery’ or some other line using sex this surely reflects the era in which it was made as the film is quite tame by today’s standards
Member Reviews
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Marnie, Shmarmy - Squish
There's a deep theme of madness meshed with unprofessionalism. The madness is far too out there but without the crazy kitschy zest that added something to Spellbound, whereas the unprofessionalism comes from the undercurrent of a film destined for failure. ...Good. - KeithTalent
A Hitchcock film from 1964 about a woman with issues, big issues, and the guy that tries to "fix" her. Sean Connery is awesome in this as he takes on the enormous task of turning Marnie (Tippi Hedren as one of the most frustrating and annoying characters ever ...Lesser Hitchcock But Still a Good Film - Gregg
Marnie (Tippi Hedren) is a young woman with numerous false identities who robs her employers once she has established a position of trust, and then disappears. Following her latest windfall she returns home to her mother with whom her relationship is strained, ...