Spellbound. The Feminine Soul. (1945) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

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1 The Feminine Soul Spellbound (1945) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 19 19

Spellbound Both under contract to producer David O. Selznick, Alfred Hitchcock and his leading lady Ingrid Bergman made Spellbound in 1945 and Notorious in 1946.

2 Spellbound Both under contract to producer David O. Selznick, Alfred Hitchcock and his leading lady Ingrid Bergman made Spellbound in 1945 and Notorious in Many directors, producers and leading men who worked with Ingrid Bergman commented on her abundant gifts as an actress. Ingrid Bergman could play any part and make it totally believable. In her complex role of Dr. Constance Peterson, Bergman is a psychiatrist deeply in love with her patient and a female detective who solves the crime that could separate them forever. Classic film fans and critics note that this Hitchcock film is Bergman s all the way. Ingrid Bergman s Constance Peterson has a life challenge to face. She is convinced the man she loves is innocent and she uses her professional knowledge of psychoanalysis to help him recover his memory. Film Facts: Spellbound Year: 1945 Starring: Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck Director: Alfred Hitchcock Producer: David O. Selznick Screenwriter: Ben Hecht Viewing Time: 111 Minutes Production Company: Selznick International Pictures Academy Awards: Best Music, Miklos Rozsa Academy Award Nominations: Best Picture Best Supporting Actor Michael Chekhov Best Director Alfred Hitchcock Best Cinematography Black and White George Banes Best Effects Jack Cosgrove The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 20 20

Film Focus on Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman throughout her career developed a screen persona that uniquely modeled the feminine virtues prized by every woman - honesty, constancy, courage and

3 Film Focus on Ingrid Bergman Ingrid Bergman throughout her career developed a screen persona that uniquely modeled the feminine virtues prized by every woman - honesty, constancy, courage and perseverance. Think of Bergman s character Ilsa in Casablanca, torn between her loyalty to her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) the man she fell in love with when she thought her husband was dead. Bergman s performance in Casablanca is sometimes undervalued in comparison to that of her co-star Humphrey Bogart. Yet her performance in Casablanca, like her performance in Spellbound, reveals Ingrid Berman s brilliance as an actress. She had the talent to reveal her inner spirit and her soul to the audience. Here in Spellbound as Constance Peterson, Bergman shows the classic genius of womanhood. Behind her woman s intuition is the capacity for objectivity and the use of reason to make an accurate judgement of the truth. She knows her man is innocent, not just because she loves him, but because she knows him, soul to soul. The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 21 21

Film Critic s Corner In Spellbound, Alfred Hitchcock blends the preoccupation with Freudian psychology in 1940s Hollywood with the classic tale of a man and a woman confronting

Although the film is filled with the images and language of psychoanalysis, Hitchcock s direction keeps the story and its characters on track in the familiar narrative

The real theme of Spellbound is the age-old struggle of good over evil with fascinating images and interesting language from the world of Freudian psychology thrown in.

In the traditional love scene when Bergman and Peck have their first screen kiss, Hitchcock inserts a sequence showing a succession of opening doors.

4 Film Critic s Corner In Spellbound, Alfred Hitchcock blends the preoccupation with Freudian psychology in 1940s Hollywood with the classic tale of a man and a woman confronting the evil that threatens to overtake them. Although the film is filled with the images and language of psychoanalysis, Hitchcock s direction keeps the story and its characters on track in the familiar narrative structure of classic film. The real theme of Spellbound is the age-old struggle of good over evil with fascinating images and interesting language from the world of Freudian psychology thrown in. Symbolic Images Used by Hitchcock in Spellbound The images and symbols of Freudian psychology that appear in Spellbound endlessly fascinate film critics and film fans alike. In the traditional love scene when Bergman and Peck have their first screen kiss, Hitchcock inserts a sequence showing a succession of opening doors. This is intended to reveal the inner psychological state of the characters. Hitchcock hired the famous artist, Salvador Dali, to create the Freudian images of the opening doors in the love scene and the dream sequence that reveals the truth about events in the story. Hitchcock unravels the mystery behind the hero s amnesia as he relates his dream about a mysterious proprietor and a confrontation at a nightclub. The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 22 22

One of the visuals that Hitchcock uses to convey the dual nature of the character is to portray Constance with her glasses on when she is in the role of the psychiatrist and

Alexander Brulov who has taught her everything she knows about psychiatry. Their conversation illustrates the deep friendship in their professional relationship.

5 Character Profile of Ingrid Bergman s Constance Peterson Ingrid Bergman s portrays a character who is both a professional psychiatrist and a woman deeply in love with her patient. This bridge is achieved in a role in which the woman must persevere in pursuit of helping the man she loves regain his identity and his memory. One of the visuals that Hitchcock uses to convey the dual nature of the character is to portray Constance with her glasses on when she is in the role of the psychiatrist and without her glasses when she is thinking and behaving - not as a practicing psychiatrist - but as a woman in love. Constance seeks the help of her mentor and friend, Dr. Alexander Brulov who has taught her everything she knows about psychiatry. Their conversation illustrates the deep friendship in their professional relationship. Brulov says, You are behaving like a foolish woman in love and not a psychiatrist. She responds: I know he is innocent, I know him. He could not be a murderer. The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 23 23

Film Highlights The magic of Spellbound is shown as Hitchcock blends the culturally rich visual images typical of the films made

The scene at the train station depicts the typically suspenseful situation that is experienced by Hitchcock s leading characters.

Selznick commissioned the famous artist of the day, Salvador Dali to create the surrealist dream sequences that unlock the secrets

6 Film Highlights The magic of Spellbound is shown as Hitchcock blends the culturally rich visual images typical of the films made in the 1940s with the psychoanalytic dream sequences. The scene at the train station depicts the typically suspenseful situation that is experienced by Hitchcock s leading characters. The Angry Proprietor Producer David O. Selznick commissioned the famous artist of the day, Salvador Dali to create the surrealist dream sequences that unlock the secrets of the hero s amnesia. The Man with the Wheel Piecing together what has been revealed in the dream sequence with a clue from the murderer himself, Constance is able to discern the identity of the real murderer. The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 24 24

Post Viewing Discussion on Spellbound Each woman, if she is wise, will evaluate the qualities of the man in her life, especially if she is intending to spend the rest of her life with him.

Discuss the virtues through which Ingrid Bergman s character shows her feminine genius. COMPASSION AND TENDERNESS A woman s nurturing quality that is universally recognized and cherished.

7 Post Viewing Discussion on Spellbound Each woman, if she is wise, will evaluate the qualities of the man in her life, especially if she is intending to spend the rest of her life with him. Constance utilizes her professional training, her intellect and her intuition to discern that her man is not capable of murder. Discuss the virtues through which Ingrid Bergman s character shows her feminine genius. COMPASSION AND TENDERNESS A woman s nurturing quality that is universally recognized and cherished. SELF-GIVING Willing to sacrifice her professional and her personal reputation and image for the good of another. INTEGRATED USE OF REASON AND EMOTIONS Her emotions and reason work together to make her a strong feminine role model. The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 25 25

Identity and Integrity Issues Reflections on Spellbound "The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves Alfred Hitchcock introduces

This Shakespearian wisdom about moral responsibility in human nature puts the Freudian language and symbolism of the film into a classic

Murchison (played to perfection by Leo G. Carroll), to look into his soul and confront with his conscience the evil he has done.

8 Identity and Integrity Issues Reflections on Spellbound "The fault is not in our stars, but in ourselves Alfred Hitchcock introduces Spellbound with a famous quote from William Shakespeare s Julius Caesar, The fault is not in our stars but in ourselves. This Shakespearian wisdom about moral responsibility in human nature puts the Freudian language and symbolism of the film into a classic philosophical perspective. In the unforgettable final scene, Ingrid Bergman s Constance forces her boss, Dr. Murchison (played to perfection by Leo G. Carroll), to look into his soul and confront with his conscience the evil he has done. It is not Freudian symbolism that drives human motivation in Spellbound, but the timeless struggle of good and evil. The Feminine Soul: Classic Film Women in Focus 2015 Educational Guidance Institute 26 26

Shadow of a Doubt. The Business of Life. (1943) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Shadow of a Doubt. The Business of Life. (1943) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock The Business of Life Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Directed by Alfred Hitchcock 2016 Educational Guidance Institute 11 Shadow of a Doubt Shadow of a Doubt is Alfred Hitchcock s own personal favorite film according