Dial M for Murder movie review - Aussieboyreviews
IS DIAL M FOR MURDER A CLASSIC HITCHCOCK MURDER MYSTERY?
Alfred Hitchcock’s Dial M for Murder is a movie that lets us in to know the murderous riddle whilst the characters must deal with the mystery. This classic 1950s masterpiece is clever, intriguing and well-done.
Storyline
A former tennis player blackmails an old student he knew from college into murdering his wife when he finds out she has been having an affair, but things don’t go as planned.
Movie Images
Movie details
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson
Writer: Frederick Knott
Release Date (Australia): 20 April 1955
Runtime: 105 minutes/1h 45m
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Language: English
CONTENT GUIDE (warning: May contain spoilers)
The film contains themes of and references to murder and infidelity. A man attempts to strangle a woman to death, but she stabs him in the back with scissors.
A man attempts to strangle a woman to death, but she stabs him in the back with scissors. There are depictions of blood and bruising detail.
None.
None.
None.
mpaa rating
PG (for an unknown reasoning)
Aussie boy's thoughts
No idea works out as perfectly in reality than it does on paper, unless it’s one of the genius director Alfred Hitchcock’s movies. Since the 1948 masterpiece titled Rope, in which two men commit the perfect murder and host a dinner party before they are interrogated by James Stewart’s character, this is the second time he constructs a murder mystery that the audience is let in on, with majority of the runtime set in a flat.
When a former tennis player finds out his wife has been having an affair, he blackmails an old student he knew from college into murdering her. Of course, his plan for the murder becomes messy and without spoiling what happens next, the rest of the film watches as a detective and the surviving characters try to piece together the mystery. Performances from the entire cast are convincing, the pacing is quick enough to keep us compelled, and the old-fashioned soundtrack blends into the background of the scenes magically.
Dial M for Murder is definitely a movie that has shown its age over time, as the newer generations will have less and less appreciation for it whilst it would’ve been a big 10/10 masterpiece when it was released. However, it’s age and quality doesn’t stop it from being a very entertaining and masterfully-crafted crime-drama to be remembered as another Hitchcock classic. If you enjoy the director’s work, you’ll value Dial M for Murder.
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