Genre of George Cukor’s Gaslight (1944)

George Cukor, who was the director, produced and directed the movie Gaslight in 1944. The movie, sometimes known as “The Murder in Thornton Square,” is regarded as a superb and indisputable psychological thriller that is suspenseful and heavily inspired by the thriller subgenre. The glitzy and opulent MGM movie features a genuine Victorian-era production design (Sklar 13). The film promotes a movie that was made in Great Britain roughly five years ago and has a fantastic subtitle. Gaslight was initially marketed and sold as an odd tale about a particular international criminal who was excessively fixated on wonderful beauty. Besides, the film tells a story about one particular captured lover (Sklar 14).

Gaslight’s plot devotedly was adopted by the director and its screenwriters circled on a Victorian, diabolical criminal husband, who methodically and systematically made efforts of menacing, tormenting and driving his fragile, bedeviled wife mad (Sklar 15). The film’s title was obtained from the standard flickering and dimming of a gaslight. In this context, characters have frequently used phrases such as ’to gaslight’ another person. Thus, the film’s title; Gaslight essentially indicates the process of driving another individual crazy or mad deliberately (Sklar 21). This is evidenced throughout the film by key characters or relationships in the movie. In this case, Gaslight has excellently highlighted the process of driving another person mad is by psychologically manipulating their setting or environment. This way, one can gain the opportunity of tricking the targeted person to believe that indeed they are insane.

Gaslight Film Summary

The audience is introduced to Paula Alquist, who was an English singer undertaking a music course in the late 19th century, in Italy (Sklar 11). Nonetheless, in the film’s plot, the audience is surprised after Paula abandoned her studies. This is mainly because she had met and fallen in love with a young, handsome, elegant man named; Gregory Anton. Their relationship and the love affair was strong and thus, led to marriage. After the couple married, they decided to relocate from Italy and travel back to United Kingdom (Sklar 11). After arriving in the UK, the couple chose to live in a home, formerly owned by Paula’s aunt. Paula’s aunt was a passionate singer like Paula, However, she had died ten years earlier in a mysterious death in the same home (Sklar 12).

Choices made by characters

While the audience understands what Gregory did for a living, Paula is unaware that he was primarily a jewelry thief. In fact, Gregory was responsible for various murders that included Paula’s aunt. Thus, as is his nature, he designed and plotted a campaign of terror aimed at causing psychological torture to Paula, his new bride (Dixon 33). After Gregory launched his retaliatory attack, he began to notice Paula’s reaction against small mind tricks that he was playing against her. In this regard, he dismissed to Paula’s concerns claiming that she imagined things after she complained that she was hearing strange noises coming from the house’s antics.

There were several superimpositions of Paula’s face after listening to her clockwork music box (Dixon 33). Believing that there was something wrong, Paula started to drown out of several footsteps that appeared noisy, and they seemed to exist endlessly above her. Besides, spirituality is represented by a canted frame that coincides with the growing interest regarding hysteria, which appeared towards the end of the film (Dixon 35).

How Characters are connected to the Devil

Also, Paula raised concerns after the gaslight in the house started confusing her as they appeared dim in the evenings. All efforts aimed at driving Paula mad are aided by Nancy, who was the maid in the house, meaning that she conspired with Gregory the whole time. These plans mature after Paula starts believing that she was indeed becoming mad. Brian Cameron who is an inspector in Scotland’s Yard began developing tender feelings towards Paula’s predicament and was becoming suspicious of Gregory (Dixon 37).

Spiritual Aspects

Gaslight has incorporated several spiritual aspects that are mainly driven by psychology. These treacherous spiritual elements are utilized through the film’s central protagonist; Paula, who is forced to undergo psychological torture by her husband, whom she had loved so much that she had given up her music studies in Italy after meeting and falling in love with him (Dixon 41). In this regard, spiritual aspects in the film are represented by painstakingly and shadowy composed shots, which are used by Gregory to force his wife to believe that she was getting mad. The earlier version’s main gestures are utilized to create the film’s style (Dixon 43).

There were several superimpositions of Paula’s face after listening to her clockwork music box. Believing that there was something wrong, Paula started to drown out of several footsteps that appeared noisy, and they seemed to exist endlessly above her (Dixon 44). Besides, spirituality is represented by the canted frame that coincides with the growing interest regarding hysteria, which appeared towards the end of the film.

The audience gets the impression that the British version of the Gaslight expressed the story in a manner that was more straightforward. Also, the story appears possibly skillful style that was more plot driven (Dixon 47). On the other hand, the American film is more polished as compared to British. Additionally, it is more paced with several aspects, which are integrated excellently. In the American cinema, events and things are told as opposed to being demonstrated physically (Dixon 50). However, if some events are shown, they are revealed extremely fast including the fact that the film explains very few character evolution.

Comparing European and American Morality

The British or the European have been revealed as individuals who are more direct in whatever they desire. Gaslight is a film that entirely focuses on the theme if morality as demonstrated through the characters and in particular, Gregory (Dixon 45). Also, there are several scenes, which indicate or highlights low societal morality. For instance, as street urchins sit quietly and sadly outside the gate, children of higher class are playing in the park. This is despite the fact that both the rich and poor children are somewhat of the same age setting and thus, have the same desires regarding essential activities such as playing in the park. To emphasize this point more, this particular scene is reasonably longer than the other scenes throughout the film. In this regard, due to economic differences, societies have widened the economic, societal as well as political gaps (Dixon 53). At the same time, European’s morality has been demonstrated to be somewhat demanding as evidenced by Gregory’s evil plans and actions against his wife, who had sacrificed her music career for the sake of love.

Also, while directing towards the condition of Paula in regards to her being childless, she associated her status with what she felt was happening to her in the head. As such, it was profoundly immoral to use such sensitive personal matters, which are capable of distorting one’s visage (Dixon 54). Frequently, newly wed braids often have hopes of starting a family with their partners as such is considered to be an ideally happy marriage. However, for Paula, she was extremely devastated, and Gregory was brought out as an immoral individual who was taking advantage of her condition and love, which he never felt.

Henry-George Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques

Directed and produced in 1955, George Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques is an icily intense suspense thriller. This film brings the story about a murder that happened in the bathroom and thus, criminal analysts have indicated that the film has stirred Alfred Hitchcock to commit psycho acts (Belton 40). The film has an excellent plot that is completed with a final twist at the end

Mistress in Les Diaboliques

. The story is about an abused wife belonging to a character identified as Michael. Michael has been illustrated as a despicable prep-school headmaster (Belton 40). Although it is against the school’s policy, Michael is seen openly engaging in a sexual affair with a submissive teacher named Nicole.

Morality in George Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques

Honesty is the central theme that has been excellently demonstrated by the film’s protagonist, who is Michael. In this case, he does not care that it is profoundly immoral to engage in a sexual affair with another teacher, who is not his wife in a learning institution (Belton 41). Moreover, since he is the headmaster, it means that contrary to the leadership’s roles and expectations, he is highly disappointing. To make matters worse, he has been portrayed as an abusive male chauvinist who abuses women; both his wife and his lover, Nicole. Besides, being a married man, he is expected to be faithful to his wife. However, that is not the case as the wife eventually finds out about his sexual affair with Nicole.

Choices made by the characters in George Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques

After discovering his abusive husband cheating habits, the audience expects Michael’s wife to act aggressively towards Nicole, with whom he was having an open affair. This essentially means that she had to choose from many available options. However, eventually, she decided to conspire with Nicole to revenge against her husband. Moreover, both women who have been abused by the same man are left to make a choice the type of revenge that is suitable for him (Belton 47). In this regard, the audience is shocked to learn that they plot to commit murder by killing Michael.

How Characters are connecting to the Devil

Michael commits adultery against his wife although he is married. In addition, instead of showing and demonstrating love and care towards his wife, Michael constantly abuses his wife as well as his lover; Nicole. Nicole and Michael’s wife connected to the devil by plotting extremely evil revenge against him (Belton 55). The ultimate revenge that both characters settle for is to murder Michael.

A married man is expected to be present to his wife to show affection, love, and care. However, Michael is perpetually absent in his wife’s life unless when he is physically abusing her (Neale 82). This is despite the fact that his wife has been highlighted as an elegant and satisfying. His absence, thus, changes her character to a very nasty woman who is capable of committing any kind of crime; including murder to revenge (Neale 82).

Works Cited

Belton, John. Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window. Cambridge University Press, 2000.

Dixon, Wheeler Winston. A short history of film. I.B. Tauris, 2008.

Neale, Steve. Genre and Hollywood. Oxon: Routledge, 2000.

Sklar, Robert. Movie-Made America: a cultural history of American movies. Vintage Books, 2010.