I Confess

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I Confess

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I Confess

Montgomery Clift, Anne Baxter, Karl Malden, Brian Aherne, O.E. Hasse

Based on the turn-of-the-century play Our Two Consciences by Paul Anthelme, Hitchcock's I Confess is set in Quebec. Montgomery Clift plays a priest who hears the confession of church sexton O.E. Hasse... read more read more.... "I...killed...a man" whispers Hasse in tight closeup--and, bound by the laws of the Confessional, Clift is unable to turn Hasse over to the police. But police-inspector Karl Malden has a pretty good idea who the guilty party is: all evidence points to Clift. It seems that the dead man had been blackmailing Anne Baxter, who was once in a factually innocent, but seemingly exploitable compromising position with Clift. Tried for murder, Clift is released due to lack of evidence, but he is ruined in the eyes of the community. Then it is Hasse's turn to make that One Fatal Error. I Confess is frequently dismissed as a lesser Hitchcock, due mainly to the quirky performance of Montgomery Clift (who, it is said, steadfastly refused to take direction). Today, four decades removed from its on-set intrigues, the film has taken its place as one of the best of Hitchcock's "between the classics" efforts. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Id: 11053404

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I Confess Recent Reviews
  • moonrivers
    February 29, 2012
    moonrivers
    A murderer confesses his dirt to a Catholic priest, but will the priest keep his vow of silence ... even after the priest is accused of the crime? Like The Wrong Man, this (beautifully filmed in noirish black and white) is chock full of Catholic imagery and bravura performanc... read morees by the principals, but the melodramatic script renders this only Hitchcock lite, which is still better than a lot.
  • spielberg00
    June 24, 2011
    spielberg00
    Not Alfred Hitchcock's best.
  • SirPant
    February 14, 2011
    SirPant
    I Confess raises a very good question, how far can you question certain figures and are certain beliefs above the law. It rings a little bit hollow though as Priests have a duty to report such crimes and are, and have been for a while, instructed to do so. It doesn't have the int... read morerigue that you'd expect from a Hitchcock thriller but it is brilliantly shot and while the acting is good, it is Karl Malden as Inspector Larrue who steals the show in my opinion.
  • ajv2688
    November 7, 2010
    ajv2688
    I must confess, this is a fantastic movie! Any Hitchcock movie from the fifties is fantastic, really, and this movie is no exception to that rule. I love it.
  • ythelastman89
    April 29, 2010
    ythelastman89
    I think itâ??s an extremely well shot film, however it is not exactly suspenseful. Hitchcock usually had a sense of what would thrill and frighten viewers, but this was one of his rare misses in judgment. Itâ??s not a bad movie by any stretch, the acting is well done and it has b... read moreeautiful â??Canadianâ?? sets, but itâ??s just not all that likable. I think itâ??s more infuriating that you know everything from the start and that makes for a largely dull experience.
  • flixsterman
    November 15, 2009
    flixsterman
    The pursuit and persecution of "the wrong man" is a reoccurring theme in many Hitchcock productions. Here, in I Confess, a young catholic priest (Montgomery Clift) is falsely accused of murder. Clift knows exactly who the real killer is but cannot divulge the information... read more because of the sanctity of confession.

    The pairing of two legends like Montgomery Clift and Alfred Hitchcock is, in my opinion, a match made in heaven. It undoubtedly works here. What a shame that these two didn't combine forces more often. Perhaps it was Clift's infamous persistence and devotion to 'method acting' that confounded his director (?). Whatever it was, I would have certainly liked to have seen more collaborations like this one.
  • 76Majikat
    August 17, 2008
    76Majikat
    Confession to a priest over a murder ? it?s been done time and time again, but this film offers a little twist on the subject. Great plot, but wasn?t blown over by this film ? perhaps this is one that could benefit from a remake?
  • pier007
    November 5, 2007
    pier007
    Clift, Baxter, Hasse and Malden all stand out with great performances. Hitchcock accomplishes a noirish, distressing and beautiful film.
  • jjnxn
    September 19, 2007
    jjnxn
    not major league Hitch, but any hitchcock is worth seeing once.
  • mjgildea
    November 13, 2006
    mjgildea
    One of Hitchcock's weaker and less memorable films.
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