Movies

You should be warned that "Frenzy" has one of the most gruesome rape/murder scenes ever filmed - beautifully filmed, of course, so that you don't look away, but that makes it all the more terrible. It's followed by one of Hitchcock's great signature shots, as the camera draws back, out of the building, into the crowded and noisy streets, where the scene of the crime becomes just one room among many. That's "Frenzy" for you. It's one of Hitchcock's most assured and gripping films; but it's pretty grim. Everyone in London looks surprisingly ugly. Their characters, from hero to villain, are a trifle uglier too. But don't expect a happy ending. Things go just a little bit past the point where a happy ending is possible.

Delicious scene with Chief Inspector Tim Oxford (Alec McCowen) at home, dining with his wife, actually putting the fish soup back in the casserole, and I'm not saying that because I'm a gourmet myself. Vivien Merchand is more than excellent in the role of his wife, Mrs. Oxford. And there is another similar scene, with the pig's feet, just as funny. Barbara Leigh-Hunt plays a great role as the ex-wife and victim of the murderer. Anna Massey too plays a great role as the second victim. It's admirable that both actresses agreed to show their nakedness at a time (1972) when you did not see such a thing in a British film, except a year earlier, 1971, the great scandal called "A Clockwork Orange". The entire cast is exceptional, notable being Jon Finch, Barry Foster, Jean Marsh, Bernard Cribbins. Captivating script, direction, everything, absolutely worth seeing!

This is a latter-day Hitchcock film that returns to his classic murder mystery style, but with a few modern twists. Unlike the stylish murders of his earlier films, Frenzy is quite graphic and violent. No sight is spared! The characters are rather pedestrian and down-to-earth, drawn from the English working class and lacking the classy sophistication of his earlier protagonists. As usual, Hitchcock masters suspenseful scenes with some particularly memorable scenes, especially Babs' murder shown in a single one-shot of the surrounding street. Despite its dark tone, the film is one of the funniest of Hitchcock's film, featuring the recurring gag of the police inspector's wife whose cooking is almost as bad as mine.