Gaslight (1944)

Strange Drama of a Captive Sweetheart!

Gaslight is a good movie!  I just finished watching it on TCM (thank God for TCM!) and I'm surprised I haven't seen it before.  As you can see from the movie poster Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman and Joseph Cotten starred.  Cotten is one of my favorite noir actors, and of course what can a peasant like me say about Ingrid Bergman?  Holy cats!  

Sociopathic Manipulation

 This movie, in its own way, is creepy.  For his own nefarious reasons, Gregory Anton (Boyer) messes with his wife's (Bergman) mind.  Some serious manipulation happening here!  Interestingly, this movie is the origination of the term "gaslighting," meaning a sociopathic method of manipulating a person to believe an alternate reality, or that they are going insane.  

Mind-F&@%

 Anton messes with his wife's brain to the level of a mind-f&@%, but maybe my favorite part of the movie is at the end when she turns the tables on him!  So many movies are pretty predictable, but I didn't see it coming until Mrs. Anton paused for a moment while fetching  the knife to cut her husband loose.  That pause did it!  Her face changed in an instant, and she turned and said there was no knife in the drawer - a taste of his own medicine!  At that moment I really didn't know what she was going to do - cut him free? Cut him up?  It really was a great moment!

A couple nice reviews can be found at Reelviews, Classic Film Guide, and at the Examiner.

If I were not mad, I could have helped you...But because I am mad, I hate you. Because I am mad, I have betrayed you.  And because I'm mad, I'm rejoicing in my heart, without a shred of pity, without a shred of regret, watching you go with glory in my heart!  ---Paula Alquist Anton (Bergman)

RATING:  Damn Good!

WATCH AGAIN?:  Definitely

DO I WANNA OWN IT?:  Yes, if I found a deal.