Rating: 4.5/5
Oh My Horror 2025 | 32/52 | 40s Horror
Happiness is better than art.
In London, at Thorton Square, a bystander reads a newspaper article dated October 14, 1875, detailing the strangling and murder of prima donna Alice Alquist in her home at No. 9 Thorton Square. The police never found a killer nor a motive—only that Alquist’s display case of treasures had been broken into and rearranged, but nothing stolen. Londoners gather around the Alquists’ door. Mr. Mufflin turns down the gaslights as Alice’s orphaned niece, Paula, who had discovered Alice’s body, boards a carriage to go to Italy, under the tutelage of singing teacher Signore Guardi.
As an adult, Paula is Alice’s spitting image, practicing with Signore Guardi for an upcoming opera. Paul looks happier, but sings worse with each passing week, as she is in love with her accompanist, Signore Gregory Anton. Though they have only known each other for two weeks, Gregory wants to marry Paula. She asks for a week to think it over. When she gets to Lake Como, however, Gregory is waiting for her. At the Hotel Del Lago, they discuss where they will settle down. Gregory, since childhood, has longed to live in a London square. Paula reluctantly reveals that she inherited such a place, and they agree to live there.
No sooner than they arrive, Paula has traumatic flashbacks to the night of Alice’s murder. But she forces herself to overcome them for Gregory’s sake. Gregory sits at the piano and plays Alice’s great song. While Paula looks through Alice’s music, a note from an admirer named Sergis Bauer falls out. Gregory, in a rage, takes the note from her. Gregory resolves to hide all of Alice’s belongings in the attic so as not to remind Paula of the murder.
The film follows Paula and Gregory’s relationship as Paula begins to experience missing items, strange noises, and the dimming of gaslights when Gregory isn’t home.
The production design is gorgeous and meticulous, placing us firmly in Victorian London. The lightning is immaculate, making subtle shifts with the dimming of gaslights and along the angles of actors’ faces, giving the film an almost noir quality. I love the shimmering jewels sound effect!
As the term “gaslighting” has exploded in popularity, it’s almost impossible to watch this movie and not intuit the direction the film takes. The audience might notice it beginning when Gregory tells the cook and maid that Paula is “high-strung,” although they have not witnessed any behavior to suggest this. Then, he suggests to Paula that she is forgetful.
This routine becomes difficult to stomach over the nearly two-hour runtime. Though I appreciate the slow burn, we know too much to be led down such similar paths for so much of the movie. But it’s all worth it for the climax, holy shit.
** ACTOR TALK **
- Ingrid Bergman’s performance is the film’s glue. We don’t have to believe what Gregory says, but that Paula does and believably so. She has some incredible scenes that give me chills!
- We get Angela Lansbury in her first film role! She brings so much character to every line she delivers.
- Charles Boyer is infuriating, but I guess he’s supposed to be.
- I love how much of the plot leans on Dame May Whity being a loudmouth.
- Joseph Cotton is forever underappreciated, but he doesn’t get to do much here.
Overall, I adore this Gothic noir set in Victorian England.