Hitchcockian motifs in Spellbound

Spellbound, released in 1945, was Hitchcock’s eleventh American film and starred Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman. It was based on the novel “The House of Dr. Edwardes” by John Palmer and Hillary St. George Sanders but Hitchcock’s trusted colleague, Ben Hecht wrote the screenplay. Originally Hitchcock was trying to obtain Cary Grant for the role of Dr. Edwardes but Grant declined. His next choice was Joseph Cotton but Selznick chose Gregory Peck instead. After Myron Selznick’s, Hitchcock sought to complete the last two films of his contract. He continued to battle with Selznick International throughout production but in the end Hitchcock remarked that “the bottom line was creating a mystery with a pair of sexy stars that would clean up at the box office.” (Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light, Peter McGilligan, 354)

Unlike his previous American films, Hitchcock used an opening inter title to provide a brief explanation of the story which begins with, “The fault.... is not in our stars, but in ourselves... - Shakespeare” and then continues with, “Our story deals with psychoanalysis, the method by which modern science treats the emotional problems of the sane. The analyst seeks only to induce the patient to talk about his hidden problems, to open the locked doors of his mind. Once the complexes that have been disturbing the patient are uncovered and interpreted, the illness and confusion disappear... and the devils of unreason are driven from the human soul.” Freud’s theories became strong subtexts which originally appeared in Victorian Gothic literature but then resurfaced in German Expressionism and later in Film Noir specifically regarding internal conflict and a duality imposed by societal constraints. One scene that highlights this is a dream sequence designed by surrealist painter, Salvador Dali.

Recalling a dream, Peck’s character, “Dr. Edwardes” fades into a multitude of eyeballs being cut up by a small man with gigantic scissors. We see a montage of eyes glaring at us. Initially they are real eyes but a montage reveals Dali’s illustrations intermixed with still shots of real eyes. The set of the sequence recalls classic Expressionism with its unusual placement and extreme proportions. Yet, Hitchcock does not overlook its meaning and purpose. The eyes are said to be the gateway to the soul. The screen is filled with them and we see a scene overlap the close-up of an eye. We are seeing Dr. Edwardes inner thoughts. From the eyes, Hitchcock moves to an extreme close up in the subjective view of a deck of cards. The angle and shadows are long and sharp, reflecting his turmoil. The next sequence is classic Dali with a large head like object outstretched and overlooking a rooftop, but the chimney has grown into the roof like a tree. All of the shapes are disjointed and deformed and the shadows cast are not reflective of their physical counterpart. The two doctors then try to decipher the dream in hope it will reveal his secret.

Spellbound full of Hitchcockian motifs, relishes in female strength and weaknesses. Ingrid Bergman’s character, Dr. Peterson, is an accomplished and respected psychoanalyst. There are no other female characters in the film aside from the brief appearance of a secretary and some nurses in the background. Her fellow doctors interlace praise with derogatory remarks, “the poor girl is withering away with science.”And in turn they insult Dr. Edwardes, who is considerably younger than they are by stating that “he frisked off with Dr. Peterson this afternoon,” and “he gets his heart spinning the first day with Dr. Peterson, like a drooling college boy.” However, she stands her ground by responding, “I’ve very sorry I have to leave this nursery.” This may have been friendly banter among colleagues but as the story progresses, we are introduced to her mentor from college who remarks, and “The mind of a woman in love is operating on the lowest level of the intellect.” Despite her accomplishments and education she is still merely a flawed woman.

Throughout the film, Hitchcock uses strong patterns and extreme close up subjective camera angles to reveal the nature of Edwardes’ mental anguish. We have no idea if he is in fact a murderer. At the root of his anguish is the pattern of dark lines on white which I believe to be the MacGuffin of the story. The film is filled with overlaying patterns. The rooms have heavy jacquard wallpaper with embroidered curtains and window blinds. The fabrics of their clothing also reflect similar patterns. There usage illustrates the complex layering of the human mind as a sort of controlled chaos. Hitchcock usually entertains the viewer with a story of a world gone wrong but here the mind has faltered and it’s up to the world outside of his mind to figure it out. Peck’s character continually finds the pattern of dark lines on white in ordinary places. The white tiled bathroom and the white bedspread ignites his anxiety. The bars enclosing the ticket agent at the train station, the train tracks and the lines on her bathrobe cause him to break down. Hitchcock reveals that seemingly insignificant ordinary things can cause great pain and suffering.

The camera angles and extreme close ups reflect Edwardes’ mental instability. As the two fall in love we see their eyes looking directly into the camera in an extreme close-up that is somewhat uncomfortable. We see the pattern on her bathrobe from his perspective and the lines on the table cloth. Later we look through Edwardes’ class of milk as he drinks the liquid that is laced with bromide. The extreme nature of these shots emphasizes the significance of the patter but also the turmoil in which it inflicts.

Hitchcock takes a slightly different spin on his established motifs of mistaken identity as Peck has misplaced his own identity. Bergman is an accomplished doctor and although she is a vulnerable woman in love, it is that emotion that drives her to solve the mystery. Peck in turn is the weaker character and Bergman takes on the protective mothering role and ultimately the hero.