With "Dial M For Murder", the Master signs another classic of mystery, starring for the first time, the actress who'd become the quintessential Hitchcock blonde, Grace Kelly. And as much as I appreciated the much more acclaimed "Rear Window", I sincerely believe this is one of Hitchcock's finest achievements, which is saying a lot considering his glorious oeuvre, but "Dial M for Murder" takes a special place in my heart, because it represents for many reasons, the typical Hitchcockian film, by many standards.
I. Dial M for Murder
The Murder takes place right in the middle of the story and like in "Psycho", it's defined by what precedes and what follows, it's the emotional reward of a patient but powerful build-up while the resolution is an intelligent case of manipulation. The build-up is the construction of a perfect crime, Tony Wendice, played by Ray Milland, presents to the killer, a remarkable Anthony Edwards, the killing's plan as if it was a simple technical operation, following an incredibly methodical scheme, admirably meticulous if it wasn't for the purpose of killing. Hitchcock's masterful direction creates a plot within the plot, at a point you wonder if you're watching the adapted play within a film, or a film that transcended the confined setting of the play. And the second and crucial element of the build-up subtly hints the fact that there's always a human factor that undermines any attempt of perfectionism. So, when comes the time of the murder, we have these two parameters, we know how it should happen, but we keep in mind that whatever must go wrong will go wrong. How? When? Where? This is what the whole first part of the suspense is about.
II. Dial M for Mistake
What could have been a lazy exercise of adaptation becomes in the hands of the Master, an extraordinary thriller confined in an elegant room sometimes welcoming, sometimes claustrophobic. The handling of the space and the various objects that occupy it, a telephone, sockets, scissors, keys, the way the camera shows them or hides them till the right moment is crucial in the way they organize what would lead to the fatal mistake. We only see what the characters can see and Hitchcock's manipulative effects consists on the way he lets the human factor affect the story only during the villainous parts. As much as we don't really care for the love story, because Christopher Hummings who plays the lover, Halliday, is probably the least charismatic of all, we sort of root for the villains, because of that 'humanity' displayed by the mistake. The point is that the murder is so well crafted, that there's a little evil voice inside us that wishes it could work, but again, this is Grace Kelly, and the sight of that creature in danger immediately reverses the rooting process, and then while her hands desperately seek a providential help, one pair of scissors theatrically conclude the heart of the film and the ruthless killer, becomes a worthless killer, before falling as a victim, or a collateral damage at best. The mistake is not just a plot device, it's Hitchcock's cynical insertion of humanity in a rather cold and emotionless mindset.
III. Dial M for Manipulation
There's an interesting trivia about the title's translation in French: "The Crime Was Almost Perfect", which conveys the inevitability of human factor like fate in Greek tragedies. It is, no pun intended, the key element of the evolution and resolution of the plot, when Wendice will exploit the mistake to his advantage. Tony Wendice is impressive, because he's simply predicted everything, and he puts the level so high, that even Halliday couldn't accuse him, although, in the way he deconstructed the murder when trying to convince Wendice to find an alibi to save his wife Margot from execution, he concluded on what could have been the true motive of the murder but he was not in the same caliber than his opponent, hence the entrance of Detective Hubbard, played by an elegant, suave and scene-stealing John Williams. And it's only justice, that he could outfight Wendice by using his very weapon, manipulation. It's all about manipulating objects, space and people and on that level, Wendice found his archenemy.
IV. Dial M for Milland
Ray Milland is perfect as the quintessential upper class villain, elegant, sophisticated and absolutely and totally unflappable, and I use the word 'perfect' as the reference to the French title. A perfect murder needs a perfect villain whose perfect scheme wouldn't be undermined by any external factor, except something under his own control. The casting of Milland also works because he's the one who outshines the other characters, his wife is the victim, the man he hires also appear as the victim, when he tries to kill Grace, you can look on his eyes, that he was a 'casting' error, Milland also underestimated his wife's strength as she managed to overcome her fear and become the killer. But Milland is the only one who doesn't change, totally unflappable, he's the pillar of the film, and the film is so confident that even when he's caught, he doesn't flinch an eye.
V. Dial M for Melodrama
The film also allows to insert some melodramatic elements to engage our sympathy toward the couple, but it's clear that this just works as the foil to justify the murder, and inspire some sympathy toward Milland, when you see him with Margot, all in white, in the opening scene, then she's wearing a bright and dazzling red dress with Halliday. In one minute, Hitchcock masterfully highlighted the treachery that would inspire Tony's crime. The love will be Halliday's motive to fight for innocence but again, it's only with the same weapons that Wendice could've been defeated.
so whether it's for murder, manipulation, Milland or melodrama, you know you'll dial a definite M for Masterpiece.
I. Dial M for Murder
The Murder takes place right in the middle of the story and like in "Psycho", it's defined by what precedes and what follows, it's the emotional reward of a patient but powerful build-up while the resolution is an intelligent case of manipulation. The build-up is the construction of a perfect crime, Tony Wendice, played by Ray Milland, presents to the killer, a remarkable Anthony Edwards, the killing's plan as if it was a simple technical operation, following an incredibly methodical scheme, admirably meticulous if it wasn't for the purpose of killing. Hitchcock's masterful direction creates a plot within the plot, at a point you wonder if you're watching the adapted play within a film, or a film that transcended the confined setting of the play. And the second and crucial element of the build-up subtly hints the fact that there's always a human factor that undermines any attempt of perfectionism. So, when comes the time of the murder, we have these two parameters, we know how it should happen, but we keep in mind that whatever must go wrong will go wrong. How? When? Where? This is what the whole first part of the suspense is about.
II. Dial M for Mistake
What could have been a lazy exercise of adaptation becomes in the hands of the Master, an extraordinary thriller confined in an elegant room sometimes welcoming, sometimes claustrophobic. The handling of the space and the various objects that occupy it, a telephone, sockets, scissors, keys, the way the camera shows them or hides them till the right moment is crucial in the way they organize what would lead to the fatal mistake. We only see what the characters can see and Hitchcock's manipulative effects consists on the way he lets the human factor affect the story only during the villainous parts. As much as we don't really care for the love story, because Christopher Hummings who plays the lover, Halliday, is probably the least charismatic of all, we sort of root for the villains, because of that 'humanity' displayed by the mistake. The point is that the murder is so well crafted, that there's a little evil voice inside us that wishes it could work, but again, this is Grace Kelly, and the sight of that creature in danger immediately reverses the rooting process, and then while her hands desperately seek a providential help, one pair of scissors theatrically conclude the heart of the film and the ruthless killer, becomes a worthless killer, before falling as a victim, or a collateral damage at best. The mistake is not just a plot device, it's Hitchcock's cynical insertion of humanity in a rather cold and emotionless mindset.
III. Dial M for Manipulation
There's an interesting trivia about the title's translation in French: "The Crime Was Almost Perfect", which conveys the inevitability of human factor like fate in Greek tragedies. It is, no pun intended, the key element of the evolution and resolution of the plot, when Wendice will exploit the mistake to his advantage. Tony Wendice is impressive, because he's simply predicted everything, and he puts the level so high, that even Halliday couldn't accuse him, although, in the way he deconstructed the murder when trying to convince Wendice to find an alibi to save his wife Margot from execution, he concluded on what could have been the true motive of the murder but he was not in the same caliber than his opponent, hence the entrance of Detective Hubbard, played by an elegant, suave and scene-stealing John Williams. And it's only justice, that he could outfight Wendice by using his very weapon, manipulation. It's all about manipulating objects, space and people and on that level, Wendice found his archenemy.
IV. Dial M for Milland
Ray Milland is perfect as the quintessential upper class villain, elegant, sophisticated and absolutely and totally unflappable, and I use the word 'perfect' as the reference to the French title. A perfect murder needs a perfect villain whose perfect scheme wouldn't be undermined by any external factor, except something under his own control. The casting of Milland also works because he's the one who outshines the other characters, his wife is the victim, the man he hires also appear as the victim, when he tries to kill Grace, you can look on his eyes, that he was a 'casting' error, Milland also underestimated his wife's strength as she managed to overcome her fear and become the killer. But Milland is the only one who doesn't change, totally unflappable, he's the pillar of the film, and the film is so confident that even when he's caught, he doesn't flinch an eye.
V. Dial M for Melodrama
The film also allows to insert some melodramatic elements to engage our sympathy toward the couple, but it's clear that this just works as the foil to justify the murder, and inspire some sympathy toward Milland, when you see him with Margot, all in white, in the opening scene, then she's wearing a bright and dazzling red dress with Halliday. In one minute, Hitchcock masterfully highlighted the treachery that would inspire Tony's crime. The love will be Halliday's motive to fight for innocence but again, it's only with the same weapons that Wendice could've been defeated.
so whether it's for murder, manipulation, Milland or melodrama, you know you'll dial a definite M for Masterpiece.