I Confess (1953)

Director:

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers:

Paul Anthelme (play)
George Tabori (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

22 March 1953 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

FILMED IN CANADA'S COLORFUL QUEBEC BY WARNER BROS. (original print ad - all caps)

Plot:

Refusing to give into police investigators' questions of suspicion, due to the seal of confession, a priest becomes the prime suspect in a murder.

Plot Keywords:

Blackmail | Falsely Accused | Murder | Priest | Catholic Church

Awards:

1 nomination

Cast

Montgomery Clift	...	Fr. Michael William Logan
Anne Baxter	...	Ruth Grandfort
Karl Malden	...	Inspector Larrue
Brian Aherne	...	Willy Robertson
Roger Dann	...	Pierre Grandfort
Dolly Haas	...	Alma Keller
Charles Andre	...	Fr. Millars
O.E. Hasse	...	Otto Keller
Judson Pratt	...	Det. Murphy
Ovila Légaré	...	Villette
Gilles Pelletier	...	Fr. Benoit

Also Known As:

Alfred Hitchcock's 'I Confess!' (USA) (promotional title)

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

UK:PG (1988) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | UK:A (original rating) | Spain:18 | Argentina:16 | Australia:PG | Chile:18 | Finland:K-16 | France:U | Peru:18 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #16036) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Château Frontenac Hotel - 1 Rue des Carrieres, Québec City, Québec, Canada

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

Walking through the town, priest Logan pass in front of a cinema which is showing The Enforcer (1951).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Just before Logan accidentally smashes the car window when he's attacked by the mob, the window can clearly be seen to have been "pre-cracked" to allow it to break upon impact.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Fr. Michael William Logan: Who's there?

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Hitchcocks on Hitch (2004) (V)

I Confess I Love This Movie

Hitchcock's exploration of martyrdom is not one of his best movies, but if one is interested in his films, this movie comes across as one of Hitch's most personal projects. The premise is simple: a priest hears a murder's confession and even after the priest himself is implicated in the murder, he chooses not to reveal the killer's identity. Firstly, it is interesting to see how Hitch sees religion. In his eyes, the priest almost looks like he is enjoying the position of martyr that he is forced to assume. The priest does not even attempt to convince the killer to confess; it is as if he wants to carry the "cross" on his shoulders. Hitch seems to be saying that there is something very seductive about religion; for Christians suffering is a privilege, not a burden. Finally, intentional or not, the movie works as a response to the witch hunts of the 1950s, with a man unwilling to testify against another person. Yes, minor Hitchcock, but still extremely provocative and interesting.