The director of Green Manors Mental Asylum, Dr. Murchison, is retiring, and his successor is the renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Edwardes. Upon Edwardes's arrival, he becomes instantly captivated by the beautiful yet distant Dr. Constance Petersen. Somehow, Edwardes shows Constance how to love.
However, it soon becomes evident that Dr. Edwardes is a paranoid amnesiac impostor. His disguise is compromised, and the man flees. Petersen tracks down the impostor, living under the alias 'John Brown' in New York City, and she seeks assistance from Dr. Alexander Brulov in Rochester while eluding the pursuing police. Dr. Brulov helps them analyze John's dreams, revealing a likely skiing accident as the cause of his amnesia. To recover his memories, Dr. Petersen and the amnesiac journey to Gabriel Valley, the location of Dr. Edwardes' death, and the memories John must confront.
This classic Hollywood Hitchcock film remains surprisingly thrilling today. One of the first films to ever use psychiatry as its main backdrop, Spellbound acts as an interesting touchstone in culture and film history: The asylum shown in the film is well-lit, clean, and staffed by helpful and well-trained doctors. This is a surprising contrast to the portrayal of mental health facilities in modern films where often orderlies are violent thugs or filthy, babbling people in straight jackets who wander around unsupervised. The film’s plot is surprisingly complex, and it also touches on a lot of gender issues still being discussed today.
Those studying classic films or women in film will find Spellbound particularly interesting. The cinematography is classic Hitchcock throughout, showcasing his voyeuristic stylings and smooth camera movements. If your classic film collection needs to be filled out, consider Spellbound before other 40s cinema. Highly Recommended.
Where does this title belong in public library collections?
Spellbound would be most at home in the thriller section, but it could also find a place among romantic dramas.
What kind of film series could use this title?
Any film series looking at professional women portrayed in film would be a perfect fit for Spellbound.