Marnie

UPC: 025192058721

Studio: Universal Studios

MPAA Rating: PG   Contains:[Violence, Adult Situations, Questionable for Children]

Summary: Condemned as being a "disappointing" and "unworthy" Alfred Hitchcock effort at the time of its release, Marnie has since grown in stature; it is still considered a lesser Hitchcock, but a fascinating one. Tippi Hedren plays Marnie, a compulsive thief who cannot stand to be touched by any man. She also goes bonkers over the sight of the color red. Her new boss, Mark Rutland (Sean Connery) is intrigued by Marnie -- to such an extent that he blackmails her into marriage when he stumbles onto her breaking into his safe. Rutland is in his own way as "sick" as his wife because of his fetishist desire to cohabit with a thief. After innumerable plot twists and turns, Marnie is "cured" by a facile but mesmerizing flashback sequence involving her ex-hooker mother (Louise Latham). Among the critical carps aimed at Marnie was the complaint that the studio-bound sets -- particularly the waterfront locale where the film ends -- were tacky and artificial; curiously, this seeming "carelessness" adds to the queasy, off-setting mood that Hitchcock endeavored to sustain. Even when the direction seems to falter, the film is buoyed by the driving musical score of Bernard Herrmann (his last for Hitchcock). Among the supporting actors in Marnie are Mariette Hartley as a secretary and Bruce Dern as a sailor; twelve years later, Dern would star in Hitchcock's final film, Family Plot. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Category: Mystery

Features: "The Trouble With Marnie" original documentary
The Marnie archives
Theatrical trailer
Production notes
Cast and filmmakers
Universal web link

Marnie

Format: DVD

Release Date: 05/30/2000

Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Theatre Wide-Screen

Audio: 1 USA & territories, Canada

Runtime: 131 Minutes

Sides: 1

Number of Discs: 1

Language(s) English,French

Subtitles: English

Region: USA & territories, Canada

Chapters: Menu Group #1 with 21 chapter(s) covering 02:10:22
1. Main Titles [1:59]
2. The Mystery Brunette [6:48]
3. Mama [10:03]
4. The New Payroll Clerk [7:06]
5. A Drop of Red [2:51]
6. Instinctual Behavior [6:04]
7. The Race Track [5:03]
8. The Rutlands [3:57]
9. A Robbery at Rutland's [5:02]
10. The "Real" Marnie [11:33]
11. The New Mrs. Rutland [7:11]
12. If You Touch Me... [11:46]
13. Beneath the Facade [11:11]
14. That Dream... [:01]
15. A Face from the Past [6:53]
16. The Death of a Friend [7:23]
17. Take the Money [4:49]
18. A Visit with Mama [6:02]
19. Remember, Marnie... [3:14]
20. Marnie's Choice [10:07]

Craig Butler

Marnie could never be confused with prime Alfred Hitchcock, but it's a much better film than its tarnished reputation would lead one to believe. Modern audiences will likely find its psychological undercurrents a bit basic -- and therefore find the ending somewhat pat, predictable, and artificial -- but it somehow works nonetheless. There are some technical aspects -- the artificial locales of some sequences, the "red" motif -- that may seem primitive (although it's arguable that Hitchcock wanted just this kind of distancing effect to unsettle the audience as the characters themselves are unsettled). But Marnie has a basically intriguing story, and Jay Presson Allen's screenplay skillfully sets out its plot and fills out its characters so that they live and breathe. Hitchcock, of course, knows how to take advantage of the screenplay's strengths, tossing in surprising angles and building suspense through simple, but skillful, juxtapositions and tight editing. Tippi Hedren displays unexpected depth in the title role, Sean Connery is appropriately tough and tender, as called for, and there's a real sexual tension between them. Of the supporting cast, Diane Baker is alluring and dangerous and Louise Latham effectively chilling as the mother. Bernard Herrmann's score, pulsing with danger and passion, is a definite plus. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast and Crew: Edith Evanson  Actor 
Morgan Brittany  Actor 
Louise Lorimer  Actor 
Jay Presson Allen  Screenwriter 
Bernard Herrmann  Composer (Music Score) 
Alfred Hitchcock  Director 
Alfred Hitchcock  Producer 
Tippi Hedren  Actor 
Sean Connery  Actor 
Diane Baker  Actor 
Martin Gabel  Actor 
Louise Latham  Actor 
Bob Sweeney  Actor 
Bruce Dern  Actor 
Milton Selzer  Actor 
Mariette Hartley  Actor 
Alan Napier  Actor 
Henry Beckman  Actor 
S. John Launer  Actor 
Meg Wyllie  Actor 

Country: USA