First thing that hit me when watching this. 'Fargo'. Whether Coen was influenced by this i do not know however both films have a very smiliar narrative.
The camera work is good and the lighting and colour are extremely vibrant.
The Hitchcock conventions in the movie are the role of a blonde woman (Grace Kelly) which Hitchcock seemed to like doing, we sympathesise with the villain (Tony) who comes across as a bit of a Phsycopath, like Norman Bates in Phsyco, the use of the love triangle and the fact that he chucks a load of policemen in.
The film is very quiet in the sense that everyone speaks quietly and the diagetic sound is quiet. Its only when the dramatic scenes occur when the music becomes so loud it blows your head off.
The narrative is similar to that of 'Vertigo' and 'Rear Window' as in both films we see a man who aims or does kill their wife. Could Tony be the same person as Gavin Elster from Vertigo or Lars Thorward from Rear Window? Hitchcock is an autuer and has been suggested by Roland Bart to make the same films over and over again.
There is a moment which suspends our disbelief as a viewer. Tony burns the potential so called murder weapon which is a scarf, how his wife Mary didnt smell burning is anybodys guess, maybe she was too in shock. Fuck knows.
Proleptic irony leaves us with a thought from start to finsih when that Mark bloke explains to Tony that 'there is nothing like a perfect a murder'. This foreshadows to the end scene where Mark is proved right in his theory when Tony is found out and soon gets arrested. Another great example of foreshadowing in which i picked is this. Before Mary picks up the phone during the attack scene we are presented with a mid shot of the door with her standing behind it, the bedroom door that is. As she turns the light on we see her shadow underneath the doorway. Later on in the film where the Detective bloke, Mary and Mark (<-- Names with 'M') are waiting for Tony in his appartment we are presented with an extact same sequence. In both cases, whoever is behind the door has soemthing coming, Mary is attacked and Tony is caught.
The short courtroom sequence of which is portrayed to come from Mary's mind is probably the best element of the film. The point of view shot of the judge, the ever changing colour of the background, the blurry and swirling image almost makes it seem like a nightmare. A horrible place and an effective sequence to show Marys fright and phobia of the realisation that she may go to prison.
The motif of the key is key throughout, excuse the pun LOL!. I wouldnt go as far as to call it the Maguffin but it is the most important prop in solving the murder. Chief Inspector Hubbard gets closer to the crime by unlocking the door, the key can also symbolise the unlocking of the mystery, the unlocking of Tony's secrets, the unlocking of the truth, essentially.
Like in Vertigo the mystery is told to us and presented to us on the plate. Hitchcock had to do this to appeal to the idiots who know nothing and have no imagination or idea of interpretation whatsoever, panheads. Although in 'Dial M for Murder', it would be hard and not much of a film is the mystery wasnt explained however in Vertigo Hithcock shouldnt have done it.
The genre shift comes when the Detective has figured out the crime. One can suggest that the film turns into a comedy from the scene when a police officer walks off with a handbag and the detective mugs him off.
The thing that interested me most about the film is the vouyeristic camera. The camera is always in Tonys flat. We as the audience are never placed with just one character. The camera stays in the room and characters come and go as they wish. We as the audience know whats happening, we are the onlookers and are just casually observing. It almost reminds of an interrogation room where you can see them but they cant see you therefore placing us as a detective in a sense.
A great film for the casual film viewer as it leaves nothing for the imagination. However, characterisation and cinematography make up for this. 8/10
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