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Rating: I begin my grand journey into the genius of Alfred Hitchcock with this film, a black comedy that went somewhat unnoticed considering his other masterpieces repeatedly broadcasted by TV and satellite. What immediately struck me was the Technicolor in a 1955 film; to my naive and youthful eyes, it seemed improbable. Yet, to highlight the key moments of this unusual mystery, the vivid reds and ochres intervene, emphasizing the Massachusetts countryside and the numerous plot twists.
There is a big problem to tackle for a sleepy community in the province of Boston ("The Trouble With Harry," original title): a corpse turns up in the woods, it's that of Mr. Harry Wrop, whose identity is traced thanks to a letter. This name frightens many locals, as many were connected to him through friendships and family ties, and finding him dead at their feet disturbs them quite a bit. From here on, we see Hitch's mastery, weaving a plot full of grotesque elements where irony and sarcasm reign supreme.
The disappearance of Harry particularly worries four people: an old hunter who thinks he accidentally shot him, a spinster who had fiercely beaten him when he barged into her house thinking it was that of his ex (perhaps the elderly lady was "performing," but now panic is real...), Wrop's abandoned ex-wife, Jennifer, who upon facing him threw a bottle at his head, and finally Sam, an artist and lover of the woman, who fears being accused of complicity in murder. What a mess!
But the director revels in it as only he can. Anguish grows in the protagonists' hearts - by the way, it's the big-screen debut of Shirley MacLaine! - prompting them to really stupid acts. Like burying the corpse, only to exhum and rebury it again upon the arrival of some nosy police officer. The mystery, after all, can't last long. Not exactly the brightest of them. But they don't know that the sheriff is already on the dead man's trail... The shoes have been recovered, the moment of truth is approaching. The four want to put the body "back in its place," but something unforeseen happens.
Plot twists abound in a mystery that both stirs and amuses, with an original characterization of characters, where women emerge as much more fierce and determined than men. Strange, bizarre atmosphere on a setting like an impressionist painting. Great cinematography by Robert Burks. Honestly, I can't remember if Sir Alfred makes his classic cameo in a scene, but it's possible, perhaps in the role of a farmer or a country doctor. Indeed.
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By withor
The corpse is treated like a pack of cigarettes!
It is a film that goes beyond the lines, grotesque, farcical, also cynical, malicious, paradoxical, permeated by a macabre humor, in my opinion, brilliant, although atypical if referred to the author.
