Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Ray Milland, Grace Kelly, Robert Cummings, John Williams
Running Time: 105 minutes
Certificate: PG
Extras: Hitchcock And Dial M, Trailers
An incredible 58 years since it first appeared in theatres, Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece DIAL M FOR MURDER lands on Blu-ray for the first time.
Following former Tennis Pro Tony (Milland) as he concocts a ploy to murder his adulterous wife Margot (Kelly) with the help of Captain Lesgate (Dawson) and unwitting alibi Mark (Cummings), the beauty of DIAL M FOR MURDER is it’s simplicity. Like ROPE six years earlier it’s roots are planted in theatre. Based on Frederick Knott’s play (also on script duty) it is a lesson in false tension, character, and direction. Taking place almost entirely in Margot and Tony’s flat Hitchcock masterfully manoeuvres the camera around the small space; never claustrophobic, but always close it is theatre and poetry together as one. As always Hitchcock gets incredible performances to go with the aesthetics: Milland and Williams – as Chief Inspector Hubbard – sparkle together, their exchanges tenacious and inquisitive.
DIAL M FOR MURDER’s story lays events in front of the viewer before they happen: we see every misstep, consequence and cover up before most of the characters. Knott gives us everything, and Hitchcock still creates tension through incredible storytelling.
Hitchcock aficionado’s will need no introduction to DIAL M FOR MURDER, but first-timers can look to this for everything Hitchcock and revel in it’s brilliance.
Extras: Hitchcock And Dial M is sadly bereft of genuine input; plenty of historians and filmmakers contribute, but they offer very little an informed fan can’t.
DIAL M FOR MURDER is available on 3D Blu-ray, Blu-ray and as part of ALFRED HITCHCOCK COLLECTION alongside NORTH BY NORTHWEST and STRANGERS ON A TRAIN
