Spellbound (1945)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Sophie B

  
  A decent story but way too over the top with the 'psychoanalysis'. There are many things I liked about this film such as the plot line of the murder mystery and the chase, however there are also a lot of things I didn't like such as the portrayal of women and how it… More
  A decent story but way too over the top with the 'psychoanalysis'. There are many things I liked about this film such as the plot line of the murder mystery and the chase, however there are also a lot of things I didn't like such as the portrayal of women and how it took itself way too seriously.

• Graham J

  
  Though the Salvador Dali dream sequence is the obvious highlight, the entire film feels like a dream. Beautiful black and white images and all the twists you would expect from the master director.

• Anthony L

  
  Ingrid Bergman steals the show as Dr. Constance Peterson, Gregory Peck however, I found to be a little wooden. To be honest, all in all this isn't one of Hitchcock's best and it would have been a fairly forgettable film if it weren't for the amazing dream sequences by… More
  Ingrid Bergman steals the show as Dr. Constance Peterson, Gregory Peck however, I found to be a little wooden. To be honest, all in all this isn't one of Hitchcock's best and it would have been a fairly forgettable film if it weren't for the amazing dream sequences by Salvador Dali, one of the best decisions Hitchcock ever made in my opinion. The 'Turning gun' last scene is also brilliant.

• AJ V

  
  Another fantastic Hitchcock film, it's a cool psychological thriller, and it's a bit surreal too, which makes it even cooler. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend it.

• Lewis C

  
  "The secrets of who you are and what has made you run away from yourself - all these secrets are buried in your brain. But, you don't want to look at them." Spellbound reminds me of Marnie in a lot of ways, which is not necessarily a good thing. Both movies deal… More
  "The secrets of who you are and what has made you run away from yourself - all these secrets are buried in your brain. But, you don't want to look at them." Spellbound reminds me of Marnie in a lot of ways, which is not necessarily a good thing. Both movies deal with repressed memories, emotional trauma, and complicated relationships between the afflicted, and the person attempting to help them. Both movies also share an inability to keep my interest for the entire running time. Unlike Marnie, the gender roles are reversed in Spellbound. Ingrid Bergman plays Dr. Constance Peterson, a psychoanalyst who ends up going on the run with an amnesiac (Gregory Peck) who may have killed a man and stolen his identity. And, she also happens to be in love with him. I watched Spellbound hoping for another brilliant Bergman performance, as she gave in Notorious. But here, she's trapped in a character that is dull and frumpy for most of the movie. I genuinely hope that those glasses that she wore were burned after Spellbound was completed, because anything that can make a beautiful woman look that ugly, needs to burn. I just didn't find the first 2/3's of Spellbound to be very compelling. The sporadic (and not very successful) attempts at clever and light-hearted dialogue clashed with the tone of the movie, the plot moved in jerks and fits, and I couldn't bring myself to sympathize with Peck's character, or even care what ultimately happens to him. The dream sequences were pretty cool and surreal, but we only get a disappointingly brief taste of them. Between this and Marnie, it's clear that psychoanalysis and Hitchcock do not make for a combination that I enjoy much. I will acknowledge that the final twenty minutes are a great improvement over the rest of the film, but that only raises my opinion somewhat. Spellbound avoids Marnie's level of mediocrity, but it's still a long way down from my favorite Hitchcock movies.

• Conner R

  
  I think remembering this movie for the Dali dream sequence is a total cheat, I will always remember it for the great story and unconventional romance. It's a lot darker themed than some of Hitchcock's other work at this time, especially with the razor blade scene. I think I… More
  I think remembering this movie for the Dali dream sequence is a total cheat, I will always remember it for the great story and unconventional romance. It's a lot darker themed than some of Hitchcock's other work at this time, especially with the razor blade scene. I think I like it mainly in that it doesn't try to hard to be the best, it's really humble and beautiful. Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman have such an odd relationship in the movie and their chemistry is all the more strong because of it. The idea of someone thinking they're guilty but never knowing who they are is such a great concept, it takes the idea of fighting yourself quite literally. While there aren't any huge stunts, gimmicks or tricks, this is a great movie and more effective than some of the more popular titles by Hitchcock.

• First L

  
  Ingrid Bergman stars as the career-oriented psychiatrist who falls for the new head-of-staff at "Green Manor". Or is he the new head-of-staff? Gregory Peck is so tall and handsome, she just can't believe he'd be guilty of any wrong-doing, and so she takes him… More
  Ingrid Bergman stars as the career-oriented psychiatrist who falls for the new head-of-staff at "Green Manor". Or is he the new head-of-staff? Gregory Peck is so tall and handsome, she just can't believe he'd be guilty of any wrong-doing, and so she takes him under her wing and makes him her "personal case" (not that falling in love with him has anything to do with it). Hitchcock's typical surprise twist ending is pretty wacky this time, but alot of great performances and a dream sequence featuring the art of Salvadore Dali make this film a Hitchcock standout.

• jay n

  
  Minor Hitchcock film with superior cast and fantastic dream sequence designed by Salvador Dali. The psychological aspect is very dated, however as with all Hitchcock there are interesting things here but overall it's not one of his best.

• Jennifer D

  
  Hated the antiquated psychology, sorry Hitch.

• xGary X

  
  Hitchcock's fascination with (arguably pop) psychology is brought to the fore as Ingrid Bergman tries to unlock Gregory Peck's repressed memories. It's basis in fact is a little dubious, but it works as a fascinating mystery, and there are some memorable visuals by… More
  Hitchcock's fascination with (arguably pop) psychology is brought to the fore as Ingrid Bergman tries to unlock Gregory Peck's repressed memories. It's basis in fact is a little dubious, but it works as a fascinating mystery, and there are some memorable visuals by Salvador Dali.

• Michael G

  
  The Dali dream sequence is great.

• Chris B

  
  This isn't top-tier Hitchcock but that doesn't mean this isn't a solid film, even his lesser works are great films! "Spellbound" is a film, one of the first actually, to deal with psychoanalysis and put it on the silver screen. The film deals with a group of… More
  This isn't top-tier Hitchcock but that doesn't mean this isn't a solid film, even his lesser works are great films! "Spellbound" is a film, one of the first actually, to deal with psychoanalysis and put it on the silver screen. The film deals with a group of psychiatrists and the arrival of what they think is to be the new director of the asylum. In fact it turns out to be a man with amnesia who stumbles into the asylum and Dr. Constance Peterson (Played by the gorgeous Ingrid Bergman) who has to prove his innocence in the death of the real replacement director. The film is with filled with suspense and tension reaches a boiling point when the confused man is arrested for his murder. The film has a great ending twist in which some clever, albeit quite fake looking, props were used in order to portray a few down the barrel of a pistol aimed at Dr. Petersen and elsewhere. The film isn't with the likes of Rebecca, Rear Window, Psycho or Vertigo but nonetheless is a great watch and good way to spend your time.

• Lesley N

  
  Dated psycho-analysis-for-dummies thriller, but it IS Hitchcock and it DOES have Ingrid Bergman, AND a Salvador Dali dream sequence and best of all, a VERY handsome Gregory Peck.

• Mike T

  
  This isn't one of Hitchcock's best films, but it is still a finely made and very engaging thriller. Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman are both excellent in the lead roles, and Salvador Dali's dream sequence is visually spectacular. Recommended to fans of the director or… More
  This isn't one of Hitchcock's best films, but it is still a finely made and very engaging thriller. Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman are both excellent in the lead roles, and Salvador Dali's dream sequence is visually spectacular. Recommended to fans of the director or lead actors.

• Sunil J

  
  A little long considering that you know what's going on about half an hour in but still good.

• MJS M

  
  Another film from Hitchcock?s bountiful Selznik era. This isn?t quite as great as some of the other movies of the era, but there?s plenty of interesting stuff to keep people?s interest. I?d say there are two key flaws: 1. It uses the ?wrong man on the run? formula that Hitchcock… More
  Another film from Hitchcock?s bountiful Selznik era. This isn?t quite as great as some of the other movies of the era, but there?s plenty of interesting stuff to keep people?s interest. I?d say there are two key flaws: 1. It uses the ?wrong man on the run? formula that Hitchcock would eventually run into the ground and 2. The psychoanalysis here is dated and sometimes sexist, something that could be forgiven but the way the theme is explored doesn?t seem wildly elegant. It sort of feels like Hitchcock was going through a phase of interest and decided to make a movie about psychologists on a lark. Oddly these two flaws sort of cancel each other out, because it presents an interesting case where the people on the run are basically in a cat and mouse chase with a memory. The highlight is a dream sequence designed by Salvatore Dali, there?s also a cool ski scene and a neat first person shot toward the end. Still, this is not Hitchcock?s most thrilling work, its second rate in his cannon. Though second rate Hitchcock is better than the best work of many others.

• Christopher B

  
  Yeah, yeah, yeah. I know a lot of folks badmouth this film, calling it silly and one of Hitchcock's worst, but I really loved it. With moments of surrealism (from the amazing Salvador Dali) and a fun story I for one find this one hard not to love.

Read all 17 featured audience ratings