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Cecil Parker, Denis O'Dea, Francis De Wolff, Harcourt Williams, Ingrid Bergman ...( see more  see more... ) , Jack Watling , John Ruddock , Joseph Cotten , Margaret Leighton , Michael Wilding

With the long-take experiment of Rope still fresh in his mind, Alfred Hitchcock turned his attention to romantic melodrama: Under Capricorn, a novel of 1830s Australia. Having little of the usual susp...( read more  read more... )ense to rely on, Hitchcock used the elegant long-take method to draw out Ingrid Bergman's harrowing performance. As a fallen aristocrat who married a former stable boy (Joseph Cotten) and moved Down Under, Bergman gives a fine portrayal of a woman hemmed in by a sour marriage and a guilty secret. The actress also felt hemmed in by Hitch's elaborate camera movements; she hated them. This expensive picture flopped on its first release, but it has a hypnotic flow despite a tendency toward talkiness. Hitchcock fans will recognize, beyond the details of plot, a couple of the director's key motifs: the jaundiced view of marriage, and the anxieties underlying social status. And, of course, the worship of an actress. --Robert Horton

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38% liked it

1,687 ratings

Unrated, 117 min.

Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

Release Date: October 8, 1949

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DVD Release Date: June 17, 2003

Stats: 65 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (65)

  • vertigoo
    August 27, 2009
    vertigoo
    ...( read more)http://www.flixster.com">Flixster - Share Movies
  • catbox9
    September 1, 2008
    catbox9
    Alfred Hitchcock's Under Capricorn is a period piece set in Australia in 1831. The film is also the second Hitchcock film (after Rope) to be filmed in color. In addition to being Hitchcock's only period piece, this film is an atypical Hitchcock film in that it isn't a thriller at...( read more) all. The film tells the story of a man (Michael Wilding) who arrives in Australia and meets someone (Joseph Cotten), an ex-convict. The ex-convict's wife (Ingrid Bergman) knows the other man's sister in Ireland and a love triangle soon develops. To make matters more confusing, the ex-convict's maid soon falls in love with her boss and tries to turn his wife into an alcoholic. The plot is rather dull and seemingly complicated although most of the confusion is probably a result of a rather boring film. Amazingly, the ending of this film is absolutely amazing. It took 100 minutes, but when the suspense finally sets in, the film is great.

    As mentioned a moment ago, this film stars Ingrid Bergman, Joseph Cotten and some others. It took them a while to get going, but Cotten, and especially Bergman, are quite excellent in this film.

    This film is also notable for having several very long takes. Being released immediately after Rope, it seems that Hitchcock was rather fond of the long takes at this point in his career. While the film isn't what seems like one take as in Rope, these occasional long takes are still rather noteworthy.

    Being a period piece, the costumes and stylistic aspects are worth mentioning. The costumes are nothing all that fancy but they do seem to work. The scenes in this film often take place at night and are lit by candlelight. Unlike Kubrick's film Barry Lyndon, this film is lit with artificial lighting so the candlelight scenes are far less aesthetically pleasing.

    Overall, this isn't really all that spectacular a film. It's one of the worst American Hitchcock films I have seen. It has a few redeeming qualities and Cotten or Bergman fans might find it reasonably enjoyable, just don't expect a typical Hitchcock experience.

    60/100
    D-

    UP NEXT: My newest film yet, Mulholland Drive.
  • sully34
    June 30, 2007
    sully34
    rubbish nearly fell asleep
  • megatrawn
    June 4, 2007
    megatrawn
    One of Hitchock's most underrated accomplishments.
  • brianpark08
    December 10, 2006
    brianpark08
    Pretty fricking bad to say the least. I highly recommend not watching it.

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  • What do the following film characters have in common:? 'Alice Green'-Meg Ryan in When a Man Loves a Woman 'Lady Henrietta Flusky'-Ingrid Bergman in Under Capricorn 'Judith Hearne'-Maggie Smith in The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne Lillian Roth-Susan Hayward in I'll Cry Tomorrow   Answer »
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