Product Description

Otto Kellar and his wife Alma work as caretaker and housekeeper at a Catholic church in Quebec. Whilst robbing a house where he sometimes works as a gardener, Otto is caught and kills the owner. Racked with guilt he heads back to the church where Father Michael Logan is working late. Otto confesses his crime, but when the police begin to suspect Father Logan he cannot reveal what he has been told in the confession.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #16827 in DVD
• Brand: Warner Brothers
• Released on: 2004-09-07
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Black & White, Closed-captioned, Dubbed, DVD, Subtitled, NTSC
• Original language: English, French, German, Italian
• Subtitled in: English, French, Spanish
• Dubbed in: French
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00 pounds
• Running time: 95 minutes

Features

• Otto Kellar and his wife Alma work as caretaker and housekeeper at a Catholic church in Quebec. Whilst robbing a house where he sometimes works as a gardener, Otto is caught and kills the owner. Racked with guilt he heads back to the church where Father Michael Logan is working late. Otto confesses his crime, but when the police begin to suspect Father Logan he cannot reveal what he has been told

Customer Reviews

Pleasing Hitchcock film gets its due on DVD
I confess I have a soft spot for Hitchcock's examination of the conflict between the vows of the priest and the vows of justice. Montgomery Clift plays Father Michael Logan. Father Logan has a murderer confess his deed to him. When Logan becomes a suspect, he's unable to divulge what was said. When a detective (a superb Karl Malden) begins investigating the murder, he comes to believe that Father Logan is the suspect he's looking for. Complicating things, is a woman that Logan had an affair with years before and her involvement with the victim.

One of Hitch's most stylish and the most noir looking thriller of his career, "I Confess" is one of Hitch's few films to be shot on location in the latter part of his career. Shot in beautiful Quebec, there's a distinct European flavor to the film due to the city's distinct architecture and cobblestone streets. Clift gives a soulful performance despite the fact that he and Hitch clashed on the set and having a script compromised by Breen's editing of the script for offensive material.

Although the film doesn't quite live up to the standards of "Strangers on a Train" (the film that preceded it) or "Rear Window" (the film after it), it's a very good minor classic in Hitchcock's body of work. The transfer looks unusually sharp for the most part and although there is noticeable grain issues here, it's to be expected given the black and white photography, age of the film and type of film stock used to shoot the film. Wonderful cinematography from Hitchcock's reliable Robert Burks.

The special features include a short documentary (about 20 minutes) on the making of the film featuring Peter Bogdanovich, Patricia Hitchcock O'Connell and Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen to those who grew up on "Superman" on TV). There's also a discussion of the performances and the difficulties in shooting the film with Clift. We also get a vintage newsreel that discusses the premiere of the film in Canada and the original theatrical trailer.

Excellent Hitchcock film!
I won't go into the plot, since everyone else already has...let me just say that this is an EXCELLENT Hitchcock film! I can't believe I'd never heard of it before, but when I saw it I was blown away. Especially as the priest wrestles more and more with clearing his name at the cost of his priesthood, or keeping silence but being sentenced. The plot twist at the end in the courtroom is great, and shows that this is a true Hitch classic!

Remember when Hollywood believed in God?
This is an excellent movie! Montgomery Clift turns in a superb performance as Father Michael Logan, a priest who hears a confession of a murder. Shortly thereafter, Father Logan himself is suspected and, eventually, accused of the murder. Of course, he knows who committed the murder, but he can't break the seal of the confessional even to save his own life! Anne Baxter plays an old girlfriend who tries to help, but ends up making things worse. Karl Malden is very good as a police detective determined to solve the murder.

This is one of the best and most Catholic movies ever! I am a priest, and I encourage all of my brother priests to watch this movie. It is an inspiring look at the kind of priest that God has called us to be. It is also an excellent reminder to all Catholics about the great gift we have in the Sacrament of Reconciliation.