Directed by:
Fritz LangScreenplay:
Silvia RichardsCinematography:
Stanley CortezComposer:
Miklós RózsaCast:
Joan Bennett, Michael Redgrave, Anne Revere, Barbara O'Neil, Natalie Schafer, Paul Cavanagh, Anabel Shaw, Rosa Rey, James Seay, Donald Kerr, Ralph Brooks (more)Plots(1)
After a whirlwind romance while on vacation in Mexico, young and beautiful heiress Celia (Bennett) decides to marry Mark Lamphere (Redgrave), the publisher of an architectural journal. Once the honeymoon is over, however, Celia begins to suspect that her new husband is deeply disturbed and may have murdered his first wife. Filled with stunning visuals and amazing camera moves. Lang creates an engrossing film. The most successful aspect of the production is the cinematography, which creates a shadowy world of false appearances, hidden meanings, and elusive truths. The musical score by Miklos Rozsa also is fascinating. In the screening room Lang suggested that Rozsa compose the music in reverse and then when the reversed score was recorded it could be played back the other way, making the music sound normal but retaining an intangible, odd quality. The trick worked and Rozsas score adds an eerie and disturbing facet to the overall effect. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
Did Fritz Lang really have to so blatantly steal from Hitchcock? This is no homage or tribute to Rebecca; it is merely a less successful copy in every way. Secret Beyond the Door is further marred by its lack of gothic set designs to give it the necessary mysterious atmosphere and by the main male character without the necessary charisma. The potentially most interesting character of his son is criminally underdeveloped and the final revelation is unsatisfactory and banal.
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I must admit a little disappointedly that I expected more from Fritz Lang. Music-wise, the film is too imposing and too explicit, showing that this is something terrifying. Story-wise, it's incredibly suspenseful, but the ending definitely doesn't really help it and doesn't do it any justice. I could imagine more effective psychological scenes.
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