How do you commit the perfect murder? Do you strangle your victim, as Orson Welles suggests in "Touch of Evil"? Do you switch murders with another person to eliminate motives, as Bruno Anthony proposes in "Strangers on a Train"? In "Dial M for Murder," Tony Wendice (Ray Milland) thinks he has a better idea: Blackmailing someone into committing the murder for him.
"Dial M for Murder" has been overshadowed in the Alfred Hitchcock canon by his other masterpieces, such as "Rear Window" and "Psycho." Yet it remains one of his more suspenseful and elaborate works, despite taking place almost entirely on one set. Tony, an ex-tennis player, plans an elaborate scheme to kill his wife, Margot (Grace Kelly), in order to inherit her riches. But Tony isn't the only one who succumbs to treachery; Margot is conducting a torrid affair with Mark Halliday (Robert Cummings), a crime novelist. "Dial M" begins with several dialogue-ridden scenes that set up the motives behind the actions. Tony's plan is to blackmail an old college buddy into doing the evil deed.
Tony acts much like a director introducing an actor to a film scene when he guides his co-conspirator through the detailed setup for the murder of Margot. He arranges things so that he will be at a banquet with friends while the murder takes place, but he will call his own house to lure Margot into a position where the murderer can strangle her from behind. Of course, Hitchcock refuses to let the perfect murder succeed: Margot barely escapes death by thrusting a pair of scissors into the back of her attacker. So begins the cat-and-mouse game of manipulation by Tony and the resulting speculative investigation by Margot's lover and Inspector Hubbard (John Williams).
With "Dial M," Hitchcock presents his familiar theme of disorder in a seemingly quaint and simple town. Just as "Shadow of a Doubt" warned against attack by outside forces on the family, "Dial M" warns against attack on the family from within, which often can be harder to reveal. The truly ironic consequence of the investigation is the excision of Margot for much of the latter half of the film, because Hubbard's clues lead him to suspect her as the root source of crime - something neither her husband nor her attempted killer could do. "Dial M" exudes gracefulness as it glides through its complex narrative, and the details all fit in the end like one big jigsaw puzzle.
The movie by no means exemplifies Hitchcock's directorial genius in its cinematography, because the strictly limited setting prevents such trademark techniques as crosscutting and superimposition of related images. Fortunately, this restriction doesn't detract too much from the film because of the fluidity of the story. Hitchcock's ability to sustain tension and suspense compensates for the recurrent set and even fortifies the potential for chaos in the world. If so much deceit occurs in one room in a short timespan, who knows what the implications are for the amount of disorder in the universe?
Milland's portrayal of a selfish husband cleverly defies tradition. He radiates so much charm and wit that the audience cannot help but root for him. Margot conducts herself as the scoundrel in the introduction, but later seizes sympathy during her attack: The viewer can't help but hope that she will grab the scissors. Only the relationship between Margot and Halliday lacks sufficient development, which keeps their constant double-crossing from becoming a more pertinent device.
"Dial M" will be shown during the Film Festival in its original 3D, but this most likely will not alter the viewing experience significantly. Excepting the murder scene, in which the audience will feel like it can hand-deliver the scissors to Margot, the film lacks the bulging objects that will seem close enough to touch.
Nonetheless, "Dial M for Murder" is a worthy addition to the TechnoVisions catalog. Any opportunity to see vintage Hitchcock in its original format is more than welcome.
(See schedule on page B3 for showtimes.)
Grade: A-
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