I Confess (1953)
I Confess (1953)
(Alfred Hitchcock, US 1953, 95 min., 35mm)
Courtroom Dramas. The Master of Suspense tests the boundaries of the sanctity of the confession booth with this courtroom thriller. Following the murder of a lawyer, the testimony of two young girls lead to the arrest of Father Michael Hogan (Montgomery Clift). Hogan is innocent and knows who the killer is—but only because of a confession, which he is sworn not to divulge. Although he denies any involvement in the crime, he cannot offer any contradictory information and must leave it to the insinuations of the prosecutor, the self-serving tactics of the police, and faith in his own code of conduct to save him from jail. Hitchcock’s own Catholic upbringing adds dimension to this lesser-known gem.
Special introduction by Daniel Borus, Emeritus, Department of History, University of Rochester.