If ever we needed a visual example of the methods used to manipulate how people think, this movie, Gaslight (1944) is the perfect example. That’s why Celeste and I chose it to end our series about mental and emotional health.
In the movie, a young woman, played by Ingrid Bergman, finds her beloved and famous aunt murdered in 1870s London. Ten years later she falls in love and marries a man, played by Charles Boyer, who slowly tries to drive her insane so he can take possession of the house that contains something he desperately wants. It also holds a dark secret to his past.
This is an important movie that shows the exact tactics used to make people question their memory and even their sanity. Boyer’s character, Gregory is kind and loving one minute then cruel and critical the next. He hides items from the house or that he gave to Paula, then tries to convince her she lost them. He hires a young maid, played by Angela Lansbury, who takes his side in everything reinforcing the erosion of Paula’s confidence. Fortunately for Bergman’s character Paula meets an admirer of her aunt’s singing career, who is now a young Scotland Yard Detective. Once he sees Paula, who is almost the spitting image of her aunt, he decides to investigate the unsolved cold case. Along the way he discovers strange goings on within the Anton household. Joseph Cotton plays the detective. As always, he does an amazing job of acting.
Gaslight was accepted to the National Film Registry at the Library of Congress in 2019. Ingrid Bergman won the Academy Award for best actress. Charles Boyer was nominated for best actor, and in her first film appearance, Angela Lansbury was nominated for best supporting actress. She was only eighteen years old at the time.
If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend you watch it so you can recognize those manipulators in your own life. You can probably check out the DVD from your local library, or rent it at Amazon Prime Video, or Apple. It will be $3.99 well spent.
And check out the new thumbnail artwork created by my husband, Barry. There is a new one for each Classic Cinema episode. I think they’re beautiful. Come join our channel and tell us what you think of them and make a comment on our Gaslight episode. Maybe you can relate to Paula. In any case, being aware of the subtle ways people try to manipulate us is extremely important.
Sage Woman Chronicles 