Gaslight

Rating: 5/5

Earning Ingrid Bergman one of her three Academy Awards, Gaslight is a classic film that should be seen be all.

After discovering the body of her aunt, Paula Alquist (Bergman) is sent to Italy to train her voice in hopes of becoming a famous singer like her aunt was. Ten years later, she is still in Italy, and has been practicing her music, but finds herself distracted. Her music no longer seems of great importance, as she has fallen in love with her piano player, Gregory Anton (Charles Boyer).

Once the two are have decided to be married, Gregory convinces Paula to move back, not only to London, but to the same house in which her aunt's murder was committed. Though hesitant to the idea, Paula agrees, hoping to overcome the demons of her past.

As the newlyweds settle into their new home, their happiness begins to shift. Though she has no memory of it, Gregory insists that Paula has been forgetting and misplacing objects around the house. Slowly, Paula feels that she is drifting into madness, but has no recollection of how or why.

It is no secret that Ingrid Bergman was one of the greatest actresses to come out of the Golden-Age of Hollywood. In Gaslight we see her immense acting skill as she takes Paula from an elated newlywed to a distraught woman on the verge of lunacy. When it comes to playing any form of of madness, it is not uncommon for an actor to push the role too far, and have their character be more ridiculous than believable. However, Ingrid Bergman's interpretation of Paula's distress is hauntingly convincing.

Alongside Bergman's award winning performance, Charles Boyer brings a frightening level of charisma to his role. The subtlety of his performance is quite unsettling and adds to his character's ability to seem easily trusted, yet leaving you with the feeling that there is more than what meets the eye.

Whether its' the intelligence behind the plot, the eerie portrayal of the gaslit fog among the streets of London, or the remarkable performances given by the two leads; Gaslight is one of those beautiful instances in the history of film, where every aspect of the movie combines together to transport the viewer into the world that has been created on the screen.

1945 Best Actress Winner- Ingrid Bergman