Hitchcock’s 1964 crime mystery Marnie is visually glorious in the style of melodrama. I’m intrigued by the plot which delves into human psychology and behaviour. Part of its charm lies in the blatant use of painted backdrops and rear projections, allowing us to perceive the action from the heroine’s perspective. Casting two gorgeous leads doesn’t hurt either. The soaring almost operatic score was Bernard Herrmann’s final successful collaboration with Hitchcock.
It’s a multi layered film with deeply disturbing themes and a close second to Vertigo in terms of top rate Hitchcock. Both films explore characters with damaged psyches resulting from traumatic experiences. Marnie’s was so severe that she buried it deep within her subconscious where it affects her daily life. She strives for purity and decency yet is compelled to steal, and has no understanding why she’s unable to form meaningful relationships. Marnie believes acquiring money can satisfy an overwhelming feeling of emptiness.
At significant moments Hitchcock floods the screen with red, representing Marnie’s intense fear of this colour. It’s done self-consciously at times, which can appear slightly unsubtle. Additionally the camera lens zooms in an exaggerated manner to emphasise Marnie’s inner turmoil and demons. Thunderstorms, knocking sounds, being woken up, feeling cold, and the concept of being appealing to men also trigger her uneasy episodes. Marnie’s one love is horses, no prizes for picking up on the Freudian connotations. When Mark arranges for Marnie’s horse Forio to be brought to their house she’s ecstatic!
Tippi Hedren plays the title role; a frigid compulsive liar and thief with obvious psychological issues. She carries herself with a cool detached demeanour, but also a naive childlike quality. Sean Connery plays the authoritative businessman Mark Rutland, who fancies himself as a behavioural expert and amateur psychiatrist in his spare time. Diane Baker plays Lil Mainwaring, Mark’s sister-in-law, who unlike Marnie acknowledges and plays on her sexual allure.
Marnie’s MO is to dye her hair, assume a false identity, then land a job. She then proceeds to steal a large sum of money from her employer, before moving onto another in a new city. Marnie steals from Strutt’s company and unknown to her Mark is their client. Unwittingly her next target is Mark’s publishing company. Mark suspects what happened at Strutt’s so hires Marnie out of curiosity. He’s captivated by her and sets about catching her. Marnie’s pattern continues, she steals from Rutland’s safe. Mark’s suspicions are confirmed and he threatens to inform the police meaning certain incarceration, unless Marnie agrees to marry him. Sexual blackmail! To her marriage is a form of prison due to its emotional and physical intimacy.
Bernice was a single mother who worked as a prostitute to support herself. She entertained her clients in Marnie’s room, so when they arrived she’d wake her daughter up and put her back to sleep on the sofa. There was a storm that night so young Marnie felt cold and frightened. The sailor innocently tried to comfort Marnie which scared her even more, and infuriated Bernice who hit him. The sailor retaliated, they got into a fight, and he fell on her leg, trapping her and causing serious injury. Marnie needed to help her mother so she jumped up, grabbed a poker, and hit the sailor’s head until he lay bleeding motionless. Marnie relives the events of the past, unlocking her mystery, and enabling her to move on with her life.