Marnie (1964)

Croce regards Marnie as Hitchcock’s definitive late-period masterpiece, praising its daring psychological and formal experimentation. He singles out the hunting sequence for fusing the film’s themes and visual language into a powerful turning point.

Newman finds the film a compelling Hitchcock thriller, with Hedren’s performance making the strongest impression. He particularly praises her work in the scenes with Marnie’s mother and the injured horse.

Parkinson calls the film one of Hitchcock’s more fascinating misfires. He notes that its artificial sets and back projection may not appeal to everyone.

Phipps calls the film essential viewing for Hitchcock admirers, though it can be a slog on its own terms. He singles out its queasy honeymoon-rape scene as a grotesque parody of marriage rites.

The review notes that the film is often criticised for lacking suspense and resists classifying it as either a thriller or psychodrama. It singles out the film’s similarity to Vertigo as connected to that lack of suspense.

The review finds the film’s character study intriguing but ultimately clouded, with a climax that misses its point. It praises Tippi Hedren’s credible performance while faulting Hitchcock for giving her too little variation.

The critic finds the film disappointing, especially after its promising opening, as the performances and story falter. The economical opening is praised, while the critic faults the later technical roughness and the film’s failure to resolve its competing aims.

Oliver finds Marnie trashy and badly performed, though she enjoys Hitchcock’s bracing, showy filmmaking. She singles out his abrupt visual storytelling as invigorating even when the film is at its worst.