Frenzy (1972) - Review and Analysis by Jason Pitt for Critical-Film.com

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Frenzy A film review by Jason Pitt For Critical-film.com   “Frenzy” was Alfred Hitchcock's second to final film, released four years before “Family Plot,” and has many of the characteristic aspects of his films, yet at times seems nothing like a work of Hitchcock. This is probably due to the inclusion of some rather unsettling violence, and what I believe is the only use of genuine female nudity in Hitch's catalogue. It all contributes to a film which is still quite high on tension, despite the reliance on some of the more extreme aspects of storytelling we're not necessarily accustomed to seeing in Alfred Hitchcock's films.   It seemed much more bizarre than it probably should have. A woman sitting up in a hotel bed, she's completely naked. She puts on a pair of socks, and walks to the bathroom. It wouldn't have seemed out of place in any other film, but I ran through my experience with the works of Alfred Hitchcock, and asked myself if I'd ever seen nudity in any of his films. I certainly hadn't, and I don't believe, prior to “Frenzy,” that there ever was (Please correct me if I'm mistaken). Unfortunately, it takes you out of the movie for a minute, but those with only a passing interest in Hitchcock's films won't be affected.   “Frenzy” follows Alfred Hitchcock's favourite theme – That of a man, after being incriminated in a crime he did not commit, running from authority. In “Frenzy,” the man is Richard Blaney (played to perfection by Jon Finch), an alcoholic who finds himself the chief suspect in a series of rape/murders, in which women are strangled with a necktie. While only a single strangulation is actually depicted on camera, the film itself carries a rather unsettling tone uncharacteristic of Hitchcock's work, due mostly to the graphic outcome of the aforementioned strangulation. Murder is certainly a common aspect of his films, yet it has never been depicted so graphically, or with such an unsettling sexual tie-in.   While I don't believe it is fair to compare “Frenzy” alongside Hitchcock's own “Psycho,” I do believe “Psycho” is the film most similar to “Frenzy” in subject matter, if not so much style. Upon viewing “Psycho,” many were appalled by what they had witnessed. Influenced by Hitchcock's incredible visual style, which is beautiful in its simplicity, the audience had believed they had seen something far worse than they had. The shower scene, which gained much unnecessary notoriety, was very simple. No violence or nudity was depicted, despite what the audience believed they had seen. It was a testament to the director's ability that he could influence an audience's thoughts in that matter. “Frenzy” seems to be an unfortunate step backward, as it almost feels that Hitchcock perhaps felt as though he couldn't create the audience reaction he desired without the physical depiction of both violence and nudity. It's certainly forgivable given the content of the film, however it seems like an unnecessary change in style from a director who was, at the time, 73 years old. “Frenzy” is not a bad film by any means, and remains one of the stronger works in the latter portion of the directors filmography, at times it just seems like it should have belonged to someone else.   (Three and a half stars)   This review was provided in HTML format, as your browser is not capable of displaying flash content. To experience Critical-Film.com the way it was meant to be seen, please download the flash player from <a href="http://www.adobe.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash&promoid=BIOW">Macromedia</a>.