Marnie (1964)
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A woman with a mysterious past and a hidden identity finds herself entangled in a web of blackmail and psychological tension after a series of thefts.
The story
Margaret "Marnie" Edgar, using the alias Marion Holland, flees with stolen money from her employer, Sidney Strutt. She eventually moves to Virginia and later reappears in Philadelphia, where she secures a job at the company of Mark Rutland, a wealthy widower. Mark, who recognizes her from a previous encounter, hires her despite her lack of references. While working together, Marnie suffers from recurring nightmares and an intense aversion to the color red. After a series of events, including a theft from Mark's company, Mark tracks her down and uses the knowledge of her crimes to blackmail her into marriage.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Margaret "Marnie" Edgar, posing as Marion Holland, steals $10,000 from her employer Sidney Strutt and flees. She eventually takes a job at the company of Mark Rutland, a wealthy widower who recognizes her. Mark hires her and they begin dating, though Marnie suffers from nightmares and a phobia of the color red. After Marnie steals from Mark again, he tracks her to a stable and blackmails her into marriage. During their honeymoon cruise, Marnie resists physical intimacy and attempts to drown herself. Mark discovers Marnie's mother, Bernice, is alive and hires a detective to investigate. Lil, Mark's sister-in-law, tips off Mark about Bernice. During a fox hunt, a red coat triggers a fit in Marnie, causing her horse to be injured; she euthanizes it and later fails to steal money from Mark's safe. Mark takes her to Baltimore to confront her mother. It is revealed that Bernice was a prostitute and that Marnie had fatally struck a sailor as a child to protect her mother from his advances. This trauma caused her aversion to red, her fear of thunderstorms, and her revulsion toward sex. Marnie asks for Mark's help, and they leave together.
- First release year
- 1964
- Runtime (minutes)
- 130
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Alfred Hitchcock
- Writers
- Jay Presson Allen · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Tippi Hedren · Margaret "Marnie" Edgar; Sean Connery · Mark Rutland; Diane Baker · Lil Mainwaring; Martin Gabel · Sidney Strutt; Louise Latham · Bernice Edgar; Bob Sweeney · Mark's Cousin Bob; Milton Selzer · man at track; Mariette Hartley · Susan Clabon
- Genres
- psychological thriller; crime thriller; mystery; romantic thriller; neo-noir
- Themes
- Trauma; Identity; Repression; Blackmail; Sexual Aversion
- Tone and mood
- Suspenseful; Dark; Psychological; Expressionistic
- Setting
- Philadelphia, Virginia, Baltimore, and a cruise ship during the 1960s.
- Premise and plot tags
- Psychological Thriller; Mystery; Crime; Romance; Neo-noir
- Source material / true-story basis
- 1961 novel of the same name by Winston Graham
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews upon release but has undergone a positive reevaluation over the years, with some critics considering it one of Hitchcock's best films.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 78% · review count: 45; Metacritic · score: 73 · scale: 100 · review count: 15
- Production trivia
- It was the last time a 'Hitchcock blonde' would have a central role in one of his films.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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