Spellbound - not so much

Spellbound, 4/6/13, Best Music, Scoring of a Dramatic or Comedy Picture, 1945

After watching The Man Who Knew Too Much and really enjoying it, I was looking forward to another Hitchcock movie in Spellbound starring Gregory Peck and Ingrid Bergman (I was especially happy it was my favorite Gregory Peck and not Gary Cooper). Spellbound is set in a psychiatric hospital where Ingrid Bergman is one of the psychiatrists and Gregory Peck plays an impostor psychiatrist (I'm really not giving anything away, this is made very clear early on in the movie). I've been surprised at how well some movies hold up over the years, and then some movies do not; in my opinion, and I know a lot of people will disagree with me, but this does not. It may be because of the advances in psychiatry and what the general public 'know' about it; it could be the strange acting of Gregory Peck when he has an 'episode' and freaks out at white linens. The wacky looks are almost like a big sign that says 'HEY, I'M ABOUT TO GO ALL WEIRD, PAY ATTENTION'. The movie was nominated for six awards, and won for the score. It was okay, it didn't grab me like other scores I've heard over the past dozens of movies I've watched; it seemed intrusive at times, playing during dialog. One of the interesting things about the movie was that it used works by Salvador Dali for the dream sequences, which were suitable surreal. I'm not sure they really added anything either, but I've always been intrigued by Dali's work, so it was cool to see it used in this way. Before I started this project, I was notorious for falling asleep during movies (I actually fell asleep in the theater watching one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies, only to be poked awake by my little brother); but I have gotten away from that habit, until yesterday. I missed the last 30 minutes of the movie; in the past I would have just said, thank you, and turned it off (like for Horrible Bosses), but I actually watched the rest of the movie. I'm glad I did, the last 15 minutes may have been the best part. I'm sure more Hitchcock movies are on my list, and I still look forward to seeing those.