I watched this movie with a lot of expectations but sadly it didn't live up to those. The story is riddled with a plotholes and questionable behaviour by the characters. I don't understand how this story could've worked on stage & then was adapted to two films! The movie started well enough, the first few scenes were actually quite good. But eventually it ended up being too long, boring & unbelievable.
Spoilers ahead! The bit about a severed head in the hatbox was too laughable. I don't think anyone, let alone a murderer, is so stupid as to move around with the evidence of his crime like that, especially an evidence which might stink (By the way, why didn't it?). Also, he'd buried the rest of the body in the garden of the same house in which he was later employed & residing! It's as if he was trying to get caught!
The story could've worked better if Rosalind Russell's character, at a subconscious level, had wanted her aunt killed. That would've added depth to her character; a quiet little girl who was constantly harassed by her aunt so that even if she didn't want to hurt her, was subconsciously hoping that someone else would. Her love trajectory was a bit weird too. At first, she wasn't attracted to the lawyer when clearly he was the best thing that could've happened to her. Then she likes the cheeky guy who'd gotten the maid pregnant & finally she likes the lawyer! Her motivations & behaviour are very erratic, considering that she is generally portrayed as a sensible & intelligent young woman.
Neither interesting nor thrilling!
Spoilers ahead! The bit about a severed head in the hatbox was too laughable. I don't think anyone, let alone a murderer, is so stupid as to move around with the evidence of his crime like that, especially an evidence which might stink (By the way, why didn't it?). Also, he'd buried the rest of the body in the garden of the same house in which he was later employed & residing! It's as if he was trying to get caught!
The story could've worked better if Rosalind Russell's character, at a subconscious level, had wanted her aunt killed. That would've added depth to her character; a quiet little girl who was constantly harassed by her aunt so that even if she didn't want to hurt her, was subconsciously hoping that someone else would. Her love trajectory was a bit weird too. At first, she wasn't attracted to the lawyer when clearly he was the best thing that could've happened to her. Then she likes the cheeky guy who'd gotten the maid pregnant & finally she likes the lawyer! Her motivations & behaviour are very erratic, considering that she is generally portrayed as a sensible & intelligent young woman.
Neither interesting nor thrilling!