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by Frank Showalter

Under Capricorn

C-: 2.5 stars (out of 5)
1949 | United Kingdom | 117 min | More...
Reviewed Jun 12, 2012

In 1831 Austrialia, ex-convict turned wealthy and powerful business man Sam Flusky, played by Cotten, befriends fresh-off-the-boat and looking to make his fortune Charles Adare, played by Wilding. Wilding soon falls for Cotten’s alcoholic wife, played by Bergman, and sets about rebuilding her self-esteem. But the Flusky house has secrets that, when revealed, cast a new light on everything.

Solid performances and Hitchcock’s use of the long takes he experimented with in Rope can’t overcome a talky, dull script that feels like a less interesting retread of Rebecca, minus the gothic overtones. A somewhat forgotten entry in the Hitchcock oeuvre, Under Capricorn should probably stay that way.