I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

In this go-round, Alfred Hitchcock plays psychologist, as the themes/actions of the film revolve around a mental institution and a case of mistaken identity/amnesia.For a basic plot summary, "Spellbound" tells the story of Constance Petersen (Ingrid Bergman) and her new boss at the institution, played by Gregory Peck. Thrust together in a perplexing situation, the newly infatuated pair must piece together the mystery confound them. Saying anything more would severely spoil the twists and turns.As is usually the case with Hitch, this is a very solid, entertaining film. It's a bit slow (at least by today's standards) in the early goings, but the overall plot is engaging enough to keep you from tuning out early.The visuals, as also per Hitch, are up to the usual standard. A few scenes stand out as spectacular, while the entire film is generally visually impressive throughout. It was probably revolutionary for its time and still stands up well today.The acting is solid too, with Peck & Bergman doing what they do best and surrounded by an accomplished supporting cast.Thus, while perhaps not on the same level as "Vertigo" or "Psycho", "Spellbound" is just a notch or two below. It is entertaining, engaging, will make you think, and keep you guessing until the credits roll.

not the story, not the incredible situations, maybe, not the tension are the good points of this admirable film. but the high, rare, delicate and seductive romanticism. gestures, dialogues, looks. and the slices of silence. each, all, are pillars/ingredients of a splendid story and example of magnificent acting. the use of vulnerability of the two lead characters for an emotional story about self definition as basis of profound, gorgeous love story is the true motif for to admire and see, again and again, this fascinating drama . sure, it is not surprising. great actors, great director, impeccable script. but the spell of a story about confuse identities, a crime and a dark game has, in the case of Spellbound, special chemistry. and that defines it in the most seductive manner.

The beautiful Ingrid Bergman and the handsome Gregory Peck star in this excellently crafted and executed now-seasoned Hitchcock mystery-romance. The plot is good, but it is more the attention to detail in the finesse of the psychology elements that are the precious good here, while crafting a plausible and realistic platform to highlight the reality of a mental complex and all its processes. At the heart of that, is a smoothly designed romance that falls into place perfectly with the film embracing the complexities of mental pathology, along with love; all the while delivering a fluid viewing with excellent, really very good dialog, both technical/complex at times and meaningful, as the story and plot consistently remain at a high level whether early on laying the foundation, or during any of the later events up til the conclusion at the end. Superb film.

For a number of reasons this is one of my favorite Hitchcock films.My review is based on the Blu Ray edition of the film, and let me begin by commenting about that. If you already have the DVD version, I don't think you're going to gain much by moving to the Blu Ray edition. Some have questioned whether Ingrid Bergman was an appropriate choice as a psychiatrist. I have no problems with her portrayal, in fact I rather enjoyed it. I also thought that she and Gregory Peck had great chemistry in this film...and of course, they did have a brief affair according to Peck after Bergman died.Gregory Peck is excellent here...as always. This was only Peck's fourth film, but he was already reaching the peak of his career with a number of strong performances around this time.Leo G. Carroll, one of Hitchcock's favorite supporting actors, is here, and I enjoyed his portrayal as the departing head of the psychiatric institution.Michael Chekhov is wonderful as the professor-mentor of Ingrid Bergman. It's a charming portrayal of an old-world psychiatrist.An interesting small part is played by Rhonda Fleming as a psychiatric patient who lusts over men but hates them.Of course, the highlight of the film is the dream sequence which was designed by Salvador Dali. Unfortunately in the final editing for release the almost 20 minute dream sequence was cut to about 2 minutes. Personally, my only real criticism about this film is that the balance between action suspense and dialog is decidedly on the side of dialog. However, it's good dialog. And, it's through memory flashes and dialog that Peck's character slowly begins to piece together the mystery in his life, It's really quite intriguing how Hitchcock very slowly and gradually leads the characters and the audience into discovering the truth. Incidentally, the musical score is excellent here, though rather repetitive. To me, at least, the ending was a surprise.I give this film an "8", albeit a weak "8". What puts it beyond a "7" for me is that the film is relatively unique, particularly for the mid-1940s.