This is very much a movie of two halves. The first part, leading up to the murder and its immediate aftermath, is stellar : taut, original, suspenseful. The second part, which represents a sudden change of tone, is less good. Still, it remains very watchable, mainly for its superb performance by James Mason as a broken-hearted loner driven to extremes by the loss of his one true love.
The first half boasts a very original idea : a would-be murderer, who is a respected teacher and brain surgeon, giving a lecture in which he describes his own dark path towards murder. (For clarity's sake, he's hiding his own identity by speaking about "an anonymous patient".) So why is the man speaking about his plans ? Does he hope that someone will stop him, analyze him, praise him, denounce him ? Is he just thinking out loud ? Strengthening his own resolve ? Enjoying a twisted sense of power ? Multiple interpretations can apply...
The first half boasts a very original idea : a would-be murderer, who is a respected teacher and brain surgeon, giving a lecture in which he describes his own dark path towards murder. (For clarity's sake, he's hiding his own identity by speaking about "an anonymous patient".) So why is the man speaking about his plans ? Does he hope that someone will stop him, analyze him, praise him, denounce him ? Is he just thinking out loud ? Strengthening his own resolve ? Enjoying a twisted sense of power ? Multiple interpretations can apply...