Director: Michael Powell
Year Released: 1960
Rating: 2.0
At first bashed to pieces by critics who found it irresponsible but later rediscovered and considered a masterpiece by some, Michael Powell's infamous film is Hitchcockian in nature, trying to pose serious questions about voyeurism and the role of the spectator. But unlike Hitch (whose masterpiece Psycho was released in 1960 as well), Powell doesn't seem to want to consider Peeping Tom an "entertaining" film as much as a goddamn thesis on the symbolism of the viewer and the gaze, and the result feels much more preachy, goofy and heavy-handed than Psycho. I have no issue at all with the content (which is tame) but rather the presentation: I couldn't help but chortle when "peeping tom" Mark (played by Carl Boehm) says things like "It will never photograph you! Never!" (during the scene where Anna Massey gets curious as to what he shoots with his 16mm) or how he rubs his mouth with the camera lens after receiving a kiss. As a matter of fact, the whole "peeping tom" character is off: Boehm's acting leaves a lot to be desired and the character's loopy quasi-homosexual makeup is a cross between Peter Lorre in M and Norman Bates, though not nearly as creepy or effective. I have no problem with introverts in film or with symbolism when used cautiously, but this veers into dense obviousness. The dialogue between the characters is in the "camp" category, with screenwriter Leo Marks trying to make every utterance sound profound - he should have been more interested in the story than the implications of the story: sometimes the real truth bleeds through when you aren't thinking about it.
