This is a good looking film and it is technically well made. However, once you peel away the excellent direction and well-coiffed hairdos, you are left with a very silly film indeed.
As an ex-therapist and psychology teacher, SOME psychological aspects of the film were very, very interesting while other parts were so flawed and silly I found myself laughing during the second half of the film. Marnie has an Antisocial Personality Disorder. She hates men and takes great pleasure in stealing--and has no pangs of conscience whatsoever. In addition, she has a classic case of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder because throughout the film she had flashbacks from an early childhood trauma. Lots of little things, such as thunder and the color red trigger these memories.
Now so far, none of the qualities I listed above would make it seem like she's a good candidate for marriage--especially since the touch of a man fills her with disgust. So naturally, when Sean Connery discovers that she is a career criminal, he falls for her and marries her!!! Can anyone really be that stupid? Perhaps,...but it gets worse. He discovers on their honeymoon (after he blackmailed her into marrying him) that she is 100% frigid--and boy, do I mean FRIGID!!! She even tries to kill herself after he forces himself on her (or tries to force himself--the film is unclear here). Now what would any sane man do now--she's a crook, she's cold and indifferent towards him and is nauseated by sex--yep, he'll stay married to her and try to work it all out without outside professional help!! After all, his college training as a botanist certainly would qualify Connery to treat her!! At this point in the film, I felt really irritated. Most of it was because it was such a silly premise. But, when together they face up to her childhood trauma it all comes flooding back and she's magically cured, it was just too much! Maybe Connery missed his calling--after all, no therapist is THAT good and he could have made far more money doing that instead of acting!!! All in all, some very interesting and brave topics but handled in a ham-fisted and silly manner--as if Hitchcock and the writers read an intro psychology text and then decided to make a film!!! Pure hooey despite some interesting performances.
As an ex-therapist and psychology teacher, SOME psychological aspects of the film were very, very interesting while other parts were so flawed and silly I found myself laughing during the second half of the film. Marnie has an Antisocial Personality Disorder. She hates men and takes great pleasure in stealing--and has no pangs of conscience whatsoever. In addition, she has a classic case of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder because throughout the film she had flashbacks from an early childhood trauma. Lots of little things, such as thunder and the color red trigger these memories.
Now so far, none of the qualities I listed above would make it seem like she's a good candidate for marriage--especially since the touch of a man fills her with disgust. So naturally, when Sean Connery discovers that she is a career criminal, he falls for her and marries her!!! Can anyone really be that stupid? Perhaps,...but it gets worse. He discovers on their honeymoon (after he blackmailed her into marrying him) that she is 100% frigid--and boy, do I mean FRIGID!!! She even tries to kill herself after he forces himself on her (or tries to force himself--the film is unclear here). Now what would any sane man do now--she's a crook, she's cold and indifferent towards him and is nauseated by sex--yep, he'll stay married to her and try to work it all out without outside professional help!! After all, his college training as a botanist certainly would qualify Connery to treat her!! At this point in the film, I felt really irritated. Most of it was because it was such a silly premise. But, when together they face up to her childhood trauma it all comes flooding back and she's magically cured, it was just too much! Maybe Connery missed his calling--after all, no therapist is THAT good and he could have made far more money doing that instead of acting!!! All in all, some very interesting and brave topics but handled in a ham-fisted and silly manner--as if Hitchcock and the writers read an intro psychology text and then decided to make a film!!! Pure hooey despite some interesting performances.