The Wrong Man (English, 1956)

For the very first time, Hitchcock himself announces at the beginning of the film that the story is real and unlike his other films this has a procedural/documentary feel to it and there are no filmy thrill elements inserted into the script. The simple yet revolutionary theme makes the film downright gripping as the protagonist gets caught up in the rigid fist of the Judiciary system.

Henry Fonda shows his class by underplaying the titular role of the sincere family man who is wrongly imprisoned. His sequences with his two young boys are heart-warming and his defeated demeanor when convicted, are sparkling.

The role of his doting wife, played excellently by Vera Miles, adds fuel to the sentiment and makes us root unabashedly for the protagonist. Her desperation when trying to prove an alibi for her husband and the resulting depression are scenes that melt one’s heart.

The detectives also play their parts well, adhering to the rules. The scene where they take Manny’s handwriting sample is top notch. The scene of the trial with the disinterested jury adds to the authenticity of the movie.

The use of stark close-ups of the witnesses when they think they recognize Manny as the robber, and of Vera Miles’s face to illustrate her inner emotional turmoil, are classic Hitchcock. The black and white medium gives a noir effect with the images of the prison bars delivering an ominous claustrophobic feel. This interesting trial noir had a considerable impact on Jean-Luc Godard who dissects the film in the book ‘Godard on Godard’. An excerpt is available here.