Enjoyable ending in Gaslight (1944)

The closer I get to publishing the less inclined I am to spend time on anything besides my book but I would like to say a few words about Gaslight (1944), a film noir I found enjoyable. It is an entertaining story set in 1885 about a young woman (Ingrid Bergman) who is slowly convinced by her older, duplicitous new husband (Charles Boyer) that she is insane when they move into her murdered aunt’s house in London. It has much to offer female viewers, but I will only focus on the ending here. In itself the ending has much to offer women: the 10-year-old mystery of a murdered woman is solved; a wronged woman is helped and triumphs; and a woman’s murderer is apprehended. Moreover, a wronged woman is given the chance to confront her tormentor. Rarely do the endings of feature films have so much to offer female viewers. Furthermore, gaslighting is so well depicted that anyone confused about the process will have a clear understanding of it after one viewing.

© 2019 Alline Cormier