A man tries to stop his insensitive wife from alienating their family and friends.A man tries to stop his insensitive wife from alienating their family and friends.A man tries to stop his insensitive wife from alienating their family and friends.
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Storyline
Did you know
- Trivia'The Paragon' is adapted from Rebecca West's short story, 'The Salt of the Earth', from her 1935 collection, 'The Harsh Voice: Four Short Novels'.
- GoofsWhen John and Alice are in the bedroom and he is telling her how she is alienating her family, she starts crying and runs to throw herself on the chair. John sits down near the dressing table to continue talking to her and the reflection of a crew member's body can be seen moving in the small round mirror on the dressing table.
- Quotes
Alice Pemberton: Why doesn't anyone like to enjoy life except me?
Featured review
Chracter study of a covert narcissist.
The plot is less important then the psychological study of the main character, Alice Pemberton, played to perfection by Joan Fontaine.
Other reviewers refer to Alice as a mere busy body. Even Hitchcock refers her as just as simply a wife who is "too kind, loving and helpful." These are understatements to say the least.
This is not how I see Alice.
Alice is more then likely a cold blooded narcissist and passive aggressive. She is probably an angry, and jealous person at her core. She fights her true narcissistic feelings of rage and inferiority by locating the faults or problems in others, points them out and then then "throws salt in their wounds." Her verbal slight of hand makes them feel sad and awful about themselves, their lives and decisions. This trick gives Alice her the feeling of superiority over others. Something that she needs and craves.
She always hides her cruelty under guise of being helpful, selfless, caring, and being simply more full of life and love then anyone else. This is her shield and it makes people helpless to defend themselves against her . Everyone finds it hopeless to point out to her that she has just interfered in their lives and deeply insulted them. If they do say something? She turns it against them and digs the blade in a little deeper.
Alice is absolutely incapable of being introspective or of seeing how others view her. The entire world and everyone in it is wrong and she is right. That is the only way for Alice.
Her false persona of a selfless do-gooder is so good that even she has lost touch with her true nature. She believes her own BS, that she really is a wonderful, special and caring person. Therefor she feels that she has every right to refuse to listen to advice or criticism from anyone including her frustrated and concerned husband. This does not change the fact is she is in reality a life and soul killing shrew.
Joan Fontaine did an excellent job with Alice. The silent condescending and impatient looks on her face when her husband, played Garry Merrill, attempts to advise her are perfect. Joan was so good at playing this role that even I felt angry and nervous watching her behavior. Joan was so good it makes your wonder if she pulled these mannerisms from someone she knew in real life.
The only minor flaw I found in the story is that Alice and her husband John have been married for ten years. I beleive that a normal person would have been reduced to a pile of ash after being trapped in a marriage with someone like Alice for ten years.
The character of John as played by Garry Merill seems to be a strong, wise, sensitive and charismatic husband. These exemplary qualities make you want to root for him. So maybe it is a good thing that he is presented this way after all. I only felt that the story would have been a touch more realistic if John was portrayed as someone who had been reduced to a weak, beaten-down-milquetoast due to living with this spirit killing woman.
Many might not like the ending. I thought the ending was appropriate just deserts and suitably creepy.
Other reviewers refer to Alice as a mere busy body. Even Hitchcock refers her as just as simply a wife who is "too kind, loving and helpful." These are understatements to say the least.
This is not how I see Alice.
Alice is more then likely a cold blooded narcissist and passive aggressive. She is probably an angry, and jealous person at her core. She fights her true narcissistic feelings of rage and inferiority by locating the faults or problems in others, points them out and then then "throws salt in their wounds." Her verbal slight of hand makes them feel sad and awful about themselves, their lives and decisions. This trick gives Alice her the feeling of superiority over others. Something that she needs and craves.
She always hides her cruelty under guise of being helpful, selfless, caring, and being simply more full of life and love then anyone else. This is her shield and it makes people helpless to defend themselves against her . Everyone finds it hopeless to point out to her that she has just interfered in their lives and deeply insulted them. If they do say something? She turns it against them and digs the blade in a little deeper.
Alice is absolutely incapable of being introspective or of seeing how others view her. The entire world and everyone in it is wrong and she is right. That is the only way for Alice.
Her false persona of a selfless do-gooder is so good that even she has lost touch with her true nature. She believes her own BS, that she really is a wonderful, special and caring person. Therefor she feels that she has every right to refuse to listen to advice or criticism from anyone including her frustrated and concerned husband. This does not change the fact is she is in reality a life and soul killing shrew.
Joan Fontaine did an excellent job with Alice. The silent condescending and impatient looks on her face when her husband, played Garry Merrill, attempts to advise her are perfect. Joan was so good at playing this role that even I felt angry and nervous watching her behavior. Joan was so good it makes your wonder if she pulled these mannerisms from someone she knew in real life.
The only minor flaw I found in the story is that Alice and her husband John have been married for ten years. I beleive that a normal person would have been reduced to a pile of ash after being trapped in a marriage with someone like Alice for ten years.
The character of John as played by Garry Merill seems to be a strong, wise, sensitive and charismatic husband. These exemplary qualities make you want to root for him. So maybe it is a good thing that he is presented this way after all. I only felt that the story would have been a touch more realistic if John was portrayed as someone who had been reduced to a weak, beaten-down-milquetoast due to living with this spirit killing woman.
Many might not like the ending. I thought the ending was appropriate just deserts and suitably creepy.
helpful•61
- rwgrandcolas
- Mar 8, 2022
Details
- Runtime1 hour
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1
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