The performances of the primary actors are excellent, including that of Karl Malden as a tenacious detect, Montgomery Clift as the unusually innocent priest, and especially that of Anne Baxter as the woman who stays in love with a man after he has become a priest.

The direction by Alfred Hitchcock was diabolically good. You might even say, blasphemously exquisite. Let me explain.

On the surface, this film seems to be about how firm a priest could be in his faith. Because of his priestly vows, Father Logan refuses to implicate a killer, merely because the killer has confessed to him. The killer has the sanctuary of the priest's vows.

I have no doubt that many viewers of this film, especially the faithful, would walk away from the cinema in admiration of Father Logan's adherence to his vows.

However, upon closer inspection, I found that this film clearly demonstrated the true `value' of a vow. Vows, in my opinion, are short sighted, arbitrary promises that fail to consider anything but the closest possibilities. If a vow is taken for just reasons, what happens when the vow clashes with moral justice? Is one to be unjust, merely to satisfy an arbitrary vow? Of course not. Well, not in a reasonable world.

In the film, Father Logan protects the killer and even implicates himself just to be true to his vows. Our own hearts tell us that this is wrong. A good man should not be paying for someone else's crime and should not be protecting a criminal.

The intention of the vow that Father Michael Logan took was not so that killers could confess their crimes to him and then go free. Is there anyone who thinks otherwise? Father Logan should go to his superiors or to the police and explain that he could not be guilty of this crime, because he knows who the real killer is. He should see that justice is done, vow or no vow. Justice is more important than the vow.

Father Logan's crime in this film was in allowing a killer to kill again. The blood of the second murder is on Father Logan's hands. A rational society would prosecute Logan for this odious crime instead of admiring him for keeping a stupid vow.

Isn't it obvious that if a vow or a God or a rule or a law requires one to do something unjust, then the vow, God, rule or law is itself unjust?

So Hitchcock is really delivering an anti-religious theme under the guise of admiration for the faithful. Very clever Mr. Hitchcock.

Highly recommended.

This is the classic Hitchcock thriller. Wonderfully done, it takes place in Montreal. The movie begins with a Catholic priest hearing the confession of a man who just committed murder.

Of course, the priest can say nothing. He cannot even say whether or not he even heard the confession of the man.

The Catholic Church is treated respectfully in this 1950s movie. (Which is probably why it is never shown on TV!) It is not a religious movie by any means, but it is, like so many Hitchcock movies, an excellent character study on life, choices people make and how people behave under incredible stress.

THE VILLAIN IS REMORESFUL AND ALTERNATINGLY EVIL. THE PRIEST IS A VICTIM OF THE CONFESSIONAL.
TO REMAIN THE TRUE PRIEST THAT HE IS,HE MUST KEEP THE VOW OF SILENCE. EVEN THOUGH HE IS BLAMED
FOR A MURDER HE DID NOT COMMIT. THE LOOK ON MONGOMERY CLIFT'S FACE SAYS IT ALL. KARL MALDEN,
ANNE BAXTER AND THE REST OF THE CAST ARE EXCELLENT. THE ON LOCATION SCENES OF QUEBEC ARE
A BIG,BIG BONUS TO THIS MOVIE. OTHER SPECIAL FEATURES (INTERVIEWS ETC.) ARE INCLUDED IN THIS
WORTH THE PRICE DVD.

With today's movie climate where every virtue is ridiculed and religious leaders are especially targets of slander, this movie portrays a Catholic Priest who will not compromise his vocation or his integrity at any cost. It is a salve for our cynical hearts with a believable story and character that convey the positives of humanity and true moral character. Fr. Logan (Montgomery Clift) is every man and woman who is challenged to compromise their moral standards. Refusing to give in to the pressures of this world and take the easy road can carry a heavy price. But living without integrity costs us far more in self-respect and dignity. This is an intense film well played by the cast; it will draw you in and make you part of the story to the nail-biting end. A great film to spark discussion and entertaining at the same time.

"I Confess" has many similarities to Hitchcock's "The Wrong Man" in its theme of an innocent man caught up in the machinations of the justice system. Like "The Wrong Man" it also contains the most overt reference to Hitchcock's Catholic upbringing.

The plot hinges on the sanctity of the Catholic Confessional and whether a priest (played by Montgomery Clift) will break it to save himself.

The exteriors of the film were (beautifully) shot in Quebec and this really adds to the look and atmosphere of the film.

Clift is superb as the priest - he captures the brooding intensity of the character - and shows the value of the "method" acting style that he and others brought to Hollywood in the late 1940s and early 1950s.

My one quibble with the morality of Clift's character is that his inaction leads to the unnecessary death of two innocent people. Hitchcock originally wanted the priest to die at the end but Joseph Breen - head of the Production Code Administration (PCA) and a staunch Catholic - would not allow this.

"I Confess" is not top-drawer Hitchcock but still good entertainment particulary for Hitchcock buffs.