Frenzy 1972

Summary of the film Frenzy

One of the greatest classic films, it features a simple yet skillfully executed premise with unique details. The story centers around a serial killer who rapes and then strangles his victims with a necktie, disposing of their bodies in various ways.

A man is accused of murdering his ex-wife using the same method as the actual killer—a necktie. Suspicion quickly shifts to him for these past crimes.

The film *Frenzy* reveals the killer's identity early on, but the mystery of the crime persists. It leaves the man wrongly accused of these terrifying acts, surrounded by uncertainty, questioning how he can prove his innocence despite the growing evidence against him, and how the real killer will ultimately be uncovered.

Of course, the film showcases the signature style of its director, Alfred Hitchcock, including the depiction of the killer's psychological turmoil during the murder scene and the omission of a second murder, leaving it entirely to the audience’s imagination.

There's also the victim, Barbara, who tightly clutches the pin bearing the killer's initial, as if trying to implicate him by holding this crucial piece of evidence. This forces him to do things that might raise suspicion, which is exactly what happens in our story.

The detective and his wife are among the highlights of *Frenzy*, with their quirky and captivating personalities—the wife's outlook on the case and the detective's keen intuition.

In short, it's a film with excellent, enjoyable acting, intriguing and quirky characters, outstanding cinematography and lighting, and distinctive touches that truly distinguish it from any other crime movie.

Additionally, there are several other memorable scenes worth noting.

number one

The murder scene was truly masterful, with Barry Foster's brilliant portrayal of the psychopath. His reactions were astonishing, while Barbara Leigh Hunt's interaction with his mannerisms and speech was superb, adding a powerful layer of realism to the scene. It felt as if I were watching a real murder unfold on a big screen.

Ruske's impressions were psychologically compelling. When Brenda finally succumbed to him, he didn't seem satisfied, clearly because he was impotent, and that wasn't what his warped imagination desired. His emotions suddenly flared after her reaction, as if he had found justification for killing her. Her failure to respond to him as a woman was his fault, not hers.

The scene was marked by its intense portrayal of the psychological reality of a patient of this type, showing the depth of the killer's illness and his rapid, disturbing interactions with women.

Despite the woman's tragic death, I wondered how foolish and callous she was to treat him that way. She surely knew early on that he had deviant and irrational desires, indicating a psychological disturbance. Therefore, she should have acted with composure and absorbed his emotions, not in a manner that fueled his sick and murderous instincts.

This reflects the nature of all human beings. Each of us has our secrets, our hidden worlds that no one else sees or experiences, and our fantasies that cannot be easily translated into reality.

Number Two

When Rusk realized he had lost the pin bearing his initial, he flew into a rage. He searched his house fruitlessly, then a vivid, haunting image appeared before his eyes: his victim clutching the pin. His face twisted with terror and anxiety. He rushed out of his house, hurrying to the cart where Babs's body lay. He climbed in quickly and began untying the rope securing the sack containing the body, just as the cart started to move.

I've never seen such pure panic. It was an awe-inspiring display of fear. The fact that the victim managed to grab a piece of evidence against her killer, even as she was dying, and that she held onto the pin even after he placed her in a sack and threw it in the cart, only made the situation feel more surreal.

Alfred Hitchcock skillfully combines several key moments into a single scene. He shows brief glimpses of Babs's hidden murder, her desperate, dying breath as she tries to grab evidence against her killer, and the overwhelming panic Rusk experiences when he finds out.

This scene prompts Rusk to retrieve the pin, which also appears when the body is found at the spot where the carriage it was in was parked. This is one of the clues that ultimately points to the murderer.

Babs's body holding onto the pin is explained by rigor mortis, but on a deeper level, it symbolizes her desperate grasp at the only evidence against her killer. This is exactly the chilling message Hitchcock wanted to convey with this haunting portrayal.

Barry Foster's performance in this scene is stunning. I felt extremely tense while watching, as if I were the murderer myself, waiting to be caught at any second.

Number Three

A brief and straightforward scene, yet it marked the moment when the detective's certainty shifted to doubt. He sat alone in the courtroom, recalling Blaney's words about Rusk—that he was the one who committed those crimes. Blaney's outburst, shouting this, was striking and drew attention.

So the detective sat there, the words echoing in his mind, his head and eyes moving in a hypnotic way, as doubt began to seep into his core. Blaney's insistence and outburst were extraordinary, as he insisted Rusk was the killer.

He immediately decided to investigate further, not dismissing even the faintest possibility, which really impressed me.

The fact that the detective considers every possibility, no matter how small, to uncover the truth or confirm they have the right person, is a principle that should be embraced by anyone entrusted with others' lives.

A brief scene, but very touching and truly wonderful, in my opinion.