"I Confess" - Film Review -

I caught this film a crime drama ‘I Confess’ last night while the wife watched soaps, I just love the internet. The film revolves around Father Michael Logan (Montgomery Clift) is a devout Catholic priest in St. Marie's Church in Quebec City. Before the Second World War and before becoming a priest he was deeply in love with his childhood sweet heart Ruth played by (Anne Baxter).

However, he went off to fight in World War II and eventually stopped writing to her, so she married an important politician Pierre Grandfort (Roger Dann). The church employs German immigrants Otto Keller (O. E. Hasse) and his wife Alma (Dolly Haas) as caretaker and housekeeper. Otto also works part-time as a gardener for a shady lawyer called Villette.

One night Keller dresses in a priest's cassock and goes to Mister Villette intent on robbing him but ends up accidentally killing him. Later Keller confesses to Father Logan that he killed Villette while trying to rob him knowing it is forbidden from revealing information acquired through confessions. Keller tells his wife about his killing and assures her that the priest will not talk.

We find out Villette was blackmailing Father Logan and Ruth and on the morning after the killing Ruth was to meet Villette but Father Logan manages to intercept her but not before, Inspector Larrue (Karl Malden) spots them hurry away.

Knowing the possibility of a priest’s involvement, due to a priest been seen leaving Villette’s home prompts Larrue to call Father Logan in for questioning. After finding out he is prime suspect Ruth meets him but Larrue follows her home discovering her identity and calls them both in for questioning, and Ruth explains what happened.

The day after Logan returned from the war, he and Ruth spent the day on a nearby island. A storm forced them to shelter for the night in a gazebo, and Villette found them there in the morning, recognizing Ruth as being Mrs. Grandfort. The next time Ruth saw Logan was several years later, when he was ordained as a priest.

Villette is in trouble and seeks out Ruth asking her to persuade her husband to help him, and when she refuses, he tried to blackmail her by threatening her over her relationship with Father Logan. Ruth meets with Father Logan on the night of the murder almost provides him with an alibi, but Larrue has evidence showing that the murder occurred after their meeting, and the blackmail suggests a possible motive for Logan to have killed Villette. A search of Father Logan’s room unearths the bloody cassock planted by Keller who testifies that he saw Logan enter the church after the murder, acting suspiciously.

In court, the full story is revealed but the jury finds Father Logan not guilty. However, the large crowd outside the courthouse push and shove Father Logan as he leaves. Has the crowd become more and more boisterous it proves too much for Keller's wife who shouts out her husband is the murderer, he shoots her.

Keller then runs away pursued by police officers. Larrue finally guesses that Keller is the murderer, corners him in the grand ballroom of a hotel, and tricks him into confessing. A police sharpshooter kills Keller when Keller tries to shoot Logan, and Keller calls out to Father Logan to absolve him of his sins.

If you get the chance I would happily recommend this film.