reviewed by Kiomars Vejdani
To grasp the full dramatic
impact of Dial M for Murder it must be seen in its 3D format, the way it was
envisioned and conceived by Hitchcock.
Although 3D films have been
in existence since 1920's (with
Anaglyph system, creating separate images for each eye with the use of
complementary red and green colours), the real birth 3D cinema started in early 1950's with the advent of Polaroid system (using polarised light to create two
separate images). Among the forerunners
of using the system was Warner Brothers starting with House of Wax, followed by
some other 3D films such as Charge at the Feather River, Hondo, and of course, Hitchcock’’s Dial M for Murder.
However, due to the difficulties of the system, after a
short while the companies were discouraged to continue with its use. (It was expensive due to having to print two
prints to be projected simultaneously by two separate projectors. Besides the incomplete harmony and
synchronisation of the two images could give the audience a severe headache. )
The 3D system was forgotten and out of use for
about three decades before its use was started again in 1980's. Later it was technically refined (especially
with contribution from IMAX 3D) and routinely used commercially specially for
its spectacular effects. A more serious
use of 3D was taken up by James Cameron
in his artistic creation of the magical world of Avatar. . His efforts were followed by works of Wim
Wenders in Pina and Werner Herzog in Caves of Our Forgotten Dreams. Two documentary films worlds apart in their
choice of subjects but having a common aim of using 3D effect to create a
physical space to give their films an extra dimension in reality. . Later they
were joined by Martin Scorsese in Hugo by using 3D effect to give the nostalgic
world of silent cinema and the magic of Georges Melies a concrete and tangible
reality. These film makers were all aiming
at use of 3D as part of film language.
