Film Analysis: Dial M For Murder

Throughout Hitchcock’s 1954 movie rendition of Frederick Knott’s play, Dial M for Murder, the audience is subjected to a “romping plot...where the action is constricted to one room” (Barnes). Even though everything, including the murder and criminal investigation, happens in the room, Hitchcock employs a variety of techniques such as blocking, camera angles, and prop making in order to add a unique twist to a seemingly straightforward murder. This twisted and almost confusing plot ultimately helps to keep the audience absorbed in the film. Hitchcock’s unique costuming decisions, especially with characters with costumes that are contrasted with different colors, add to the dimensions of the plot. This increase in complexity ultimately allows

the audience member to understand the context surrounding the murder and the individual characteristics of the characters.
In the beginning scene of Dial M for Murder, the audience is introduced to Tony and Margot Wendice, a seemingly normal couple enjoying a light breakfast. Margot, who is played by Grace Kelly, is wearing a relatively long, blotchy tan morning gown. Margot’s morning gown is very conservative, with no pieces of skin showing. Similarly, Tony, who is played by Ray Milland, is wearing a traditional gray jacket with a black tie. At first glance, nothing about the costumes is special or unique, but as we will see later, the mere fact that the costumes are bland are significant.
The costumes found in the next scene in the Wendice home starkly contrast the dull and conservative ones depicted in the original scene. When the audience first meets Mark Halliday, Margot’s lover, he is wearing an obsidian black suit with a crimson red tie. Mark’s costume is very different than Tony’s gray costume, not just in terms of color. Mark’s suit, for example, is a lot sleeker and slimmer fitted than Tony’s which gives him the appearance of being more confident in himself. More significantly, according to a movie analyst:
“Margot is literally and visually depicted as a scarlet woman, clad in a striking and scene stealing red evening dress, designed by Mabry. The sweetheart neckline, delicate lace sleeves, and a fit and flare silhouette showcased the actress’s legendary beauty and were accessorized with satin court shoes (in a coordinating shade), discreet gold jewelry and red lipstick” (Girls Do Film).
In the introductory scene, Margot and Tony are portrayed in a traditional, domestic relationship between a husband and wife.

On the surface, Hitchcock’s wardrobe choice indicates that Margot and Tony should have a loving and caring relationship. However, when the audience compares the suits and dresses of Margot’s marriage and her affair, it is hard not to imagine the affair to be more intimate and passionate due to the presence of red. When looking at Margot’s fire-red dress, the audience notices that Margot is much happier with Mark than she is with Tony. This added meaning helps the viewer to establish the source of Tony’s anger, which eventually facilitates the murder.
Even though the Margot’s wardrobe appears to be somewhat unplanned later in the movie, Hitchcock confirms that he deliberately chose every piece. In an interview with Francois Truffaut, Hitchcock stated “We did an interesting color experiment with [Margot’s] clothing. I dressed her in very gay and bright color at the beginning of the picture, and as the plot thickened, her clothes became gradually more somber” (Stripek). Since Margot’s clothes get darker as the murder plot thickens and she is eventually placed on trial, the viewer is forced to contemplate her personal

emotions.
During the trial scene where she is put on death row, Margot wears a midnight-black gown. Unlike other clothes worn in the film such as the red dress, this gown has no distinguishable features since it is so dark. Instead of focusing on the judge and his awful verdict, the viewer focuses only Margot’s black gown. By focusing on her gown, Hitchcock is able to force the audience to feel Margot’s own pain and suffering associated with being falsely accused of the murder. The same experience happens to the audience when Margot becomes aware that Tony was responsible for the foiled murder. In this important scene, Margot is wearing a dark brown jacket. The jacket is dark enough that the audience can see her emotional distress, but light enough that we become aware that Margot found closure in these series of unfortunate events. By playing with the different shadings of Margot’s clothing and contrasting her dresses with other costumes, Alfred Hitchcock is able to add another dimension to Margot’s pain and suffering and help the audience understand the context behind Tony’s spoiled plot.