Dial M for Murder Literary Elements

Dial M for Murder Literary Elements

Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Leading Actors/Actresses

Ray Milland, Grace Kelly

Supporting Actors/Actresses

Robert Cummings, John Williams, Anthony Dawson

Genre

Crime, Thriller

Language

English

Awards

National Board of Review, USA, Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor and New York Film Critics Circle Awards, Best Actress

Date of Release

29 May 1954

Producer

Alfred Hitchcock

Setting and Context

The action takes place in London in the year 1954.

Narrator and Point of View

The story is told from the perspective of a third person objective narrator.

Tone and Mood

The tone used in the film is a tragic, violent and unsettling.

Protagonist and Antagonist

The protagonist is Margot and the antagonist is Tony.

Major Conflict

The major conflict is between Tony and Margot and it is the result of Tony finding out about the affair between Margot and a writer named Mark.

Climax

The movie reaches its climax when Hubbarb proves Margot is innocent and when it is proven that Tony was the one who orchestrated the whole sequence of events.

Foreshadowing

The fact that Margot will be accused of murder is foreshadowed by the scene in which Tony puts incriminating evidences around Swann, making sure Margot will be blamed.

Understatement

When Tony tells Margot not to call the police because he will try to help her is an understatement as it is later proven that he does everything he can to make sure Margot is blamed for the murder.

Innovations in Filming or Lighting or Camera Techniques

N/A

Allusions

One of the allusions in the film is the idea that the justice system is always willing to blame someone who already has a criminal record and stop looking for other possible suspects. This makes Tony feel sure about the possibility of Swan being accused of the murder while also being sure he will not be suspected.

Paradox

A paradoxical element is how Tony ended up being tried for the murder and having his life ruined even though he tried everything in his power to make sure his wife will be the one to suffer.

Parallelism

A parallelism presented in the film is between Tony and Swann. Even though Tony in the beginning was not involved in the criminal world, as time passes, he becomes even worse that Tony, being willing to do everything he can to save himself.

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