I Confess

A priest in Quebec hears a confession of murder. Soon afterwards he becomes the suspect in the same killing. He cannot break the seal of the confessional and so cannot defend himself. The film draws all its tension from that lock; the narrative advances in a way that justifies the police suspicion, because his silence looks exactly like guilt. Alfred Hitchcock directed, with Montgomery Clift in the lead. It was shot on location in Quebec. Who it's for: those curious about Hitchcock's quieter, more moral films. Who it's not for: viewers wanting thriller pacing; it moves slowly and its hero can do nothing.