Winston Smith’s desperate fight against a system that wants him to doubt his every thought and memory is an intense and thoughtful look at how totalitarian systems and leaders gaslight their own citizens. John Hurt plays Winston Smith, a man struggling to think and love in a country that, under the watchful eyes of its leader “Big Brother,” constantly rewrites its past and controls its citizens so carefully they are rarely even capable of thoughts that aren’t approved by Big Brother. Nineteen Eighty-Four (1984): This adaptation of George Orwell’s classic novel won Best British Film of the Year at the 1984 Evening Standard British Film awards. Casablanca is streaming on HBO Max and is available to rent or buy on Amazon. This 1942 film about love, sacrifice, and idealism along the “tortuous, roundabout, refugee trail” out of Nazi-occupied Europe and to America is a must-watch. Fantastic performances are turned in by the entire cast, from the leads to Peter Lorre, Conrad Veidt, Dooley Wilson, and the other supporting actors. With Nazis on their tail, they arrive in Casablanca where their paths cross with Rick, Ilsa’s cynical ex who claims to “stick neck out for nobody.” Played by Humphrey Bogart, Rick Blaine remains one of the most quoted and misquoted characters in cinema. Bergman is fantastic as Ilsa, a woman trying to flee to America with her husband Victor (Paul Henreid), a Czech war hero and resistance leader. It isn’t long before Paula is living in fear of herself and her house, convinced by Gregory that her behavior is too bizarre and inappropriate for her to even appear in public.Ĭasablanca (1942): If Ingrid Bergman’s emotional tour-de-force in Gaslight has you curious to see more of her work, then be sure to check out Casablanca. Distressed, Paula tearfully admits to Gregory that she is “beginning not to trust memory at all.” Even when alone in the house, Paula keeps seeing the gas lighting in rooms dim and flicker, something that only happens when someone is adjusting the lights in another room. When Paula tells Gregory that she worries Nancy doesn’t like her, Gregory insists it’s just in Paula’s head and it “hurts when she’s ill and fanciful.” Gregory tells Paula how worried he is about her, accusing her of being strangely suspicious and absent-minded since their arrival in London.

Gregory quickly but subtly turns the live-in servants, Nancy (played by Angela Lansbury) and Elizabeth (played by Barbara Everest), against Paula. What follows is a psychological thriller that plays on the minds of the audience just as much as it does on Paula's sanity. Alice, a wealthy and world-famous singer, had raised Paula until her untimely and violent death.

Paula finds returning home more upsetting than expected as it is the first time she has been in the house since her aunt Alice’s murder. Set in Victorian London, Gaslight tells the story of Paula (Ingrid Bergman), a beautiful young woman who, after a whirlwind courtship, moves back into her childhood home with her new husband, Gregory (Charles Boyer).

Ingrid bergman 1944 film