"There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it." -Alfred Hitchcock

Dial M for Murder (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) succeeds on so many levels. A true Hitchcock suspense masterpiece. The clever storyline is perfectly adapted from stage to screen. Although it was obviously written for the stage, being shot in one room, the audience never feels claustrophobic with Hitchcocks artful direction. Where other directors may have used flashbacks, Hitchcock lets the actor's engaging dialog tell the story, simply shooting the play. The use of colours, music, framing, camera angles and intriguing dialog keep it from becoming boring. Hitchcock's mix of long shots, over head shots and well thought out framing give the film it's clever feel in his true style. The witty and captivating storyline, underlined by serous issues of adultery and murder, contains skillful and suspenseful twists that keep the audience engrossed in the film.

Ray Milland portrays his sly, emotionless and self-confident character realistically, making the audience almost take his side and want the murder to work out. Grace Kelly who became the perfect Hitchcock blonde with frequent collaborations with the director, plays her stereotypical character well. Again the audience feels sympathy for her despite her cheating on her husband and also for her boyfriend played by Robert Cummings. John Williams, another Hitchcock regular, also deserves praise for his genius acting in an almost typecast role.

With a clever story of a perfect murder, excellent acting and characters and artful photography and production design, Dial M for Muder is the Master of Suspense at his best and must see for suspense or Hitchcock fans.