THUNDER ON THE HILL (1951)

In rural England, a storm has caused dangerous flooding, and people are trudging uphill to take refuge at Our Lady of Rheims hospital and convent. Sister Mary Bonaventure (Claudette Colbert) is in charge and, though generally well-respected, at least one woman, Nurse Phillips, feels she is too rule-bound, and holds her responsible for the suicide of Sister Mary's sister (a plot point that is never really clarified). Among the refugees is Isabel Jeffreys, the fragile wife of Dr. Edward Jeffreys, and Valerie Carns, a prisoner being transported to her execution after being found guilty of killing her brother. She is alternately sad and bitter and her complicated backstory comes out. Her brother Jason led a dissolute life and suffered a stroke at a young age. Under the care of Dr. Jeffreys, he lingered for some time before his death when poison was administered to him in his medicine. Valerie had access to his medicine and had voiced the opinion that Jason would be better off dead. With everyone stuck on the hill until the flood waters recede, Sister Mary, feeling a certain empathy with Valerie (blamed for the death of a loved one), discovers newspaper articles about the case and begins to think that Valerie might indeed be innocent. Over the course of the night, hidden secrets are revealed and Sister Mary finds herself targeted by someone who might be the guilty party.

An early Dougas Sirk movie, this is an enjoyable melodrama with a nice Gothic feel. Colbert is not my favorite classic-era actress—she always strikes me as a bit of a cold fish. Here, that feeling could work for the character, but she seems to fight it, as though unwilling to have Sister Mary come off as too unsympathetic. Ann Blyth is a bit too shallow as Valerie, trying on a variety of actorly styles to keep us uncertain as to how we should feel about the character. But neither performance detracts too much from the film, partly because there are several very good supporting performances here. The fabulous Gladys Cooper is the Mother Superior; Phyllis Stanley is bracing as the unpleasant Nurse Phillips; Robert Douglas is very good as Dr. Jeffreys, and Anne Crawford is suitably nervous (and unreadable) as his wife. The always welcome Connie Gilchrist has a small but important role, and Norma Varden, Michael Pate. Philip Friend and John Abbott fill out other small roles nicely. The film's visual style definitely conjures up a Gothic atmosphere, and William Daniels' cinematography is splendid. Things build slowly to a dramatic climax and a satisfying ending. Pictured are Blyth and Colbert. [Criterion Channel]