The Wrong Man
1956
****½
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Henry Fonda, Vera Miles, Anthony Quayle, Harold J. Stone, Charles Cooper, John Heldabrand, Esther Minciotti, Doreen Lang, Lauren Chapin, Richard Robbins, Josip Elic
Manny Balestrero, a mild-mannered musician and family man, is mistakenly identified as the man who committed a series of robberies. As he struggles to prove his innocence, the ordeal takes a devastating toll on his wife's mental health. Alfred Hitchcock shot this moody black-and-white drama between two lush Technicolor thrillers, The Man Who Knew Too Much and Vertigo. The stark monochrome cinematography perfectly suits the story, which is based on the real-life case of Christopher Emmanuel Balestrerois. The result is one of Hitchcock's most serious and unusual films, featuring some memorable visual moments. Henry Fonda delivers a haunted and understated lead performance.
