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118 comments in total

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41 out of 63 people found the following comment useful :-
Great thriller, great acting, great music, great directing., 7 July 2000

Author: Semih from Seattle, WA

My title sums it all. I was very surprised at how good this film was. I found it very similar to a movie like "Rear Window". One other person's comments was titled "The best Hitchcock film that Hitchcock never made". It think that is very true. Most of the film is shot within this basement apartment unit. And the thriller is so great because of Hepburn being blind and these three bad guys freely walking into her unit and introducing themselves as her husband's friends, or police, or some neighbour. But they all forget one thing: She uses her ears like no regular person does, she doesn't need eyes. But that is where the thriller kicks in. Sometimes it is pretty painful for us to watch (us who can see) because she seems so vulnerable. Wrapping around of all this is Henry Mancini's music. He is using a technique that he also used in the film "Night Visitor" where there is this melody on the keyboard and after everynote there is the detuned note following it. Pretty cool effect. One thing I didn't get though, There is a scene where the room looks pretty dark and Alan Arkin still has his sun glasses on. I loved this film, 10 out of 10.

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17 out of 17 people found the following comment useful :-
Menace surrounding Hepburn in the dark…, 20 September 2008

Author: ironside (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico

To be blind, deprived of the power even to see the danger that threatens you, is a frightening experience... It also, obviously, gave director Terence Young the opportunity to carry out one of the most important rules of suspense: let the audience discover more than the principal character...

When we can see imminent danger which the victim, by definition, cannot see, the emotional impact is increased on the viewer... We desire earnestly to cry out in warning, but we cannot... We can only sit helplessly, and wait to see what become apparent... And when the sightless is a young and lovely woman, there are many twists and turns, disturbing moments, claustrophobic atmosphere, great suspense...

Most of the drama is played out in Hepburn's apartment in NewYork, and there is an outstanding development when Susy Hendrix (Hepburn), alone with her telephone cord cut and awaiting the return of the gangs, decides to use her disadvantage as a defensive weapon... Her one advantage in being blind was that she required no light—and she methodically destroyed all the light-bulbs...

After three brutal murders, only the master-criminal, a merciless villain (Alan Arkin) is left to confront her… He selected the most terrifying way of terrorizing her... Susy lost her sight in a car crash or really the fire from the crash…

Audrey Hepburn earned her 5th and final Academy Award nomination for her brilliant performance…

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40 out of 63 people found the following comment useful :-
Classic Suspense with Legendary Actress, 11 April 2000
Author: (jiffyscott) from United States

I watched this movie out of sheer "desperation" -- I couldn't find any current movies on that I wanted to see or that I hadn't seen before, so I just ended up on the channel this film was on. It was fate!! What a fun, suspenseful film!!

If you have not seen Audrey Hepburn in a movie, see this and "Breakfast at Tiffany's" and you will *really* appreciate her talent and beauty. Also of mention is Alan Arkin. I read that critics didn't like his role as the heavy in this film when it was first released, but personally I think he is great in it -- intimidating and kitschy at the same time.

This film builds the suspense throughout perfectly. There is not a lull or a let-down to be found! Also, this has a twist ending and a classic suspense/horror plot element that has been done many times since, but not as well!

The Bottom Line: 4 1/2 Jiffy's Out of 5

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44 out of 72 people found the following comment useful :-
The Ultimate Thriller, 21 November 2000

Author: LahaiRoi from Marion, IN

"Wait Until Dark" has lasted for 23 years as one of the scariest movies ever made. Audrey is fabulous as a blind woman who is harassed by three men trying to find an object in her apartment without her noticing. The cinematography is excellent, especially at the end when the audience is practically struck blind as well. A wonderful choice for viewing on a dark night.

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18 out of 25 people found the following comment useful :-
Acting + Plot + Production = Wait Until Dark, 27 April 2004

Author: Tenkun from USA

Albeit obscure, 1967's "Wait Until Dark" is a fantastic movie in many regards. It may not have epic chases, mushy love scenes, or even a plot involving robotics, but it does capture the mind for that hour and a half. To its credit are the performances of Audrey Hepburn as an insecure "champion blind woman," Efrem Zimbalist, Jr. as her encouraging husband, Julie Herrod as her helpful (but rebellious) young friend, and a whole host of (well, three) others as a variety of crooks, cops, and impostors. The plot is well thought-out, with twists and turns to keep you busy from even before Hepburn sets foot on the stage. It almost entirely takes place one or two rooms of an apartment, utilizing the limited set to a "Rear Window"-esque advantage. There is suspense, emotion, crime, passion, and a delve into the world of the blind- and its potential symbolism. Convincing performances, death and devilry, and an almost mother-daughter relationship are all found within this obscure classic, "Wait Until Dark."

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15 out of 20 people found the following comment useful :-
Leaping Loungerooms!, 22 February 2004

Author: ptb-8 from Australia

Never in my life have I ever seen 800 people fly off their seas like I did the night I saw WAIT UNTIL DARK at the cinema in 1970. And I was up there with them. Moaning away in shock. Screaming! (and I don't scream) ............In the run up to the final 20 mins the cinema management slammed the foyer doors, switched off all the aisle lights one by one all around the cinema, and turned up the volume; ripples of creepiness washed over the audience....and then....whammo! The noise from the audience, the screaming and the shifting about in our seats.....I haven't heard shocked noises like that in a cinema since. Do yourself a BIG favour...........get the DVD and watch this at home, by yourself, in total darkness! You will scream your head off and tell everyone you know what a great thriller this is.

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27 out of 45 people found the following comment useful :-
What a thriller!, 16 May 2000
Author: xxYoursTrulyxx from USA

At first I thought this movie would only be mildly suspenseful, but how wrong I was. This is quite a clever movie. I was really amazed by the thorough attention that is given to even minor details. Everything in this movie just fits together perfectly....the pace, the setting, the overall mood, the way one thing leads to another....everything. The director of this movie did a great job. Of course, what would this movie be without the excellent performances given by its cast. Who would've known that Audrey Hepburn, one of the classiest ladies of the twentieth century, would be so appropriate for a thriller like this one. She plays a blind woman, and she is so right for this part. Her performance is remarkable....I cannot picture any other actress of the day in that role. Also, Alan Arkin is awesome, playing a psychotic killer. For the most part, this movie contains some shocking moments that will make you jump. Definitely wait until dark to see this movie....turn off all the lights and watch it after midnight if you can, for an even greater suspenseful effect.

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17 out of 26 people found the following comment useful :-
GREAT THRILLER STAGE STUFF BECAUSE OF AUDREY & ALAN!, 5 November 2004

Author: shepardjessica-1 from United States

I'j not a big fan of thriller plays (and I've acted in this one), but well-made with superb casting - mainly Ms. Hepburn & Mr. Arkin with gliding, smooth support from Mr. Crenna & Mr. Weston; superbly lit with a great set and menacing music, it was Hepburn's last film for nine years and she should have won Best Actress (nominated), and I pick Bonnie & Clyde to win ALL the other categories (acting-wise), she kicks into gear and then retires..until ROBIN & MARION nine years later.

Anyway, most stage-play thrillers don't make it on FILM, but this one is very claustrophobic and believable because of Hepburn (who studies with blind people for a while). Turn the lights off ..like they did in the last 8 minutes in the theatre when it opened in '67!

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9 out of 11 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the greatest thrillers ever made, 19 July 2005

Author: The_Void from Beverley Hills, England

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

I went into Wait Until Dark with high expectations, due to what I've heard; but the film didn't meet them...it massively surpassed them! Honestly, I really can't praise this slick thriller enough - but I'm certainly going to try! What makes Wait Until Dark so brilliant is not the acting, the characters or even the plot; it's the claustrophobic setting. As the film is based on a stage play, most of the action takes place in just one setting - the apartment of Suzy, a blind woman. Director Terence Young makes best use of this fact to make the film what it is, as we are always focused on Suzy's living space, and through closed camera movements and the way that Young shows what is going on outside the apartment from the inside; we are really able to get into the world of the paranoid and frightened blind woman at the core of the story. The story itself features a crook named Roat, played by the underrated Alan Arkin, who has lost a doll containing heroin. After finding out it's made it's way into Suzy's apartment; the man recruits two fellow criminals, and together the men spin a web of lies to finally get Suzy to hand over what they want.

Wait Until Dark is a constantly fascinating film that is as exciting as it is intelligent throughout. Despite spending a lot of it's running time on the story surrounding the crooks and the doll; the film still finds time to build a character for Suzy, and you will not be able to do anything but get behind her as you watch her being tricked by the criminals. It's dramatic irony at it's finest! Earlier on I said that the acting is not what makes the film great - and it's not - but the fine performances certainly don't hinder it! Audrey Hepburn gives what is maybe the finest performance of her career as the star of this film. Playing a blind character can't be easy, but Hepburn ensures that she is always believable in the role and massively impresses throughout. She is joined by the excellent and underrated Alan Arkin, who gives a suitably demonic performance as Roat; the leader of Suzy's attackers. His understated evil blends well with his rather odd demeanour and on the whole, I can't understand why he hasn't gone on to become more famous. Richard Crenna and Jack Weston complete the cast, as Roat's henchmen, and both do a good job as the men deceiving Suzy.

Wait Until Dark is a unique film, as there aren't that many covering the topic of blind people, and there's even less in the thriller genre. The best is really made of Suzy's affliction too, and the film gives us something of an insight as to what it means to be blind. I really liked the way that the film didn't portray our heroine as a completely helpless individual too; despite the fact that she's massively disadvantaged, Suzy is always shown as being a resourceful woman. The way that the film implants you into it's story is fabulous and the tagline - "The blinds moving up and down...the squeaking shoes...and then the knife whistling past her ear..." gives you an idea of what you're in for. Young has given the film a great attention to detail, and taps into the fact that blind people have more acute senses of hearing and smell by way of several sequences that see Suzy outwit her opponents. The film's true brilliance comes towards the end - and the climax to the film is beautifully poetic. On the whole, I can't recommend this movie enough. It's unfair that the film hasn't been blessed with a more suitable status since it's release in 1967, and for that reason and many more - you absolutely must see this film!

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9 out of 12 people found the following comment useful :-
Gutsy filmmaking and great performances, 15 November 2001

Author: Susan (srella) from New York

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

Everyone's afraid of the things that go bump in the night. For people who are blind, things that go bump in the day can be just as frightening.

Terrence Young's "Wait Until Dark," starring Audrey Hepburn, capitalizes on just that fear. A man in an airport is handed a doll by a complete stranger. The doll, unbeknownst to the man, is being used to transport heroin into the country. When some crooks want the doll, they track down the man. Their search leads them to his New York City apartment ... and his wife, who is blind.

Audrey Hepburn turns in a wonderful performance as Suzy Hendrix, a woman who has been coping with blindness for a year. Just starting blind school and learning how to relive her life, Suzy is a functioning -- albeit frightened -- mass of walking vulnerability. Her husband (Efrem Zimbalist, Jr.) is intent on making her learn how to do things on her own, and she is eager to please him, while at the same time desperate for help. Her stress and fatigue is palpable.

When the crooks -- played by Richard Crenna and Jack Weston, and led by a heavily accented Alan Arkin -- begin their elaborate confidence scam against Suzy, she has no way of knowing they are lying. If Crenna says he is an old war friend of Suzy's husband, how does she know he is making it up? If they tell her there is a police car watching her from outside her window, how is she supposed to know the street is empty? If the leader Roat is a different character each time he comes into her apartment, how can she tell?

Sadly -- and very suspensefully -- she is unable to tell truth from lies without the help from both her young neighbor Gloria and her own heightened senses. The suspense shifts halfway into the film from us wondering if she will be swayed by the conmen to if she will be able to outsmart them, and, ultimately, if she will be able to outlive them.

"Wait Until Dark" is an amazingly suspenseful film with wonderful performances by Hepburn, Arkin, and Crenna. It keeps you both on the edge of your seat and at the end of your patience as you wait for Hepburn to realize what we already know. Not only are the men out to get the doll, but they are out to destroy Hepburn's confidence, as well as her life.

Hepburn is totally believable as a blind woman, and she certainly did enough background work to earn the commendation -- as well as an Oscar nomination. Studying at a school for the blind before filming began, Hepburn learned how to use a walking stick, how to do her hair and make-up with her eyes closed, and even wore special contact lenses to impair her vision. Watching her, you truly feel her desperation and her vulnerability.

Perhaps what makes this feel so good is the boldness of its approach. Just as Hepburn smashes out the light bulbs in her apartment to nullify her enemies' advantage, so too does director Terrence Young put the audience in the same spot as both the victim and the attacker. With moments of pure darkness in the film's final, nail-biting scene, the audience is also rendered blind, forced to rely on their other senses, just as Suzy does. It is gutsy, and it is brilliant. The loss of vision only heightens our tension. It makes us the hunted.

Granted, there are some questionable plot points -- such as why Suzy didn't let young Gloria, who she soon found had the doll all along, keep it at her place, and out of the hands of the con artists, as well as the perplexing question of why a blind woman living in New York City very seldomly locks her door. But these are minutia in a sea of wonderful filmmaking, and nothing can take away from the "Wait Until Dark"'s wonderful, gradual climation of suspense. It is subtle, it is perfectly cast, and it is scary as hell.

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