Thorold Dickinson's 1940 classic Gaslight is all about control. Paul Mallen, the villain of the film, methodically manipulates his wife into believing that she is crazy. In fact, the film gave birth to the popular use of the term "gaslighting."
According to the Oxford dictionary, gaslighting means to "manipulate (someone) by psychological means into questioning their own sanity."
Thorold Dickinson paints a picture of a domestic form of gaslighting with heavy sexist subtext. Paul Mallen, alarmed that his wife has stumbled upon proof of his real identity, gaslights in three ways: through control of information, location, and personhood.
The Control of Information
A quote from the film Enemy rings true to this theme. "Control. Every dictatorship has that one obsession."
It's easy to draw parallels between a dictatorship and the Mallen household. Paul Mallen carefully controls what information Bella does and doesn't see, engaging in a micro-scale censorship campaign.
For example, in the first act of the film, Bella excitedly waits for a letter from her cousin. She says,"I haven't had one in such a long time, I do hope it is from cousin Vincent." Enthusiastically skimming through letters on a table, she can't seem to find it.
Nonchalantly, Paul responds,"Why should there be a letter for you?" This plants a seed of doubt in Bella's head. Was there ever really a letter? Instead of yelling at Bella and calling her crazy, Paul guides Bella to come to this conclusion herself. This is much more powerful, and leads to a persistent sense of inner turmoil.
We see the peak of Paul's devious plot just minutes after this scene. He has Vincent's letter, and is hiding it from Bella!
The Control of Location
Typical of the Edwarnian Era, Bella is constrained to the house while her husband Paul has free reign to do nearly whatever he wants. Other films set in this era such as The Stranger and North by Northwest display similarly problematic gender roles.
Paul Mallen takes full advantage of this misogynistic practice.
When Bella takes her dog for a walk in the neighborhood park, Paul appears and forces her to return to their house. Scolding her, he says "You, who cannot control yourself in your own home, risk such a thing with a complete stranger!" As a quiet, subservient wife, Bella is horrified whenever Paul yells at her. This encourages her to stay within the confines of their house, allowing Paul to continue to gaslight her.
Likewise, later in the film, Paul invites Bella to attend a charity concert with him. She mistakes this invitation for goodwill, and is thrilled to accompany him. However, once the concert starts, Paul falsely accuses Bella of stealing his watch. This causes her to cry in shame and embarrassment, ensuring that Bella loses the urge to leave the house again.
The Mallen house is Paul's fortress. He is in full control there, and can manipulate his wife and servants in a cruel game. The only times that he is weak is when this bubble is burst. When Vincent and B.G. force themselves into the house, Paul's sense of control is shattered.
Personhood
Like many husbands of the time, Paul strips Bella of her freedom and individuality. In the Mallen household, she is essentially relegated to his servant.
This shocking practice is evident from the very beginning of the film. Bella tries to be kind with the servants, and hopes to help them with their chores. Paul forces the servants to walk up to their room, and rudely instructs them to make muffins and clean the kitchen. Small instances like this humiliate Bella, and undermine her attempts to have any semblance of control in her own household.
Another persistent symbol of Paul's abuse of power is the Mallen dog. Bella wants the dog to be a member of their family, and allows him free reign in the house. Infuriated, Paul yells "It's unnatural! The fuss you make over that thing." Continuing, he accuses her of "not even wanting to be like other people." Paul turns something as mundane as having a dog into a smear on Bella's character.
Likewise, this accusation allows Paul not only to manipulate Bella, but also to shape her personality. By restricting her to the Mallen house, she has a limited idea of what other people are really like. Therefore, she is at Paul's mercy, because he has become the judge of what is and what isn't normal behavior.
The term "gaslighting" as had a resurgence in recent years. The age of social media, fake news, and alt-facts has led to an increased awareness, and susceptibility, of the dangers of gaslighting. All it takes is a quick read through the comment sections of a political post or Trump's twitter feed to see that Bella Mallen isn't the only one being "gas-lit."
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