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Keller is mortally scared, afraid both because he and his wife Alma (Dolly Haas) are refugees, taken in by the rectory, and of what'll happen when the murder is discovered. Then the obvious conclusion hits him; there's no evidence to pin him to the crime and Father Logan can't say a word due to the seal of Confession. Thus Keller goes to work as usual, in Villette's garden, and pretends to find the body when he arrives. Realising what's happening, Father Logan also goes to the scene of the crime, where a large, inquisitive crowd has gathered. Since he can't put Inspector Larrue (Karl Malden) right about the sequence of events, Father Logan hastily departs and runs straight into Ruth Grandfort (Anne Baxter), an old friend, who says the most extraordinary thing - "Now we're free". Unfortunately, Larrue happens to notice this strange encounter.
At first there are no clues, but then Larrue gets lucky and finds a pair of witnesses worth showing to the Chief Prosecutor Willy Robertson (Brian Aherne). These little girls claim to have seen a priest leaving Villette's house at around the time of the murder, giving Larrue a few questions that he'd like to ask Father Logan. Meanwhile, Ruth is with her husband Pierre (Roger Dann), seemingly happily married but in fact hung up on someone else. When Larrue picks up Father Logan, she falls apart while Pierre comprehends the truth that he's known all along. The big question now is whether Father Logan will honor the sanctity of the confessional, especially when Keller starts actively working to implicate him.
The entire premise of I Confess is that a Catholic priest cannot break the sanctity of Confession under any circumstances; this is a fine premise, especially when murder is involved. Hitchcock handles the uncertainty and implications of such a case with a sure touch, following through to the bitter end the possibilities surrounding Father Logan. As the circumstantial evidence and eyewitness accounts build up, it's impossible not to feel pity regarding Father Logan's dilemma and likely demise. However, it's fairly obvious that once the opportunity to confide in his fellow priests has passed, that Father Logan isn't going to tell anyone (let alone the police). Combined with the feeling that a priest committing murder isn't quite as shocking today as it was in the 50s, the power of I Confess is somewhat reduced.
Where I Confess scores highly, and indicates the pedigree of its director, is in the unusual use of the camera to suggest symbolism beyond the obvious. Elements such as a police/fugitive movie poster appearing just as Father Logan is at his lowest ebb, or the twisted/placed very low camera angles, are suggestive (but without Hitchcock's usual clarity) of conflict. This theme carries through into the roles themselves, with most of the characters dealing with internal struggles (Father Logan's law-abiding nature and the desire to protect Ruth/Keller, Ruth wanting to help Father Logan but without hurting Pierre, Alma's love for her husband and for Father Logan and Robertson's friendship/justice dichotomy). It's ironic that almost everyone wants to do what they feel is right, yet they either make the situation worse or have no effect at all!
Clift does a reasonable job of embodying the conscience, morality and ethics of the priesthood. His love affair with Baxter is played out in a heavy-handed fashion, with lots of flashbacks, but it doesn't feel too implausible. The best part is handed to Malden though; he has lots of fun going after a priest, even if he is ultimately mistaken. Without a healthy amount of suspense all of this acting is for nothing though, and in this respect Hitchcock doesn't hit the mark. I Confess is just not up to his usual standard, which makes it merely average by any other measure.
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