The Power of Belief

I was able to catch one my most favorite on the big screen this past weekend at the AFI Silver: Gaslight (the excellent 1944 version).  It stars Charles Boyer, Ingrid Bergman, and my beloved Joseph Cotten.  And gave rise to the term "gaslighting" which means a person is made to this he or she is going crazy through the machinations of someone else.  It comes from the fact that when Charles Boyer turns on the gaslight in the unused attic, it cause the gaslight in Ingrid Bergman's bedroom (or whatever room she is in) to flicker and reduce in intensity.  And, Ingrid Bergman is the only to see it.  So this, in addition to Charles Boyer making her think that she is constantly losing or misplacing things (including pictures) and the belief that her mother was insane as well, makes Ingrid think she is crazy.  But (one) thing that saves her is the Joseph Cotten believes her.  He believes that she isn't losing or misplacing things, she isn't imagining the flicker of the gaslight.  And most importantly, he believes her before he witnesses the gaslight flicker personally.  This movie can really cement the idea that having someone else believe in is extremely powerful.