How And Why Conflict 1945 Movie Reminds You Of Meitantei Conan Anime?

(*Warning for possible spoilers for Conflict, a 1945 black-and-white suspense film noir made by Warner Brothers and parts of episode 1 and some of the general plot of the Meitantei Conan anime and manga series by Gosho Aoyama)

How is Conflict similar to Meitantei Conan (Detective Conan)?

Short synopsis of Conflict

Conflict (1945) (#ad) is a murder mystery movie. It tells the story of a man (named Richard Mason, played by Humphrey Bogart) who kills his own wife (named Kathryn Mason, played by Rose Hobart), but the question that the audience will be asking isn’t who committed the crime but on whether the criminal has executed the perfect crime and on whether the victim is actually still alive or not.

Short synopsis of Meitantei Conan

Meitantei Conan (#ad) is the story of a brilliant detective (named Kudo Shinichi) who solves all sorts of mysteries, including murder crimes.

The title character is a high school detective who ends up back in his childhood form (he takes on the name Edogawa Conan as a kid), due to certain circumstances, but who is able to retain his knowledgeable and skilled mind. He might currently look like a kid but his mind is still that of a very smart and capable adult.

Similarities between Conflict and Meitantei Conan

What similarities do these 2 shows share aside from the fact that both belong in the mystery genre? When I was watching Conflict, parts of it reminded me strongly of Detective Conan because of the striking similarity of some of the scenes.

Broken leg thanks to an accident

In the Conflict film, thanks to a car accident, Richard Mason, an engineer and the main character, breaks his leg so he is unable to walk for a while. When his leg heals, Richard pretends that he is still unable to walk even though the truth is that he can already walk with the help of a cane.

In episode 1 of Detective Conan, there’s this guy (he’s just a minor character that only appears in this episode and isn’t even named) who does the same thing that Richard does.

He gets his leg broken in an accident and he pretends to be unable to walk even though his leg is fully healed already. He even sits in a wheelchair to strengthen the lie.

Tell a lie to commit the perfect crime

Both this guy and Richard Mason have a very good reason for this pretense. They need people to believe that they’re injured and incapacitated in order to get away with murder. Both are planning to murder someone so they need an alibi to be able to avoid suspicion.

With a broken leg, who would suspect that they could actually get up and kill someone, right? Both might think that they’ve committed the perfect crime and even the audience might think so as well, but, of course, in the end, both of them are caught and exposed for the murderers that they really are as the truth finally comes to light.


*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by MizuSasori (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- The bandage on the figure’s arm is meant to represent the bandages that Richard Mason from Conflict 1945 movie and the guy from Meitantei Conan anime series used to pretend that they were still injured and incapable of moving around
- Pics are enlarged product images from Amazon.com; links shown above
- YouTube video features the Conflict 1945 murder mystery movie film trailer

Conflict 1945 Movie Review: Why You Should Watch This Murder Mystery?

Conflict (1945) (#ad) is a black-and-white suspense film noir made by the Warner Brothers that tells the story of a man named Richard Mason, played by Humphrey Bogart, who kills his own wife.

Is it possible to commit the perfect crime?

One of the things that makes this movie interesting is how the audience already knows who the criminal is, but the rest of the characters still don’t know who committed the murder.

We are made to wonder if Richard Mason was able to commit the perfect crime or if he will actually be apprehended and caught, and, if so, how.

Surprises in Conflict

Conflict has many twists and turns and surprises in store for its viewers. There’s a lot of suspense as you keep trying to guess what will happen next.

Then, just when you think you’ve got the movie all figured out, events and scenes happen that prove you wrong and make you think yet again.

Plotholes in Conflict

But, while it’s a fun and suspense-filled film, it’s not without its imperfections and plot holes.

For example, you’ll have to wonder why the couple (Richard and Kathryn Mason (played by Rose Hobart)) got married in the first place if the man clearly didn’t love his wife enough to not kill her.

There were also some characters that haven’t been characterized properly and whose actions and feelings were too vague that they just ended up confusing the audience. For example, exactly who is one of the female characters (Evelyn Turner (played by Alexis Smith), Kathryn’s little sister) really in love with?

Why does it seem like she likes one man one moment and then another the next? Or why is it that one of the characters seems to believe that one of the female characters is really in love with him?

However, regardless of those confusing things, Conflict still manages to be a suspenseful, enjoyable and good murder mystery film that you’d surely be interested in watching especially if you like mysteries, noir, and black-and-white movies.


*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki based on the image by Rusembell (CC:BY) from deviantArt
- Image is meant to symbolize how Richard killed his own wife, Kathryn
- First pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above
- YouTube video features the trailer for the Conflict film

Reasons Why Conflict 1945 Murder Mystery Movie Is Interesting?

(*Warning for possible spoilers for Conflict, a black-and-white suspense film noir made by Warner Brothers)

Conflict (1945) (#ad) is a murder mystery, but this differs from other murder mysteries because of how the audience isn’t made to wonder who the culprit could be. Instead, we are shown the killer’s identity and the question now is what happens after the crime is committed and on whether or not the culprit was able to pull off the perfect crime.

Conflict makes you ask questions

This is one of the things that makes this movie interesting. Another is how it keeps the audience second-guessing themselves as they try to figure out what will happen next and what is really going on.

The film keeps you asking questions and trying to make you doubt what you think you know. It’s quite suspenseful that way as it keeps your attention and makes you look forward to finally being able to solve the mystery.

Is Kathryn Mason really dead or not?

For example, we see Richard Mason (played by Humphrey Bogart), the main character, kill his own wife, Kathryn Mason (played by Rose Hobart), so we know that she’s dead. Or, at least, we think that she’s dead.

We didn’t see her dead body as the film cleverly conceals that from us, but it very much heavily implies that she’s dead, what with how we saw her fall down a steep slope and with how she’s been reported missing and hasn’t shown up at all.

Reasons to think that Richard’s wife is still alive

But then the movie shows us scenes that make us think that maybe Kathryn is actually still alive.

It’s not a farfetched idea at all since we didn’t actually see her dead body, so it seems plausible that she could be alive.

That belief is reinforced when we, along with Richard, see someone that looks like Kathryn walking around as if all was well.

Other events that occur, like how Richard gets a whiff of his wife’s perfume in their room or how her wedding ring appears in their safe again, can really make it seem as if Kathryn is either alive or is now a ghost and is haunting her killer. The latter can make you wonder if the Conflict film will also be including ghosts as part of its plot.

Can you figure out Conflict’s plot and storyline?

But, just when you think that you’ve got the film figured out already and that Kathryn really is still alive, other events transpire, which serve to confuse you all over again and make you wonder if maybe you’ve got it all wrong.

For instance, we later find out that Evelyn Turner (played by Alexis Smith), Kathryn’s little sister, actually has the same kind of perfume as Richard’s wife so she could have been the one who went inside the Masons’ bedroom.

Other such incidents now make us suspicious of Evelyn as we wonder if, maybe, for some reason, she actually knew that her sister was dead so now she was trying to scare Richard into confessing to his crime or something.

Is Richard Mason insane?

Conflict also makes you consider yet another possibility. It could be that Richard is simply going just a little bit insane because of what he did. It could be that he’s feeling guilty about murdering his own wife so now he’s hallucinating and thinking that maybe Kathryn is still alive or haunting him even though she’s really actually dead.

For example, when Richard thought he caught a glimpse of someone who looked like his wife, he was quick to follow after this person.

But when he arrived at her destination and banged at her door, it turns out that no one was living there.

He even inspected the place and opened all the doors, but he saw no one at all so it could be argued that he was just seeing things and that he just imagined seeing his wife alive.

The same could be said when he saw the locket that his wife supposedly pawned. He even saw her signature on the ledger, but when he brought the police there, the man he was talking to had been replaced by someone else and the ledger with Kathryn’s signature was nowhere to be found, making Richard and the audience doubt if what Mason saw was real or not.

As such, until the very end of the film, you’ll be left wondering exactly what’s going on as you try to figure things out. The end may come as a surprise to many, but it’s a wonderful surprise and this really adds to how appealing and interesting the Conflict movie can be.


*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by hayashinomura (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- Image is meant to symbolize Kathryn who may or may not be dead since the figure looks mysterious and could pass off as a ghost
- First pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above
- YouTube video features the trailer for the 1945 film Conflict

Conflict 1945 Movie: How To Know If Your Own Husband Will Betray Your Trust?

(*Warning for possible spoilers for Conflict, a black-and-white suspense film noir made by Warner Brothers)

Conflict (1945) (#ad) is a murder mystery that doesn’t seek to answer the question of who committed the crime because we already know the culprit and we even see him do the evil deed. Rather, the film seeks to answer the question of what happens now after the crime has been committed and on whether or not the criminal can get away with what he did.

Kathryn Mason travels alone

One of the scenes in the Conflict movie involves Kathryn Mason (played by Rose Hobart), the wife of the main character, driving through mountain roads all by herself since her husband couldn’t accompany her on this trip due to the occurrence of some unforeseen events.

Meeting a stranger

The ride to her destination seems all right at first. However, when she gets to a certain spot, she discovers a car blocking her way.

She notices a man, who appears to be the driver of said car, standing nearby. She calls out to him, asking him to move the car, but the man doesn’t respond so she just decided to turn around and find another way to get to where she wanted to go.

Unexpected surprise in Conflict

As the man moves to approach her, Kathryn looks and feels scared and apprehensive, so much so that even the audience fear for her safety and worry about what will happen to her.

But then the man comes into view and both viewers and Kathryn breath a huge sigh of relief as the supposed stranger is revealed to be Richard Mason (played by Humphrey Bogart), Kathryn’s husband.

No reason to be afraid

Kathryn looks highly relieved at seeing that it’s just her husband who’s now standing in front of her and not some stranger who might do her harm or hurt her or even kill her or something. She isn’t scared anymore and her relief is palpable and understandable because this is her own husband that’s right in front of her, so what reason would she have to be afraid?

Reason to be scared of your own husband?

Who would have thought that Kathryn would have been so much safer if the man before her had been a total stranger because Richard had evil intentions towards her? Who would have expected that you’d have something to fear from the people that you know and the people that you trust?

Kathryn had no idea what her husband was planning to do to her and Richard was someone that she knew and trusted, so it was only understandable that she relaxed and was unafraid when she saw him.

But, as soon as it became apparent that Richard was planning something sinister, Kathryn’s entire demeanor changes and she is suddenly afraid and apprehensive and worried about what might happen to her.

What do you think she felt when she realized that she was in danger from someone that she actually knew and thought that she could trust?


*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki based on the image by Rusembell (CC:BY) from deviantArt
- Image of car is meant to symbolize how Kathryn also drove in a car before she was killed
- Second pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above
- YouTube video features the trailer for the Conflict 1945 movie

Reason Why You’ll Never Guess The Plot Of Conflict 1945 Movie

(*Warning for possible spoilers for Conflict, a black-and-white suspense film noir made by Warner Brothers)

Conflict (1945) (#ad) is about an engineer, named Richard Mason (played by Humphrey Bogart), who kills his own wife, Kathryn Mason (played by Rose Hobart). But who would have thought that that would be the plot of this movie or that it would actually be a murder mystery? Could you have guessed the genre of this film based on its title or its first few scenes?

The genre of Conflict

I didn’t know this was going to be a murder mystery when I first saw this movie.

It wasn’t because I didn’t get to watch this film from the beginning since I don’t think I missed much at all; probably just the first few or the opening scenes since I got to see the part where the Masons were talking and getting ready to go to their 5th wedding anniversary dinner party.

What does the movie title tell you?

However, even knowing the title really doesn’t tell you much at all. Would you think that the word or title 'Conflict' could pertain or refer to a murder mystery or imply that a murder was going to happen? Maybe, perhaps, but, then again, it could pertain to many other things as well since stories should have conflict.

Conflict’s storyline possibilities are endless

Knowing nothing about the Conflict movie, I had no idea what was going to happen as I continued to watch it. It seemed as if the film had endless possibilities and that many different scenarios could take place.

When Kathryn was accusing her husband of falling in love with her own sister, Evelyn Turner (played by Alexis Smith), and Richard wasn’t denying it, I thought that maybe Richard was going to start an affair with Evelyn or that Kathryn would do more to keep the 2 apart like how she suggested that her little sister should go back home to their mother.

I even had to wonder if perhaps Evelyn would also fall for Richard or if she would actually end up rejecting him.

Even when Richard got his leg broken due to a car accident, I had no idea that murder was about to occur.

The film didn’t really give an indication of that happening though maybe Doctor Mark Hamilton’s (played by Sydney Greenstreet), a good friend of the Masons’, psychological words might count as a hint since he said something about how thoughts can get stuck in your head.

When Richard pretended that he still couldn’t walk and when he made sure that he remained home while his wife went alone to the springs resort, I thought that he did that so that he could go visit Kathryn’s sister and maybe court her or have an affair with her or something.

I didn’t know that he was actually going to go and kill his own wife. Who would have thought, right? After all, he even told her to be careful while driving through the mountain roads.

So, it came as a shock and surprise when we soon see Richard murdering Kathryn. Now, I wondered if that meant that Richard was now free to get together with Evelyn and if that was what was going to happen.

After all, it seemed like he had committed the perfect crime. There’s no evidence against him and he has the perfect alibi or so it seems.

But Conflict continues to surprise its audience, seemingly at every turn, because, just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, scenes happen that prove otherwise and show that you got it all wrong.


*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki based on the image by Rusembell (CC:BY) from deviantArt
- Image is meant to symbolize how Richard murdered his own wife, Kathryn
- First pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above
- YouTube video features the trailer for the Conflict 1945 movie

Conflict 1945 Movie: How To Solve The Perfect Crime?

(*Warning for possible spoilers for Conflict, a black-and-white suspense film noir made by Warner Brothers)

Conflict (1945) (#ad) introduces us to Richard Mason (played by Humphrey Bogart), an engineer, who is married to Kathryn Mason (played by Rose Hobart). However, he’s actually in love with his wife’s younger sister, Evelyn Turner (played by Alexis Smith). So he plots to get rid of Kathryn so he can be free to be with Evelyn instead.

Is it possible to commit the perfect crime?

Since this is a murder mystery, Richard’s way of getting his wife out of the way is, of course, by killing her.

The question now is if the engineer was able to commit the perfect crime and if he could actually get away with what he did.

If not, then how can he be caught or apprehended if there are seemingly no clues or evidence that would point to him being the culprit?

Foreshadowing and Chekhov’s Gun

One of the really good things about this movie is how it employs the proper use of foreshadowing (a clue that can indicate or predict what might possibly happen, but doesn’t make the show any less suspenseful or surprising for you) and what is known as a Chekhov’s Gun (don’t include useless or pointless things in the plot; if a detail, no matter how seemingly insignificant is mentioned or shown, it must have a purpose that is relevant to what will happen in the story).

Pay attention to all the details

The Conflict movie really makes you pay attention to all the little details because they can serve as very important clues to help you figure things out. For example, who would have thought that something as seemingly insignificant as a flower would have any bearing on the plot of this film or that it actually had any use aside from simply being a flower?

Importance of a flower in Conflict

Near the beginning of the movie, Richard and Kathryn attend a party to celebrate their 5th wedding anniversary. Doctor Mark Hamilton (played by Sydney Greenstreet), a very good friend of theirs, gives Kathryn a flower, a rose, as a gift.

This flower is quickly forgotten and even the audience wouldn’t think much of it since it’s just a rose and how could it be important or even relevant to the plot? At first glance, it seemed that the only purpose of this flower was so that Doctor Hamilton could give Kathryn a gift.

But, later on, we see the appearance of yet another rose. Kathryn is on the way to a mountain resort, but she visits the doctor first before heading to her destination. Doctor Hamilton gives her a rose before she leaves. At this point, viewers wouldn’t think much of this gesture at all since we previously saw how the doctor gave Kathryn a flower in an earlier scene.

So it’s not strange or odd to see the doctor doing the same thing again. In fact, this act seems perfectly natural and, in the face of the events that soon follow, is quickly forgotten and deemed too unimportant to even be something that one should dwell on.

Who would have thought that this rose was actually very significant and would play an important role in getting Richard Mason apprehended as the criminal who killed his wife?

Richard said that his wife was wearing the rose flower the last time he saw her, but he shouldn’t have seen or even known about this because Kathryn only got that rose from Doctor Hamilton after she left Richard in their house and went off to see the doctor before heading for the mountain resort.


*Notes:
- Image with added text was modified by Freya Yuki (CC:BY-SA) based on the image by hayashinomura (CC:BY-SA) from deviantArt
- Rose in the image is meant to symbolize the rose flower that became an important clue in the movie
- Second pic is from Amazon.com; link shown above
- YouTube video features the Conflict trailer