U.K. Length: 96 minutes
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Cast: Anny Ondra, Sara Allgood, Charles Paton, John Longden, Donald Calthrop, Cyril Ritchard, Hannah Jones, Harvey Braban, Sergeant Bishop
www.imdb.com/title/tt0019702
Eric's Impressions: It's not a surprise that Alfred Hitchcock probably has more films on this list than any other director. His films are never boring with countless plot twists usually revolving around murder. This is no exception and though this is one of his earliest, it's right up there with many of his later films. I read that Hitchcock had shot the film as a silent picture, but then went back and re shot it with sound. He pulls no punches here and has no problem casting a female as the murderer even if it was in self-defense. Note that Hitchcock's weapon of choice is often the knife and I think he feels that it's impossible for the person wielding it to escape his/her own passion and emotion when they finally do use it
Natalie's Impressions: Anny Ondra's performance fits right in with the other blonde Hitchcock girls that came after her. Her story is also very indicative of future storyline that feature violence against women. Always the artistic filmmaker, Hitchcock never shows us those rape or murder scenes. They are alluded to or covered up or only heard and not seen. This film is a talkie and the rape scene is one in which that latter technique is used to great effect. The dead rapist's hand protruding from the bed sheets is sufficiently haunting for the female protagonist as well as for the viewer. The rapist is not the only character who pulls off a performance of a character you love to hate. The man thought to be the murderer is as slimy as they come with the oily smile and smooth talk. Lucky for Anny's character, her boyfriend the policeman is wittier and quicker than the blackmailing criminal!
COUNTDOWN: Just 967 movies to go!
No comments:
Post a Comment