Movie Monday: Alfred Hitchcock

So, this weekend I watched 2 great Alfred Hitchcock films, Blackmail and The Lady Vanishes. Although I had seen both of these films before, it was for a class and this was my first viewing for pleasure.

Blackmail is Hitchcock's first talking picture, and it was originally shot as a silent film. You can tell. The opening sequence lasts for about 10 minutes before anyone speaks. Although it is still early in his film career, Hitchcock displays many of the themes that appear in his later films, most notably the blonde female lead and the dark haired male lead. It is also one of Hitchcock's most interesting films because of the lack of distinction between hero and villain. Alice White is neither the heroine nor is she the villainess. No character emerges as a traditional hero. I really like this movie, but it takes a lot of concentration, like most Hitchcock movies. The lack of continuous sound makes it easy to lose interest, but stick with it! It is a great and interesting movie.

The Lady Vanishes is another unusal Hitchcock film: a comedy. The film does have the traditional Hitchcock moments of suspense, it is much more light-hearted than most of his fare. It also introduces two characters that became very popular in Britain: Charters and Caldicott. To me, these characters are far more interesting and likeable than the heroine, Iris. They should have more screen time, but even the great Hitchcock makes mistakes. I like this movie a lot because it offers a different more comedic version of Hitchcock, without lacking in story. Some of Hitchcock's color films also took a light tone (probably the best example is To Catch a Theif). However, The Lady Vanishes has a stronger storyline than any of those other light films Hitchcock made.