The ring (1927) - Alfred Hitchcock

In 1927 the prodigious filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock, by his own testimony, found his cinematic style, in that year produced which considers his first film, it contained all his major edges and distinctive guidelines. That film was The Lodger (1927), and in that same year, the great Hitch produces the picture now commented, perhaps a bit overshadowed by the consensual success of the initially cited feature, considered his first public and artistic great success. Well, this picture also contains many ingredients to become a very significant jewel of his silent films, in the days when Hitchcock produced soundless movies. It is also probably the only film in which the British also carried out as screenwriter, he does not adapt literary work to introduce a simple story, but with a remarkably staging. Presents the great director the experiences of two individuals, two boxers, one of them is reputed invincible, no one has withstood more than one round fighting him, until he finds someone who not only reaches the second assault, but overcomes; there will be a rematch, and by a twist of fate, this fight will also serve to define who stays with a girl who has intruded between them. Hitch in this case does not use his watchword, the suspense, but that is no impediment for him to configure an excellent silent movie.

                                     

We find ourselves in a fair, diverse attractions are held, one of them being a boxer, an invincible fighter, is Jack "one round" Sander (Carl Brisson), who has that nickname because nobody ever has fought more than one round against him. Who sells tickets for the fighting is his girl (Lillian Hall-Davis), who draws the attention of Bob Corby (Ian Hunter), he gets encouraged to challenge Jack, resists more than one round, and defeats him. The defeated boxer is now out of work for being overcomed, but Bob's agent, who is heavyweight champion in Australia by the way, offers a job, being the sparring partner for the champion. Jack takes the job, not knowing that Bob is courting his girlfriend, who without much hestitation kisses and allows that approach. After marrying his girlfriend, Jack starts his new job, exchanges blows in the workouts with Bob, while noting how he gets closer to his new wife, she never opposes it. Jack, tired of it, wants to challenge the professional boxer, and for that trains hard and goes up in the categories of pugilists, until he gets a fight whose victory would allow him to challenge the defending champion Bob. Things do not change, the indecisive lady still appears elusive with her husband, while the Australian champion makes her ostentatious gifts and spends a lot of time with her, but when Jack wins his fight, will have a final chance to face arch-rival.

The first images of the film gives us a direct indication of what we will see on the picture, when frantically we enter the world of the fair, and good Hitchcock dizzily chains shots of the different entertainments offered there. Low angle, high angle shots, movements of a mobile camera, even a camera emplaced in one of the games, achieving an effect of rocking swinging, a variety of angles in his shots. Everything is presented to us in a stream of images that gets actually that vertigo, and as well I read in a review, more than one might get remembrances of the old last century's Soviet cinema. After that compelling presentation, another resource we observe, with the face of the female protagonist hovering in an overlayed shot, all denoting what looks like an effervescent mood in the filmmaker, because a few minutes later, more faces appear using that technique. Unlike many other exercises by Hitchcock, now, instead of a start that immediately weaves an intrigue or mystery, we have the flashy visual exercise. It seems as if Hitch had self discovered, having reached the summit for the first time with The Lodger, almost we felt a filmmaker who wants to eat the world, that feels capable of cinematic prowess, and ventures to do so without fear and with enthusiasm. Even a correct construction of his images is seen, greater sharpness in the frames  that apparently is due in part to good financing, a budget that could allow Hitch a pleasant shooting, as reflected in that work so well done, which certainly does not lack some sequences markedly dark, as when appears the pythoness telling the girl her fortunes. But Hitch furthers his effervescent enthusiasm as filmmaker who began to build his cornerstones, experiment with his camera, we see reflected shots in the water, with the shimmery effect given by the liquid, added to repeating overlayed images. In the wedding sequence, while putting us in the perspective of the drunkard Jack's coach, a distortion of the image resembles his drunkenness, we observe a filmmaker experimenting with the sufficiency of who is aware of his capabilities, Hitchcock felt ebullient.

When Jack goes mad with jealousy, again the reality is distorted, the darkness plagues everything, that distortion will combine to overlayed shots, and that dementia, in which are shown images of hands playing the piano and string instruments, of a disc rolling quickly, makes us almost hear the wildness and hubbub in a silent film, recreates an expressionistic and chaotic world of jealousy. This is one of the most visual films of the author, his images are very significant, for example she, hiding the bracelet, holding in her hand the suit of the king of diamonds, she knows it represents Bob, and always hiding truth regarding the bracelet, caresses the suit. Moreover, when she gets married to Jack, the bracelet -which is an obvious symbol- eloquently falls almost to touch the wedding ring, Hitch gets his images to speak, always did in his films, and at the stage of silent cinema is when that feature is more powerful. Hitch always knew to tell wordless, we saw examples in The Lodger, and now we will see how the signboard -whose content is changing, it is not kept static- announces fights while at the same time tells us the rise of Jack, who goes climbing categories to challenge his opponent. Hitchcock took his first steps as a director led by producer Michael Balcon, began his independent career just three years before the arrival of sound in 1928 with The Jazz Singer. He never narrated in a completely conventional way, even in the stage of silent film, we see that he was eminently a modern filmmaker, but he knew to equally excel in silent films. Also is pleasing to detect the known detail-orientation by Hitch at this stage of his career, a filmmaker who paid attention to small details to enrich the picture, like seeing the posters announcing the rounds, the poster of the first round is very worn and dirty, showing the constant use is given; on the contrary, the poster for round 2 is bright as new, reporting that is indeed the first time it is used, no one had ever come to a second round with "one round" Jack. Another similar resource is when Jack, excited for having won the fight that will allow him to opt for the championship, wants to toast with his wife, but the champagne bubbles disappear, giving us to understand how much they have waited for a woman who is having fun with her husband's opponent.

As noted, this feature is one of the few, and I understand, the only one in which Hitch serves as screenwriter, feels almost a miracle that the director does not adapt a literary work, which was one of his biggest edges in his film career. However, when seeing the picture one understands perfectly that, it is noted as in almost no other film of his that narrative, since there are so little dialogue, certainly nonverbal language is everything. Without resorting to his just discovered suspense, now love triangle looms as the main vertex, and soon the stage has already been outlined, and the triangle has its three corners, the two boxers, and amidst the girl. A girl who incidentally is one of the few exceptions as brunette girl protagonist in a picture by Hitch. At one point, in order to introduce his film, puts us in the perspective of an assistant to the fair, when at the beginning of the final round of the first fight between Jack and Bob, the dark silhouettes of the other attendees impede vision and passing, with simplicity creates that feeling that we are also on the site. We will even see some cameras recording the final fight, as a sort of nod to his profession, it feels as if the filmmaker was having fun, as if he happened to be having a good time during filming, and who knows the artist, knows that's something that characterized him. The humor could not be absent in a film by Hitchcock, and is embodied mainly in the figure of Jack's coach, who performs delirious nonsense when he delivers the rings at the time of marriage, later getting drunk during the wedding reception. Hitch never lacked humor in his features, nor in darkest ones nor in the more benign, and we almost feel him solacing when we see the coach first picking his nose vulgarly, drinking heatedly afterwards, since most of the comic load of the movie rests in the colorful character. In the final sequence, the final fight, much of previously appreciated is epitomized, distorted frames, overlays, medium shots, american shots, closeups, all assembled in a montage that captures the particular dynamism and movement of a boxing fight, multiplied dementia. Teaches lecture the director for alike subsequent film exercises such as The Set-Up (1949) with the great Robert Ryan, with the photogram of fallen fighter framed behind the opponent's legs; also we feel some noticeable halos that Raging Bull (1980) would adopt, with travellings that capture the severe vertigo of combat; masterfully captured sequence. What a film exercise, is a rarity in the Hitch oeuvre, with boxing as one of his subjects, without suspense, but the titan had awakened, there was no going back, was born one of the greatest names in the history of cinema.

The ring (1927)

The Set-Up (1949) 

The Manxman (1929) - Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the biggest names in film history, the immortal master of suspense that would generate numerous and imperishable films, creating school and leaving perennial imprint on subsequent generations of filmmakers. Now, the stage of talkies in the genius of suspense is not the best known for the vast majority of public viewers, but the fact is that the British master also had his moment in the silent film, far less prolific than the rear sound stage, but not without good works. The film now discussed is the last one from good Hitch for silent cinema, still shoting in his native Britain, but already assimilating and accepting what since 1928 was an inescapable reality, the advent of sound in cinema. Hitchcock since his inception was already given to literary adaptations to the cinema, now adapts a bestseller by Hall Caine, in which the story of a love triangle is portrayed. It is the story of a fisherman, lifelong friend of an eminent lawyer, both meet a beautiful girl, they fall in love with her, but is the fisherman who is closer to her; being rejected by her father because over his poor economic condition, he decides to travel, make money and come back for her, she promises to wait, and he leaves her under the care of his friend, a decision that he will regret. Attention to the farewell of silent movies by Hitch.

              

With images of the sea and sailing world we enter a port where fishermen are working and earn their daily bread. Here we see the fisherman Pete Quilliam (Carl Brisson), who receives  visit by his friend Philip Christian (Malcolm Keen), successful lawman who reports of an employment possibility. They go to the Isle of Man, where they meet young Kate Cregeen (Anny Ondra), daughter of the local business owner, and both are spellbound by the girl. It seems that Pete has more chemistry with her, but Kate's father, Caesar Cregeen (Randle Ayrton), completely rejects fisherman because of his humble condition. Pete gets, however, Kate to promise to wait for him, he will travel to Africa to raise money and approval of Caesar, leaving the girl in the care of his good friend Philip. Time passes, Kate and the lawyer have approached themselves, they have fallen in love, false news about the death of Pete makes them consume their love, but the fisherman lives, and eventually returns to the island. Upon returning, the three are reunited, both hide the truth to Pete, he and Kate get married, she has become pregnant, but the child is Philip's, who has gone away from it all, to focus on his career, he is about to be appointed Judge. Philip gets the nomination, he and Kate have not forgotten each other, she runs away from home, finally the truth can not be hidden any more and the three characters must take decisions.

The image with which all credits of the film are seen presents some large boulders in the bay, the surf caressing the rocks, fiery as the passions that move humans, we are being introduced a prelude to the story that we are about to watch. Some moralistic intention peeps out in the Hitch film, when a text box reports the thought of how no matter if a man wins it all, if in change loses his soul, a feature that curiously would not leave the cinema of the British, and the friends of the French nouvelle vague, Truffaut in the front, later would seek to claim. The prologue of this short film will be diagramming its stage, the bay and its intense waves, followed by the serene journey that makes the camera around the port, make an introduction to the world of fishermen, because they are also reached by the camera with general shots; the physical context of history has been presented to us promptly. Good Hitchcock in his cinematic language at the end of the silent era shows sober, creating pleasant images, harmonious framings, which at the times that flow, are appreciable. While there are not many outdoor shots, we have a significant example of it in the short sequence of Philip walking in the park with Kate, with imposing and beautiful general shots, but there will be other relevant sequence in this regard. I refer to the sequence in which both meet on the beach, with some interesting low-angle and high-angle shots, with pierced rocks framing the characters, setting up an interesting visual exercise that differs from the rest of the footage, another exercise outdoors where the filmmaker makes good use of these open spaces, and the posibilities of that bay. Also among the resources used we will see the classic overlayed planes, and while not use this too much, we can observe it in certain sequences, a fairly common technique in then cinema, which Hitch seemes not to have had problems in running.

The narrative strength of the picture lies partly in the first shots appreciated, the resource becomes powerful narrative tool of silent film, of silent stage of the great Hitch. The director says goodbye to his time in the silent cinema paying tribute to the resources of that phase of the cinema, and so we see some images or elements that narrate without words, and an exemplary sequence of this is the one with Kate's diary. Two female hands explore the tiny notebook where when turning pages we see the interaction of both, with Philip, the closeness that the characters have developed, particularly being eloquent the sheet where she strikeout "Mr. Christian" to write "Philip". Extraordinary use of narrative tool, wordless and through an image we are witnessing the change in their feelings, it has definitely been an approach, and is a good example of how the master performed his last brushstrokes managing the expressive and narrative resources that the projecting silent cinema offered in its dusk. Another moment as well exemplary becomes when Philip and Kate consume their torrid affair, in the family mill, she drives the gears of the mill, while the camera focuses these gears moving, we know what is happening, again Hitch uses an expressive and at the time narrative tool of silent movies, communicating without words for the last time, at least in a soundless film; then the mill will come back to scene when Caesar compares it with a mill of God, slowly rotating, causing discomfort and remorse in clandestine lovers. The film however gets acquiring a darker aesthetic, as the psyche of the characters is degrading, in particular according to Kate, and her slow debacle, because she has virtually led a double life. It is true that in some sequences a marked theatricality halo in its conception is noticed -the final sequence with the three of them is a good example of it-, but overall the feature does not feel like it fell too much in those depicts.











It prevails on the movie a not so dynamic or loose camera, although is efficient in administering the shots, generating medium shots, long shots, American shots, good frames of the protagonists also; as stated, in his farewell of silent films, Hitchcock uses a sober and serene, not spectacular language, even to say that Hitch was sopposedly more pending of the talkie Blackmail and its realization, since both features were held almost simultaneously; those were prolific years for the British. Hitchcock set the adaptation of a novel where the protagonists are beings prisoners of the circumstances, their unbridled passions, some passions which generally have fatal outcomes, but the picture is not given that, a picture that certainly seems to have left unsatisfied writer Hall and filmmaker as well. The protagonists and their plight suggest a tragic corollary, like a pressure cooker ready to explode, but finally the director chooses rather a harmless, lukewarm outcome, that does not feel entirely according to the circumstances presented, and a likely source of nonconformity from the writer. It's a simple story, without much ornaments or spectacular twists in its development, is a story that rests on passions, jealousies, lies, love and hate, that's why it is quite human, so it feels true, close and plausible. As acting attraction we have the Ondra, beautiful playing well her mercurial character, we delight seeing her beautiful and graceful, Kate's youthful spontaneity and volubility are well embodied by the Polish actress, who gives freshness and innocence to the island girl. The story is known, and there are even videos, of beautiful Ondra auditioning for the first sound film by Hitchcock, Blackmail, released the same year as this feature. Apparently the Eastern Europe accent of actress, although did filmmaker doubt at the beginning, eventually convince him though, and thus closed the Polish the stage of the silent cinema for Hitchcock, and inaugurated the sound stage, certainly a nice trivia. She is the subject of most of the close-ups of the film, and that is something to thank, for these close ups of her beautiful face are the aesthetically more attractive matter of the movie, reflecting and emphasizing her lightness and frivolity, because at times there is real uncertainty of what will the girl do, who behaves like a weathervane for most of the film. I think the film can not be considered as a masterpiece, it is still far from the greatest achievements, both silent and sound by filmmaker, but it's a good movie, something necessary and unmissable for Hitch fans, his last silent film.