The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) - Alfred Hitchcock

Before Alfred Hitchcock began to make sound films, and before he reached immortal fame as the master of suspense, the filmmaker took steps in silent cinema, in which about a dozen films produced. This film is his third feature, but, according to many critics and the filmmaker himself, could be considered his first film, in the sense that it is the first film containing so many major guidelines, directives, themes that would guide the rest of his pictures, is the first truly Hitchcockian film. From the beginning Hitch expressed his taste for cinema adapting a literary work, and this time the adapted novel is the work of Marie Belloc Lowndes, which as well was inspired by the notorious Jack the Ripper murders. Set in his native England, the portrayed story introduces us to a young guest at an inn, where there is much fear of a serial murderer who is killing women in the town, all blondes; the young fellow, who has a little strange habits, develops approach and attraction with the daughter of the family that hosts him, but everything is complicated when he becomes the prime suspect in the murders, especially when she is committed to the police officer handling the case. A remarkable silent film, was the first time that Hitch towered in a thriller full of intrigue, it was the first time that left imprint of his genius, the best Alfred Hitchcock had just been born.

                

In a British city, the first thing to appreciate is an alarmed and terrified crowd, as the body of a woman has appeared, the police begins to conduct research and warnings about this, which is not the first murder of this kind. Then we see a guest house, an inn whose housewife is Mrs. Bunting (Marie Ault), she lives with her husband (Arthur Chesney), and his daughter Daisy (June Howard Tripp), whom is courted by Joe (Malcolm Keen). Then it comes for hosting a new tenant (Ivor Novello), he has no problem paying a month in advance for a room. Joe, who is a policeman, is put in charge with the case of multiple murders, must search the murderer, while Daisy begins to meet and approaching the new host; she, despite consenting courtship of Joe and listening to his marriage proposal, actually is not convinced of marrying him. The days pass, Joe begins to suspect the host, who in turn develops pleasantness for the company of the female, there is an attraction which is reciprocated, as Daisy manifest preference for the mysterious young man, leaving aside the police. But Joe does not doubt anymore, breaks into the young's room, finds elements that incriminate him decisively, a situation from which the host flees. Local crowd thinks, as the detective, he is the culprit, and they are just about to lynch him, but there will be an opportunity to clarify everything at once.

The picture declares its intentions from the start, after seeing a picture with a certain set of contrast, the first foreground itself of the film is that of a woman screaming, screaming wildly, after which appears on the screen the words To Night - Golden Curls. Great premonition, appropriate anguish and oppression because afterwards we appreciate the appearance of the first female corpse, suspense and death have already been exposed. We have in this statement, To Night - Golden Curls, a sort of leitmotif recurrently appearing, remembering the murderer obsession, blonde curls, blonde victims to kill; even at the end of the film, with everything clarified, and the couple hugging, will reappear the legend, it was already printed an obsession of the murderer, but interestingly, of the filmmaker as well, whose weakness for blondes and his use of them in his main films is legendary. In the same vein, it is pleasant to nottice how Hitchcock is showing some signs of being a sort of modern director making silent movies, because although obviously he is limited to the resources that silent cinema offered, his narrative was already outlining resources of a new era of cinema. Proof of this is the sequence of a detective typing the police report, eyewitness accounts about the murderer: that blank, while being written, tells us these details, which are not exposed in a traditional way with text boxes. Also, a neon fulfill the same role when its dynamism gives us more scope of the situation, it is a way of telling rather more dynamic than traditional; in the twilight of silent films, Hitchcock began to show glimpses of relative modernity in his forms, in his language, and this would be seen in his later pictures. Thus, within the repertoire of technical resources of the filmmaker, although is not yet exploited all his imagery, we can start appreciating some notable effects such as some frames overlays when the family imagines the guest walking on the floor above. With this resource, coupled with low angle shots used in that sequence, intrigue continues being engendered, uncertainty and some mystery, while in turn shows his wit, in the final years of silent films.

In the film we can also appreciate a nice halo of expressionism, perfectly normal being that German movement one of the largest schools then in cinema, and indeed Hitchcock prints something like that, with some light and shadows game, lighting contrasts distorting reality a bit, and contributing to the overall atmosphere of perennial suspense. In this, the first Hitchcockian film, also is remarkable that in certain sequences suspense is generated by simplicity, details, simple details that together make up the total suspense, make us think that the murderer is the host. Small details like the suspect's first interactions with Daisy, he gets a knife, brandishing it with uncertain intentions toward her; then, as they play chess, takes a metal rod to stir the ashes of the fire, and again seems to have dishonest intentions against her, later the police find plans in his room, a female photograph as well. Until the end, all the details are incriminating against him, it seems that he is the murderer, or at least mildly, we are being insinuated of that. Further details, apparently minor ones but actually important, are for example the images of the candelabrum, constantly swinging, with which it is understood that the young man is walking, walking without stopping, restlessness and intrigue are reinforced. And the suspense is further strengthened in turn by Hitch's montage, is an at moments frantic montage in which the succession of images multiplies the emotion, foregrounds, detailed closeups of faces, objects, watches, scenarios details, feet walking. All that framework, certainly frantic assembly when needed resting on correct and accurate shots, is proof that the camera work and its expressive and narrative possibilities was always one of the most important watchwords in Hitchcock, his artistic tool was always a resource well exploited by the director. Final detail of drama and suspense we will get when see the already proven innocent about to be lynched by the crowd, when handcuffs got hooked on a fence, leaving him almost at the mercy of a human mass ready to execute him for crimes he didn't commit.

There are noticeable change from the first moment he appears, with music, tense and mysterious, diametrically opposed to the privacy and tranquility of the family, in addition to the detail of light bulb going out, the individual who appears with a scarf covering half of his face, as it indicated the descriptions of witnesses on the murderer. All these details weave intrigue, uncertainty, the master was discovering what he does best in a film. There are elements that will certainly turn the film into the first work fully identifiable as a Hitchcock's creation, classic elements of his films, we have one of his biggest vertices: the false culprit that is immersed in unexpected nightmare, and he must run to prove his innocence, and even to save his life. Added to this is the intrigue of course, it is the first film by Hitch in which the mystery and uncertainty are the main ingredients, had just born the best Hitch, he had found his definitive course in the art of cinema. And his debut in this area is successful, embryonically cemented his style and personality as a director, the entire picture is aimed to unravel the mystery, the identity of the real murderer almost remains in the background, it is not a film about a murder but above suspicion, uncertainty, and suspense is due to the effective realization of it all. It is a variety of his suspense, the false culprit figure that has been seen many times in his later films, has here a different nuance in the treatment given, because unlike other films (North by Northwest (1959), only to give an example), here it is not limited to display only an individual wanting to escape the Kafkaesque situation where he is caught. This feature is a bit challenging to the public, because all the little details indicate that the host is the murderer, a kind of anti-hero is configured, at least until everything is finally clear. Another detail proper of films by Hitch becomes the romance developed during all wanderings, and particularly the love triangle, so typical in his initial director stage (Young and Innocent (1937), to give another example), and hence, for the connoisseur of the British master oeuvre, certainly this is the first film containing the main edges of Hitchcockian cinema, including the first of his classic cameos in his features. As the director himself recognized, this is the first film with all his cornerstones, or many of them at least, as even some humor we will find, is his first foray into intrigue, he found his subject, his effectiveness to capture the suspense evidences it, is a certainly necessary silent film feature.

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.