kinojunkie

Hitchcock's Number Seventeen has to be his most experimental film by far and it's actually quite an enjoyable watch from a technical perspective if you can get beyond the confusing plot. The film is basically divided into to parts (2 acts almost - this movie runs just over an hour) the first taking place in a deserted house and the second being a wacky chase between a bus and a train. During the first part the use of shadows in the lighting is incredibly bold. It's reminiscent of a German Expressionist films and there are even some subtle shapes formed in the shadows possibly intended as subliminal tension builders. Editing is what shines in the second half during the chase. It's gleefully frantic and honestly makes some of Michael Bay's work seem slow. The action frantically cuts back and forth between different people and locations. So be warned: Number Seventeen strength lies in it's technical bravery - not really in anything else.

Sabotage is an absolutely gripping film about the dual life of a terrorist who operates a movie house in London. Surprisingly dark and completely suspenseful as Hitchcock throws a few uncharacteristic curves our way. There's an oft-talked about scene that I won't describe due to the spoiler element and the fact that we see glimpses of the "bad guy's" life that allow us to empathize a little more with him than other Hitchock baddies. These rare shades of gray make for all the more engaging a film. Sylvia Sidney is wonderful in this - carrying herself with dignity and confidence in a way seldom seen in Hitchcock's women (she was also excellent in Lang's The Fury made around the same time). Joseph Conrad's novel "Secret Agent" on which this film is based is now on my reading list. I have a feeling we may get a better sense of Verloc's motivations in this form but their absence from Sabotage is no big loss. I'd recommend this film to anyone interested in seeing a good piece of cinema - not just Hitchcock fans.

I think that The 39 Steps is a good film. Well rounded, nicely crafted fun stuff. But I don't just don't see what all the praise is about. Sure, it's suspenseful, the actors are charming and it's a good story. I just find, and I'm speaking as a Hitchcock fan, that he's done it better in other films. Young And Innocent for example is very similar in plot (just lacking some of the foreign espionage elements) but for me personally it packs more of a punch on every level. I must admit the DVD I saw of this film was struck from an absolutely horrible print that was completely washed out with a terrible audio track. Maybe one day I'll give the Criterion disc a chance and see what all the fuss is about.

See Hitch as a litterbug when the action first moves onto the street.