Ricos e Estranhos

This change-of-pace from Hitchcock is quite an interesting film, often pleasantly witty and at other times a bit unsettling in its observations on human nature. It won't appeal to those looking for Hitchcock-style suspense (although there is one such sequence), but it is worth watching for some other reasons.

The story is about Fred and Emily Hill, an average couple living a routine middle class life. The opening sequence, which is very nicely done using many of Hitchcock's silent film skills, immediately makes you feel the boredom and shallowness of Fred's world, while being amusing as well. Suddenly Fred receives word that a rich relative is giving him a large sum of money so that he can see the world, and the Hills are off on an extended trip to several foreign countries. The substance of the movie is in the ways that their new-found wealth and the many unfamiliar environments affect them and their marriage. Their new world is one of a couple of possible meanings of the title "Rich and Strange", in addition to the Shakespeare allusion.

The cast is very small, and consists of actors little known today, but they are generally good and make their characters believable. As the Hills encounter hazards, temptations, and adventure, the question is whether they have really changed or learned anything from their experiences - the amusing last scene gives one possible answer, and along the way there are a lot of other subtle points.

While not at all like Hitchcock's more famous films, in a different sense it is all Hitchcock - a distinctive movie, and carefully crafted. While only a minor effort among his many masterpieces, it is still worth a look for those who enjoy older comedies.

RICH AND STRANGE is certainly nothing like stereotypical Hitchcock. Even early movies like The Lodger -- which was some five years older than this one -- contained some sort of crime or mystery. Even his comedies -- The Trouble With Harry, for example -- revolved around murder and mayhem. But not this movie.

It's old and it's a comedy, but its title really says it all. Rich and very, very strange. Hitchcock's sense of humor is very plain here, and there are several laugh-out-loud scenes (when Fred Hill tries to set his watch, and later when he tries to get into bed, for example). But as the movie goes on, they become less frequent.

The action stops focusing on the comedic aspect of this young couple's acquiring a great sum of money and spending it on a world cruise. Instead it focuses on the serious aspects of their dual extra-marital affairs on the ship, and later their actions when it wrecks and sinks.

And once there, the movie is hardly comedic at all. Hitchcock's darker side comes out when a sailer drowns while his comrades watch on in fascination, and the scene with the rescued black cat is especially disturbing.

So what to say about Rich and Strange? The acting is fine, Hitchcock's directing is up to par (especially with the silent opening scenes), and the plot is engaging. But the movie goes from screwball hilarity to morbid survival, and then ends where it began so abruptly that the viewer is left wondering when he or she dozed off and missed the last half of the movie.

It's not stereotypical Hitchcock at all, but by no means does this make it a bad movie. The film is quite good but hard to stomach on account that it is so bizarre.

7/10

For an early 'talking picture', this is an excellent film. Hitchcock fans will probably be disappointed, but I was not. Having been born in London in the 30's, I found the opening sequences fascinating and so well directed and edited. Anyone interested in Hitchcock should at least view the first 10 minutes or so of this film. One begins to see what a great director Hitch was - even without the mystery and horror.

This 1931 movie is of interest simply because it is one of Alfred Hitchcock's early films that he made in Great Britain. It is also of interest because of the titles between sections of this film as though it were a silent film. That makes us very aware that silent movies had just been replace by 'talkies'. The copyright date is shown as 1931 on the film, not 1932 as IMDB has it listed. A man whose life has become mundane and tiresome is given money by a relative to enjoy life with. He and his wife set off on a cruise around the world. "Rich and Strange" begins well and certainly has its interesting moments. However, it bogs down after about the first half hour and doesn't recover until the last few minutes. Far too much time is spent aimlessly following the relationships outside the marriage by both the husband and wife of the couple. It seems that this part of the film is overblown. A highlight of the film is the spinster played by Elsie Randolph who is quite hilarious. Joan Barry is also very watchable as Emily. However, "Hitch" had not quite hit his stride yet and his best work was yet to come. This movie is mainly for diehard Hitchock fans.

What an unusual Hitchcock film this is! For one thing, in this film, he doesn't focus on themes of murder and suspense as he is well remembered for. Instead, he takes a satirical look at the complexities of marriage and fidelity, with rich, quirky, and even disturbing humor. (It's interesting to note that Elsie Randolph returned in another twisted Hitchcock "comedy", "Frenzy", forty years after this film.) The editing is a bit crude by today's standards, although you just have to appreciate the mix of titles and audible dialogue to represent the transition from silent films to "talkies". Still, it's a funny film you can enjoy, with numerous Hitchcock elements clearly evident. Enjoy!