Of Alfred Hitchcock and Silent Movies
I am admittedly not an Alfred Hitchcock fan. I blame it on the movies The Birds and Psycho. I know that they are both classics, but really, what kind of mind thinks up something as odd and demented as a town being violently attacked by a bunch of black birds? Or, a guy who takes orders from his dead mother? Seriously. I am also not a big fan of silent movies. Well, actually, I have never sat through and watched a silent movie. I've only seen snippets here and there. Those snippets did not entice me at all. I find that the facial expressions of the characters are cheesy, and while I am not a grand conversationalist myself, I still prefer to hear my entertainment, instead of reading expressions. Regardless of all of the above , the film that I am about to review is not only an Alfred Hitchcock movie, but a silent one at that.
The film's name is The Lodger. It was released in 1927 and was one of Hitchcock's first movies. The story takes place in London and is a take on the whole Jack the Ripper scenario. Since it is in the 20's, the girls are the quintessential Flappers, with their bobbed hair and low waist dresses. (Side note, the clothing alone is worth the watch.) A family with a young adult daughter, rents a room out to a young man. Now, this young man is as odd as odd can be. He has quite an affinity for girls with"Golden Curls". Of course, as is the case many times in life, the daughter falls for the odd young man, and he for her. Without going into any more detail, the young man is considered a suspect in the killing of many young women with "Golden Curls". Okay, that's it, that all you get of the plot. Just hold on, I'm almost through and then you can go watch it. I promise.
So, what's so special about this movie? The facial expressions were not overly fake or cheesy at all. In fact, these actors told the story with their eyes, so to speak. The suspense was enough to keep one watching. Finally, it was, well terrifying and sweet and ...terrifying again. After watching this movie, I am convinced that the graphic images that we see in movies today, are not necessary. It scared me out of a couple of years of my life, or at least a couple of months anyway. Not with guts and gore, but just the not knowing what was next, or who was around the corner. The actors were so expressive, I could feel their terror, anger and every other emotion they had; and I'm not sure that I have that great of an imagination.
Now, I'm back to my first question. What kind of mind writes this stuff? Well, I'm thinking a pretty vividly, imaginative mind. I'm also thinking that maybe I should revisit The Birds. But, not Psycho. Never Psycho.
The film's name is The Lodger. It was released in 1927 and was one of Hitchcock's first movies. The story takes place in London and is a take on the whole Jack the Ripper scenario. Since it is in the 20's, the girls are the quintessential Flappers, with their bobbed hair and low waist dresses. (Side note, the clothing alone is worth the watch.) A family with a young adult daughter, rents a room out to a young man. Now, this young man is as odd as odd can be. He has quite an affinity for girls with"Golden Curls". Of course, as is the case many times in life, the daughter falls for the odd young man, and he for her. Without going into any more detail, the young man is considered a suspect in the killing of many young women with "Golden Curls". Okay, that's it, that all you get of the plot. Just hold on, I'm almost through and then you can go watch it. I promise.
So, what's so special about this movie? The facial expressions were not overly fake or cheesy at all. In fact, these actors told the story with their eyes, so to speak. The suspense was enough to keep one watching. Finally, it was, well terrifying and sweet and ...terrifying again. After watching this movie, I am convinced that the graphic images that we see in movies today, are not necessary. It scared me out of a couple of years of my life, or at least a couple of months anyway. Not with guts and gore, but just the not knowing what was next, or who was around the corner. The actors were so expressive, I could feel their terror, anger and every other emotion they had; and I'm not sure that I have that great of an imagination.
Now, I'm back to my first question. What kind of mind writes this stuff? Well, I'm thinking a pretty vividly, imaginative mind. I'm also thinking that maybe I should revisit The Birds. But, not Psycho. Never Psycho.
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