HITCHCOCK: THE BEGINNING
4 stars
StudioCanal. Blu Ray Box Set. 16th December
Master of suspense Alfred Hitchcock, is, I believe, one of the most written about directors of all time – and rightly so, as he has created some of the all time classics of cinema. So it was interesting and enlightening to explore this new 11 disc box set drawn from the vaults at StudioCanal, which brings together many of his early works. That being said, it does raise the question of who this set is aimed at, as it is a bit of a mixed bag and doesn’t necessarily represent the type of films that he would go on to be famous for. However, if you are curious to see this nascent talent developing his craft then you will enjoy this wide ranging collection. It was also good to see these scrubbed up in HD, as I had only previously watched them some years ago in often poor, muddy prints on DVD. Of course, the quality does vary depending on the availability of decent materials.
You get several silent productions starting with THE RING (1927) a sports drama with a love triangle as two boxers fall for the same girl. This was both directed and written by Hitch (working alongside Alma Reville his wife). THE FARMER’S WIFE (1928) is a rural comedy adapted from a play by Eden Phillpotts wherein a widower farmer decides to remarry but can’t find a suitable bride. CHAMPAGNE (1928) is another comedic outing, starring the ‘British Mary Pickford’, one Betty Balfour, as a spoilt girl living the life, off the profits of her Daddy’s champagne business. THE MANXMAN (1929), shot in Cornwall, the Isle of Man and Elstree, is another romance with two men falling in love with the same girl.
We then come to probably the most important release in this set. BLACKMAIL (1929) was the film that pointed the way to the type of movie Hitchcock would make in his lauded career. It was originally shot as a silent movie, but some scenes were re-shot when sounds became available. You can contrast and compare as both the silent and the sound version are on the disc. A young woman kills a man in self defence but is then blackmailed by someone who saw her carry out the act. You can definitely see the talent on display here and this is the main subject of the eleventh disc which contains the documentary ‘Becoming Hitchcock’ – a 71 minute exploration of how he embraced sound, the innovations and how it links to his later work.
The other movies included here are JUNO AND THE PAYCOCK (1930), another one based on a play (by Sean O’Casey). Set during the Irish Civil War in 1922 this has a family coming into money but not necessarily happiness. Considered by many to be one of Hitchcock’s worst films – but don’t forget he was basically a gun for hire during this period. MURDER! (1930) is more in the style of the kind of genres he would later explore, though this is more a whodunit, which the director apparently despised – a young actress is convicted of the killing of her friend, one of the jurors believe she has been wrongly convicted and decides to investigate. A German language version, called ‘Mary’, was shot at the same time and is included as an extra. THE SKIN GAME (1931) has two families fighting over land rights. RICH AND THE STRANGE (1931) (which was retitled East of Shanghai in the US) has a married couple ditching their apparently boring lives to go on a round the world cruise after inheriting money. The final film in this set is NUMBER SEVENTEEN (1932) another more in the ilk of his later outings, though this is a confusing tale of thieves and a detective on the case to catch them.
So all in all this is probably aimed more at the Hitchcock completists, than the casual viewer, who like things REAR WINDOW (1954) and NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959), as the films presented here vary wildly in their entertainment value – though you do have to remember these are very early works.
Added value here are the extras, which include the previously mentioned documentary. Each film has various bits and bobs – best of these are several short overviews with the knowledgeable Neil Brand, who talks about being the accompanists to silent films and how these films have grown in stature over the years. You also get audio clips from the famous Hitch/Truffaut interview – in which the director is often dismissive of the film under discussion. Most of the films have introductions by Film Historian Noël Simsolo (originally made for a French release of the films I believe). Some of the films have audio commentaries and various other talking head productions. Each has a stills gallery. You also get a poster and a booklet.
Steve Kirkham
