Covid Classics: They Don’t Call Him the Master of Suspense For Nothin
Most people credit Steven Spielberg as the first blockbuster filmmaker, making big movies out of big stories for big audiences. Most importantly, those Spielberg films were also brilliant, critical pieces of art, that gave us memorable moment after memorable moment.
No offense to Spielberg, but Alfred Hitchcock got there first. Making films since the talking era began, Hitchcock spent the better part of 3 decades making film moments that stick in the minds of many a movie goer. Spielberg comes close, but no one has more #1 movies of the year, or the sheer volume of quality filmmaking that Hitchcock does.
Many of you have probably seen his more legendary films: Vertigo, North By Northwest, Psycho. This post is about how The Master of Suspense worked up to those late life classics, focusing on 5 of his early films that still work really well, all due to Alfred Hitchcock’s prodigious talents.
Man intercepts message from a spy, and is caught in a web of international espionage, forced to find out what “The 39 Steps” means.
What did Hitchcock do to make the movie so special?
From each moment early on, this movie feels BIG. Richard Hannay, the man in the wrong place at the wrong time, has to traverse all types of terrain native to the UK. There’s an epic chase through the Highlands, some train shenanigans, and crowded London indoor events. Most importantly, all of our main characters make smart decisions, making it much easier to empathize with them. Thrillers so easily fall into the trap of justifying a stupid decision, and there are few questionable decisions because of the tight script. Plus, the final twist is in the upper echelon of great last scene twists.
Retired jewel thief is suspected of robbing the rich on the French Riviera by a beautiful blonde, and seeks to clear his name so he isn’t jailed forever.
What did Hitchcock do to make the movie so special?
Stakes matter. Because most of Hitchcock’s thrillers tend to be hyper tense affairs with the world held in the balance, those scripts tend to be more serious. In this film, the most serious issue is Cary Grant might go to prison, or jewels would be stolen from the rich. As such, Hitchcock smartly tweaks the direction to be more silly and playful. I laughed out loud more than a few times (most so at an, um, especially exciting fireworks display) and had a blast watching Cary Grant ride a boat and car across the stunning French Riviera. And when his scene partner is the talented Grace Kelly, the most beautiful woman in cinema history, I, like Alfred Hitchcock, just sat back and basked in their collective looks and charm.
Beloved brother/uncle arrives into small California town, but shows signs that he might be hiding some secrets in his past that threaten the family.
What did Hitchcock do to make the movie so special?
Alfred Hitchcock said this was his favorite film. He certainly cast it right: Theresa Wright and Joseph Cotten are excellent playing off one another. Wright has that plucky good natured spirit of a teenager trapped in a small town, and Cotten plays a great man holding tons of bad secrets. Together, Wright/Cotten sell the strong connection (almost too strong) between them, that slowly dissolves away as more information comes to light, allowing Hitchcock to make even something as simple as walking up a flight of stairs appear menacing and terrifying, as Theresa Wright goes from trapped in a small town to trapped in her own house.
A younger woman comes across an older woman on a train, only to find the older woman has vanished when the younger woman awakens from a nap, with no one on the train remembering they saw her.
What did Hitchcock do to make the movie so special?
This is one of Hitchcock’s last films made in Britain. Hitchcock makes the most out of his simple setting – a passenger train – delivering thrills amidst a confined space, as Margaret Lockwood tries to figure out what happens to her friend. The end of this movie is the selling point, using a couple great twists to keep you guessing what is going on. Plus, the interplay between Lockwood and Michael Redgrave hits that Hitchcock sweet spot of adversarial with a hint of attraction: early wisecracking and flirting, if you will.
Journalist gets sent to Europe to cover an impending war, when a diplomat gets shot. Journalist then chases the suspect through Europe to figure out his motives/a potentially deeper conspiracy.
What did Hitchcock do to make the movie so special?
In my opinion, this is the first film Hitchcock got it all together. He weaves in a host of entertaining elements into this story. The plot is twisty in a fun way, using real life events to elevate the storytelling. Joel McCrea and Laraine Day have a ball flirting with each other, making the “down time” in the story something more interesting and fun. But what this movie has that makes it most special is some of Hitchcock’s best set pieces he’s ever crafted, involving lavish hotels, windmills, and an airplane sequence as thrilling as any I’ve ever seen on film.
