The 39 Steps

This movie played this morning on TCM. It was an Alfred Hitchcock film I have never seen before. Though I was looking for Mr. Hitchcock for his notorious personal appearance at the outset of the movie, I missed him.
First of all, I am inexplicably attracted to these early British films. Recently, I've seen " I Know Where I'm Going"...."Brief Encounter"....."The Man Who Knew Too Much"....."Pride & Prejudice".
I love the accents , even though I have a devil of a time deciphering what is being said. See? I just used a British expression!

So this was an early one of Hitchcock's suspense films. I wouldn't call it a "thriller". The plot was a little far-fetched: A man in London tries to help a counterespionage agent, and is soon finding himself in one jam after another. Well, it was nearly a little comical - the jams Robert Donat as " Hannay" finds himself in. In fact, this was as close to a 'farce' as I have seen a Hitchcock movie be. I did enjoy watching Robert Donat, the British actor, and some of the witty dialogue at times ( "Are you married? Yes, but don't rub it in). It's just that I was never clutching my seat . This film isn't even nearly as suspenseful as " Strangers On A Train" - a Hitchcock masterpiece. But I do enjoy watching even a mediocre British movie, for some reason.

Often, when I watch a Hitchcock movie, I am reminded of how Hitchcock had ( in my opinion) a slightly bizarre imagination. Maybe "bizarre" is too strong a word. Many of his works have depicted a darker side to the human mind. Sometimes, it's a primal fear; sometimes it's a view of our baser instinct. In the scene where Hannay takes refuge in a Scottish country farm, eerily the farmer's suspicions are clandestinely aroused. He turns to an almost evil antagonist with the small screen time allotted him.
I knew when he saw the woman on the train, she was much too pretty to be given just a bit part. Sure enough, she shows up as the climax to the film is unveiled.
One last thing, I loved the photography of the Scottish hills and countryside. I can attest to the mob of sheep that they ran into. I saw plenty of hillside sheep during a recent train ride in Scotland.

The Talk of the Town

This movie is playing this Sunday, 1/13 on TCM. I will probably be watching football, so I'll miss it then. However, it plays again on Feb 26th at 8 pm EST on TCM....until then, Ronald Colman.

Brief Encounter

As it turns out, I do recall having seen this film once before. I remembered the final scene preceding the telling of the story. David Lean was the director - no wonder the layout of the action of the film was so well done. His cinematography was evident as well. The opening scene of the train rushing through was very picturesque , such vivid black & white lighting.



It was also a interesting move to tell the story from Laura's point of view. The audience is pointed toward her face, her eyes, her emotions. You don't see Alec's face all that much; you see more of his profile. I liked Trevor Howard in his younger days. He plays " everyman" pretty well. I also like his Britishness. Trouble was, however, with the accent and speaking fast, I have a hard time catching everything that gets said. What I also liked was that the dialogue was efficient. It didn't beat around the bush, yet it was sensitively put together. Alec is quick to be candid and heartfelt with Laura. Their "smitten" stage of love reaches the boiling point in just the right amount of cinematic time.



To the comment " They were both tormented with guilt, yet they constantly brought it on themselves. The pain of separating was almost like their penance for their sin". I would agree, but she was more tormented than he was.



At one point, Alec quotes John Keats to Laura from his poem " When I Have Fears":



"When I behold, upon the night’s starr’d face,

Huge cloudy symbols of a high romance...."



I am sure he is referring to the painful anticipation that his passion for Laura was something not meant to be...as is the poem further describes...



"And think that I may never live to trace Their shadows,

with the magic hand of chance;

And when I feel, fair creature of an hour!

That I shall never look upon thee more..."



There isn't any guesswork in how it ends. The title is " Brief Encounter". The marvel of the film is in showing how they come to grips with the reality that they must never meet again. Just as the final moments come to a climax, there is the absurdity of the interruption by the tattle-taling female. Does that poor on more pathos or take the edge off of the pain?



Throughout, the theme is one of rushing here and there to catch a train, since they met and continue to meet in the train station. The subliminal message is " Haste"," Rush", like the flick of a cigarette lighter . Their affair is only destined for the " Spark", which is just as quickly snuffed out.



Laura loves her husband, and though she strays she realizes her happiness with him stands the test of this temptation "spark". The ending lines are designed to assure the audience that all has ended well:



" You've been a long way away"...." Thank you for coming back to me".

Coming in February - TCM

I found another movie to add to the "to be seen" list:

"Foreign Correspondent", 1940 directed by Alfred Hitchcock
It is playing on TCM on Feb.6, 2008 5:45 ( not sure if am or pm) ET

"Once Upon A Honeymoon" is playing on 2/13/08 at 10:15 am ET

"Ninotchka" is playing on 2/20/08 at 4:00 pm ET