Too much of everything

Simply A Masterpiece

Awesome Movie

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

The 39 Steps took a while to hook me in and while it was far fetched at times, it turned out to be a decent film by the end. It didn't however do enough to make me want to re-watch it with renewed interest.A woman comes to Hannay for help. He agrees to hide her in his flat, but in the night she is murdered. How did they kill her in the flat? I'll assume they wanted to pin the murder on Hannay instead of killing him while they were already in the flat. Hannay goes to Scotland to find the man the murdered woman was going to see, but why is he going there? He has no information. Robert Donat was solid in the main role and Madeleine Carroll was terrific. Every scene that took place in the hotel was of a high quality, the film needed more of that magic throughout for me.

Two of the most beautiful shots in all of 30's cinema. Firstly, just before Annabella staggers in dying a nightmarish and eerie shot of an open window, the draperies blowing and a nude male bronze figure perfectly poised to attack with a sword. It never fails to make the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.The other shot and one of the most beautiful shots in world cinema, is the death of Mr. Memory as a line kicking chorus girls in diminishing perspective stretch down the middle of the shot, brilliantly lit, the raucous music hall music blaring away. I must have rewatched this scene a 100 times.Hitchcock and Fellini both shared a love for variety shows and music halls as they knew them in their youth. The opening scene is full of character and life and humor. ("How do you cure pip in chickens?") Peggy Ashcroft's small, intense role as the crofter's wife was exquisite and so sad. She had the most expressive face and eyes.I love all the wonderful things about this film that everyone else does but thought I would just mention a few very, very special moments that mean a lot to me.

Hitchcock is certainly directed over 10 films to the "THE 39 STEPS". The director who promises, or simply he does not succeed to make a good movie. There are many reasons. Hitch persistently raises and cares for their style. This way of expression in the British film industry is not going well. Specific time. Average and commercial novel, a story loosely based on the novel of the same name, a solid budget and freedom to work were the guarantor of director's success.At the heart of the story is a murder around which interfere an innocent man, a beautiful girl, a lot of plot, mystery and conspiracy. The story is solid, at times illogical and very exciting. Hitchcock's convinced me that probability, logic and detailing are not the key to good film. This genre is needed speed, excitement and tension. I condemn some directors called "masters". Hitch is one of them. I will be more clear, the script is well written and composed, only some segments targeted set aside. Complications are in the right place, even though they appear out of nowhere and keep uncertainty at a high level. The characters are quite interesting, and each is special in its own way. Even those who appear in several scenes fit perfectly into the story.Robert Donat as Richard Hannay is a kind of tragic hero who accepts his fate and searches for truth. Donat's choice for leading actor is a hit. Madeleine Caroll (Pamela) is offensive and frightened female character. The change in her character that comes with the knowledge of the truth is impressive. It is more beautiful and charming.I think the director did not take into account the chemistry between the two main actors. Donat and Carroll made sure that it is. There are especially fine performances by John Laurie as the treacherous Scot who harbors the fugitive, Peggy Ashcroft as his sympathetic wife, Godfrey Tearle as the man with the missing finger, and Wylie Watson as the memory expert of the music halls, who proves to be the hub of the mystery. Hitchcock's magic at work.

The 39 Steps of 1935 is a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and stars such people as Robert Donat. This is one of those films considered to be not only the first signs of what Hitchcock would do in his later life, but also a film that is considered one of the very best British cinema has to offer. I though have to disagree, now don't get me by any stretch wrong here, I like this movie and I thought it was a good watch, but I just couldn't look at this and say it was great let alone really liking it.The story is exciting to be fair, man on the run, secret agents, a man who can memorise anything he see's or hears, it is absolutely crazy, but good. The plot plays our rather nicely, the timing is crazily off mostly because of its short running time and bits can seem rushed but all in all it is fairly exciting. I think it feels different than from other films of the day, it just seems much more like what you might see in films today, whether or not this has stood the test of time well that is for you to see, but it still feels refreshing-ish amongst the classic films.Robert Donat is our main man, trying to find out what these 39 steps are all about and also getting into a few pickles along the way. Donat is fine in the role and is really good here, not only is he calm and sophisticated but he also deals with the more serious moments well, and still in them can seem oddly charming. Madeleine Carroll is alright as Pamela but I did feel no one in the cast can quite match Donat and his performance. The characters are very complex I will say, Hitchcock makes sure he is not letting us the viewer know what the hell is going on until the every end, a good bit of suspense.And to the legend himself, Alfred Hitchcock whose skill is plain to see but also in my opinion overrated here. Now alright alright I'm not saying he's bad here, far from it but what I think is that people who watch this and see Hitch directed it instantly just say he directed it amazingly and he makes it good. Now although I don't fully disagree, I think it is actually those like Robert Donat who make this enjoyable and the whole thrilling plot is based on a book, Hitch does do a fine job, just not as good as he would do one day.If your looking at this film as either a Hitchcock fan or want to see his movies, I wouldn't say don't watch but don't also think this will be a masterpiece, it isn't all perfect. It is the length that didn't work for me and I even love short movies but it just feels too rushed like I previously said and you can't fully engage into the characters and their lives, we just don't get to know them well enough. I hear a lot of people compare this to the future Hitchcock film "North by Northwest" and that is true it is the man on the run kind of film, but what I will say is Hitchcock didn't copy this when he made that, this is very much his own style and one that is in line with British Cinema, not over in Hollywood.Overall I did (even if my review seems kind of oddly negative) enjoy this piece of cinema. I would recommend it to people mainly because I think some will really enjoy it, the excitement is there and the leading character is well acted out. I do however feel this is yet another old film overrated by us in the future, I mean not by a lot but just watch it properly and don't keep thinking about Hitchcock directing it.