The Trouble With Harry (1956)

 

It's an exciting time for this writer: the 1930s were unexpected, the 1940s were experimental, but the 1950s have always been regarded in my mind as where Hitchcock's masterpieces originate (they should produce a box set entitled "Masterpieces of the Master" and then pay me). I've of course already been through Strangers on a Train from 1950, but I've never witnessed, at least with these less naive eyes, the quintessential films like Rear Window, The Man Who Knew Too Much (remake of his own lesser classic from the 30s), Vertigo, North By Northwest, and.... The Trouble With Harry (or if it were to be made today, There's Something About Harry).  

Captain Albert Wiles is out enjoying nature, talking to himself and his gun, and apparently trying to shoot a rabbit while also apparently having the lowest of expectations and the poorest of aim ever after hitting three items that consisted of everything except a rabbit.  Two of these items are inconsequential, consisting of a can and sign.  The third however goes by the name Harry, and he is dead.  While the captain attempts to hide the body, he has the worst luck with a seemingly unstoppable parade of people happening on the body.  His luck changes however when for various reasons, no one cares at all for some time, until a local artist with his head in the cloud actually notices the body, but even he doesn't care that much.

Not knowing anything prior to viewing this film, I certainly considered it an oddball piece right away.  First (and foremost it seemed to lack Hitchcock's flair for visuals.  The film contains many long static takes that are actually beautiful, but it's hard to understand the point and departure for the director (there is usually much more movement).  The duality between the setting and the plot could be a reason (i.e. murder in otherwise idyllic setting) which if intentional would fascinating in its own right.  Mundane dialogue appears pervasive at first, which is another uncharacteristic trait of the Master.  However it's not all strange, as black humor is a mainstay of his (though usually in the subtext) and there are some truly funny moments.

While I struggle with finding meaning beyond the black humor, the acting certainly provides a redeeming quality, One stand out is the Captain played by Edmund Gwenn.  Along with (at the time) other no-name actors (Shirley MacLaine, John Forsythe etc.) he provides effective characterization without any star-struck distractions.  Reportedly, The Master believed that a "star" was a hindrance to the plot and the story.  Whether or not he means the development, of or a hindrance for the audience to deal with is uncertain, but he may be right in both regards.  Its true the story certainly doesn't suffer from the lack of star power (Shirley and John would eventually be though).  Another certainty is that it was ahead of its time as I'm not sure audiences would've accepted this type of darkly humorous material.

In the end, I'd sum this up to a friend as Weekend at Bernie's by Hitchcock.  

Rope (1948)

Having almost 10 films by the Master of Suspense under my belt, I had planned to continue on into those from the 1950s and beyond.  However I’ve now backtracked slightly into 40s with Shadow of a Doubt, and this little experiment he performed a few years later.  Rope was a film I had already seen once before, but now I was better able to examine as opposed to being slightly wowed by this unique film infamous for being completed in “one” take. 

Brandon and Phillip have just murdered a supposedly close friend (for those cinebriates out there, they really don’t appreciate that he likes Whiskey, so best to drink fine wine here for your own saftey) and with a warped sense of humor have hid the body at a party attended by the victim’s family and friends.  While Brandon is perfectly comfortable with this willing to risk exposure for excitement, Phillip is struggling with the guilt and hardly has the misguided courage Brandon does.  With a brilliant mentor in attendance who has known the two since they were kids, what on the surface seems a dull get-together for the high class turns slowly into a fairly suspenseful real-time experience, all due to our indirect voyeurism. 

Many older films can’t be completely timeless (poor video quality, clichés the modern audience has come to associate with dated cinema, etc.) but one area where this film stands out is the technique used to hide cuts (Hitch couldn't completely have a seamless take even if he wanted to as the camera wouldn't hold enough film).  This being completed roughly 66 years ago, you can’t help but be in awe of the technique as it is something still not seen often today.  This is not the all-encompassing reason for Rope standing the test of time, but it certainly helps. 

Right away you can see similarities to previous films of the Master of Suspense, including the even more claustrophobic Lifeboat, a very effective paranoid WWII thriller all on the eponymous craft.  Also both involve Hume Cronyn as he starred in that film and wrote this.  Shadow of a Doubt may come to mind with Rope acting as an almost spiritual spinoff, with Brandon and Phillip acting as Young Charley's father and his friend (Another Hume connection as he played that character!) would in another life, carrying out their perverted obsession with murder.

 

For this, my second round with the film, I certainly found issues unseen previously, including the acting by John Dall (who plays Brandon). Philip is certainly a guilt-ridden woose, but understandably so while Brandon’s eager excitement is overly exaggerated in the opening scenes (too much emphasis on stuttered breathing).  All I see is a performer at first, though we eventually understand a slight relevant to the plot as James Stewart’s character mentions that Brandon is always hiding something when in that physical state. 

Also, there are moments where I can't help but not see a good reason for doing it in one simulated take (cuts are made in darkness of a character’s back), except for a few fairly wonderful moments.  One that comes to mind is Brandon swinging the titular rope (murder weapon) as he takes it to the kitchen.  The maid comes out and the door swings back and forth behind her, with one instance showcasing a brief moment of Brandon in ecstasy as he places the murder weapon in the drawer for all to see.  Just as well, because we become so used to a continuous and fluid shot, this technique is effective for the surprising hard cut hard cut in the center of the film during a moment of realization by the mentor Rupert (James Stewart, in his first of many Hitchcock film, playing a great supporting character whose reputation being discussed much before he is onscreen adds to the charisma when he does show up).  Without the ongoing take, the cut would be nowhere near as effective or poignant.  

An experiment to be sure, but overall an effective one that keeps with the Master’s style, and even better showcases the exceptional talents of Hume who can write and act.  It also deftly moves from point to point in conversation and plot, which is fairly impressive in this day and age.

If you don’t like that sort of thing though, the new Transformers film is in theaters now.

Shadow of a Doubt (1943)

After another brief hiatus (~100 Days, or How I Kept Putting This Off and Now Might Begin a Life of Consistency) it is certainly exciting to finally get through this Hitchcock flick which has long been on my calendar to review.  I’ve even started it a few times only to stop because of technical issues, free chicken wings, or unannounced creeper uncles (some of these reasons are actually true and some related to this film).  As travel is a major part of my life for business/pleasure, I even tried to watch it in spare time on trips and would’ve recently succeeded with some down time in Vienna, but The Third Man came first there (if you don’t know why, stop reading and go watch that).   Finally last Thursday, I stuck with what my calendar annoying chirped at me daily and viewed Hitchcock’s (reportedly) favorite film in his oeuvre:  Shadow of a Doubt.  

Young Charlie (played by a truly gorgeous Teresa Wright) along with the rest of her immediate family is obsessed with Uncle Charlie (who’s she named after, and played by Joseph Cotten) as an idol that can bring her out of the monotony of everyday life in her tranquil home of Santa Rosa, California.   Upon his arrival for a brief visit, he is welcomed like a spoiled little brat hero, all the while hiding a secret that we can only suspect early on.

The film starts off entertaining enough, much like the jovial opening from Strangers on a Train, yet the surface certainly holds a sense of dread, and rightfully so as the perfect suburban world eventually breakdowns with Young Charley’s understanding of her uncle.  Also like that later film from the Master of Suspense, there is a slightly warped familial setting, especially with the father and his friend (played by Batteries Not Included star Hume Cronyn) riffing on how they might murder each other.

As I mentioned previously, everyone praises the uncle, and Joseph Cotten deftly changes from social butterfly to sociopath without anyone else noticing right away (except us, the well informed audience).  The grand reveal truly comes with a slow move towards Uncle Charley as he essentially explains his warped views on humanity.  During this time it is only Young Charley and the respectable audience joining her that understand the terrifying truth about his character. Still all of the particulars of his background are luckily slowly revealed, and I am happy to say we are still left mildly uninformed by the end to make for an entertaining and mysterious thriller.  Even with all of the fun, the duality between the characters and the potential for our antagonist to win out (a sometimes common trait in the films of Hitch, like Young and Innocent) create a somber mood that still works with the humor (back to Stranger on a Train again, we have another precocious child who seems to better understand the ways of adults than they do themselves). 

As with most of the films in this series so far, it is hard to find much fault with the film (even at this moment I can’t really think of anything).  It’s great suspense, mystery, and intrigue interwoven with wonderfully morbid humor throughout.   And it may not be obvious, but there is even a McGuffin (hint: very small in size).  If there has to be one issue, I’d look to the waltz played throughout:  I’ll be whistling it for the next few days and I still don’t know what it had to do with the story (possibly my fault for having a feeble brain).  

Strangers on a Train (1951)

Strangers on a Train (1951)

After a fairly brief hiatus from writing anything on this site (~397 Days, or How I Stopped Worrying And Left For Costa Rica) it’s a welcome experience to start again with Hitchcock Chasers and films by The Master of Suspense himself.  Not only is this exploration important for film history, technique, and understanding Hitchcock’s personality on celluloid intra and inter-picture, but also for the fact that the majority of these films are extremely worthwhile and entertaining on there own.  With this post’s topic of discussion sitting at a pretty 63 years of age, are you really confident you can watch many other movies in the Year of Our Lord 2013 that are even nearly as good?  Within the movie’s first opening minute, you know that Strangers On A Train is certainly going to be exciting, which with the exception of the fantastic The Lego Movie, I’m hard pressed to recall a modern film delivering such a feeling.

You’ll know enough about the premise going in, especially if you’ve seen Throw Momma From The Train: two men meet on a train and through a seemingly innocuous discussion about murdering undesirables close to each person, one of them proceeds to take it seriously.  What you may not know is that instead of a thriller, more of a dark comedy follows as displayed with the almost jovial music covering the film’s opening.  Our main protagonists Guy (straight laced tennis player) and Bruno (excited and slightly flamboyant socialite) appear to lead perfectly happy lives in the upper class, but the latter is clearly starting to teeter on boredom from his comforts.  In this way they are also opposites with Bruno acting as devil’s advocate to Guy’s repressed desires.  There is a creeper in most of Hitch’s films and Bruno certainly fits the bill here.

Without giving it all away, we’re taken on a journey with Guy (appropriate as he’s like an average guy… but probably not intended) as he descends into an unavoidable and inescapable nightmare with Bruno the stalker always on his trail.   Though Guy sees Bruno as a complete psychotic (the original motivator of the murder switch) Bruno is without a doubt kindly following up on a promise he believes they both made.  He also keeps his dark actions fairly lighthearted all things considered, though as time goes the character appears much more disturbed/borderline insane as displayed through sequences revealing his inner psychology.  After all, would anyone sane start to strangle a U.S. Senator’s wife at a formal dinner function?

The supporting characters add relevant pathos, as they are essentially the object of affection from multiple perspectives and opinions such as Guy’s late wife (late = spoiler) and Bruno’s parents.  Just as well, Guy’s girlfriend and her sister (played with precocious gusto by Hitch’s daughter) help showcase some sanity in the movie as they try to assist the much cared for tennis player through his plight and understand what is happening. 

This will vary from other films by Hitch: no clear Macguffin (though a cigarette lighter could be argued as such) and almost a constant duel between two characters throughout.  It’s also difficult to truly appreciate this film’s originality if you’ve already seen the aforementioned Throw Momma From The Train (try and not imagine Danny DeVito saying “Criss-cross”).  However, the fun is truly present throughout, especially with Bruno (played wonderfully by Robert Walker in his prematurely final screen performance) being difficult to completely hate even with his misguided and slightly evil point of view.   Also, we still get the director’s penchant for beautiful cinematography and experimentation (one needs look no further than glasses in the grass).  In this film (if in no other) Hitchock is actually omnipresent, like a little boy on the merry-go-round having a great time as our characters proceed through this ordeal. 

Clearly, he is having much more fun than anyone on the merry-go-round at the end of the movie.  

Notorious (1946)

  Notorious (1946)

Spellbound was an interesting entry in Hitchcock’s oeuvre.  On the surface, it is very much a thriller/romance with his stamp on it.  However, the overbearing nature that reportedly was David O. Selznik most definitely surrounds the piece, which isn’t all together bad as he truly seemed to have a consistent style almost like a director: grandiosity and melodrama surrounding tales full of love.  Lucky for us, the cash strapped produced sold The Master, Ingrid Bergman, and Cary Grant to RKO Studios for a flat fee.  Long story short, people were getting “notorious” in 1946 with the movie Notorious (I was going for some joke there… I’m tired).

With Bergman sticking around after their last flick, we find her playing a boozy socialite immigrant whose father has recently been put away for… actually I don’t remember, but something like war crimes (as I happened to be misguided and skeptical this would be a good film it took me time to start paying attention; you can chastise me later).  Anyway, good ol’ Cary Grant comes along as an FBI agent who wants her to work as a spy for good ol’ America (lots of “good ol’” references in the 40s).  Bergman’s character falls for Grant’s, Grant’s falls for Bergman’s, together they rise to the upper echelon of the Justice system, and the film becomes a funny romantic romp where they fly around the world doing fun spy pranks on Nazis!  It’s Hitchcock’s first all out screwball comedy!!!

Its probably pretty evident I’m delving into ridiculousness here with that description, but in all honesty everything until they fall in love is true.  After they fall in love however, complications arise when a request from the FBI puts Alicia (that’s Bergman’s character; should be obvious so that’s why I didn’t tell you) in the midst of a possible Nazi war criminal organization.  As she begins fraternizing with the lead villain Alexandar Sebastian (played wonderfully by Claude Rains; you should’ve known this too) we get ourselves a complicated love triangle as our two leads search for evidence of what this crazy evil organization out of James Bond’s universe has got their necks up to!

OK, you may think I’m being difficult writing this, or acting strange for some annoying reason.  Part of it is I am tired, and have come into the realization I’m winning when I get more than 7 hours of sleep (hint: I’m not winning right now).  The other part, however, is that this film is such a foundation for Hitchcock and the modern spy genre as we know it that I feel compelled to not go into too many details.  The mystery, suspense, and romance are all out in full force with various emotions building throughout to an unexpected conclusion.  And did I mention romance?  Not necessarily always having that emotion on the top of my film-going wish list, the love story presented here is truly palpable and wonderfully sensual in all of its forced and unforced restrictions (ratings restrictions and plot restrictions, respectively), not to mention the arguably symbolic release from Selznik’s grasp (how symbolically justified!). 

While these may appear as hasty generalizations, and even as I always seem to praise even The Master’s lesser works in this series, Notorious stands out as what has to be one of his best.  The cast is solid and the story is tight, giving us a film that succeeds on all cylinders while delivering a form factor that would continue through the 60’s spy thrillers all the way to modern Bourne-area cinema.  

Have you ever heard of a McGuffin?  If yes, watch for it here.  If no, Google that ASAP, then watch for it here.