Sunday, December 18, 2011

THE LADY VANISHES (1938) - ENGLISH


Thrilling like a Hitchcock film but this has humor that's unlike Hitchcock.

Considered as one of his best movies, this movie is not as riveting as his other thrillers but still stands on it's own niceties to be called one good ride. Shot mostly on train, you do not know till half an hour into the film what this journey would be. There are people stuck, then they get on train and then the real fun begins. I am very doubtful of the beginning of the movie coz it was very long to bring to us the suspense unlike any of his other films.

What is this about, is a Lady who disappears  id way just to throw in as a surprise later and then again goes off. Based upon a novel The Wheel Spins, the wheels of train that are shown for symbolism and the wheels do stop for a very obvious ending (coz I did predict it). 

It's very well acted by all the characters. This was the very first movie I think where Cricket was discussed by 2 englishmen, I mean the earliest. The sub plots of a couple looking for divorce, of a Doctor and his case, of a Magician all are tuned into the script to make it more engaging. But the whole point of what this Lady does and where she is from and why is she so important are all questions that are so very underplayed. That's the trademark of Hitchcock "don't show the obvious ever, whats the point if you blow up the bomb that would kill the suspense". These acts fare very well for the movie and make it an interesting watch.

I had absolutely no knowledge of this and have watched it for the first time and it was a good one, if not a great one. I am very doubtful if I would revisit this. The best part I thought of this film was Sound design that captured the real sound of a moving train in the background and giving us the dialogue clear enough (dialogue was dubbed of course and the train sound was just added to it).

So far so good, a 3/5 for surely a good movie by the master of suspense. 

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