Celebrating the 125th Anniversary of the birth of one of cinema’s finest masters, Studio Canal presents one of this year’s most exciting Blu-ray releases in the form of Hitchcock: The Beginning.
Releasing a sizeable portion of the director’s early works on Blu-ray for the first time in the UK, this eleven-disc box set is something to behold, with brand-new scores, restorations, and a newly commissioned documentary.
From 1927’s The Ring to 1932’s Number Seventeen, the films in this box set are a fascinating examination of a young director finding his voice; his famous style never quite coming together as we expect it. Yet, throughout these eleven films, there are endless examples of Hitchcock’s auteurism shining through long before he was ever heralded as an auteur by the likes of François Truffaut.
Just as his later films would see numerous collaborations with the likes of Bernard Herman, Robert Burks, Cary Grant or Ingrid Bergman, you can spot certain names repeating throughout his earlier work too, such as producer John Maxwell or cinematographer Jack Cox. And just as the Hitchcock Blonde became known as a popular trope throughout the director’s oeuvre, one could argue the existence of the Hitchcock Brunette in his early days, through repeated use of leading ladies like Lillian Hall-Davis, Anny Ondra or Phyllis Konstam.
Most famous for thrillers like Rear Window, Psycho and Vertigo, we get to see Hitchcock deal with other genres here, though ones that would clearly influence his entire career. The romance in pictures like The Ring, The Manxman and Rich and Strange are clear influences on later relationships in the director’s work; We see him finesse his playful dialogue in comedies like The Farmer’s Wife, Champagne and Juno and the Paycock; and, naturally, the director really shines with thrillers like Blackmail, Murder! And Number Seventeen.
His signature visual style is on display throughout, though it grows significantly stronger with each passing entry. Particularly in this set’s silent films, where Hitchcock has had to tell the stories through the visuals more than the dialogue, we see some beautiful shots which are incredibly impressive, even almost a hundred years later. A particularly wonderful example is from Champagne, where we see a first-person POV drinking a glass of – you guessed it – champagne while we see couples dancing through the bottom of the glass.
Given that these are the earliest films of Alfred Hitchcock’s career one might expect the quality to be lacking, or at least, not quite up to scratch with the rest of his filmography. Though, you would be surprised. That is not to say that each film is perfect, of course. The Farmer’s Wife is far and away one of the worst films of the director’s career – a hundred minutes of a man treating women with respect before turning into a horrible monster the minute he is rejected by them.
On the opposite end of the scale, however, are some of the greatest films ever directed by the master himself (granted, that list is long). Blackmail proves that Hitchcock has always had a knack for telling stories of murder, mystery and intrigue, and Number Seventeen feels like a precursor to British classics The Ladykillers and The Lavender Hill Mob.
However, the most pleasantly surprising film in the entire box set is actually the earliest. Boxing drama The Ring follows Jack, a small-time boxer as he rises through the ranks from a sideshow attraction known for his knockout power to a contender for the heavyweight championship of the world.
Hitchcock’s theory of “pure cinema,” that being the idea of telling a story through visuals rather than any form of dialogue, is on clear display here and no better are they used than during the grand finale at the Royal Albert Hall, a climactic finish that is simply euphoric. One can only imagine that those twelve rounds influenced Scorsese in the making of Raging Bull. This early Hitchcock picture sure packs a punch, and the same goes for this box set as a whole.
For some, silent cinema might be a bit of a turn-off. For others, a Hitchcock box set without a recognisable title like Rope, Notorious or North by Northwest might feel like stepping into murky water. But fear not, this collection of Alfred Hitchcock’s early works is not only a fine examination of a great director finding his voice, but is also full to the brim with excellent cinema.
Released just in time for the holidays, Hitchcock: The Beginning is the perfect Christmas gift for the cinema lover in your life.
Hitchcock: The Beginning is available now on Blu-ray
