Oh the difficulties of choosing from films playing at Lincoln Center. Not only are there films playing at the New York Film Festival but Janus is releasing new prints of some fabulous international classics, all playing at the Watler Reade Theater.
The Lady VanishesDirector: Alfred Hitchcock Country: United Kingdom, Release: 1938, Runtime: 97 min.
A young woman (Margaret Lockwood) is traveling in Europe, scheduled to leave on the train to Britain the next morning. She runs into a loud, upstairs hotel guest (Michael Redgrave) and an elderly governess (Dame May Whitty). She gets hit on the head by a pot pushed from a ledge, the target obviously the governess. They board the train and when the woman waked up, she realizes the Lady is gone, vanished from the train. As she searches for the governess, the train guests all seem to have not seen the Lady. But the gentleman helps her and soon they find themselves involved in a rather secretive and dangerous conspiracy.
Hitchcock has perfect pacing in this thriller. He nicely introduces characters while building the tension as the train continues on its course. Several moments of humor lighten the danger. He also brings in the budding romantic relationship between the leads with a light touch. Unlike the bad remake, Flightplan with Jodie Foster and Peter Sarsgaard, Hitchcock doesn't use histrionics to force a feeling of confusion. The secretive manners of some and the selfish I-don't-want-to-get-involved attitude of other train passengers is much more interesting and believable in The Lady Vanishes. The intimate shots in the train are nicely balanced with a few exterior shots. The climax seems rather western for a British film but it acts as a way to pull the separated characters together. This new print is wonderful. Hitchcock fans will love this charming thriller, a classic example of his work to come in American. Everyone will enjoy this classic thriller.
4 comments:
Is this the one where a woman is speaking as she's chopping something (I believe it's early on in the picture), and she starts chopping violently with certain words she's saying? I know it's a Hitchcock film, but I can't remember if I've seen it, and I don't know if the film I'm bringing up is the same one or not. Did you ever get the Truffaut/Hitchcock book where the two filmmakers discuss and analyze each other's work?
As the accompanying Benny photo implies, I salute you on your extreme NYFF dedication so us far-awayers can reap the knowledge and the fun pithy anecdotal benefits. Cheers. So, is it all over? Who won? ;)
Nope, no chopping. Don't know which one that is. I'll have to consult my literature or DVD collection. Yep, of course I have the Truffaut interviewing Hitchcock book! I think a firend (Gary G.) found it at a Seattle Library sale - great buy/present. Much thanks to my fabu film-loving friends.
NYFF - who won? Well, no official awards at this festival so I will take the reigns and claim Pan's Labyrith the winner - for a great director and great resulting film. Who lost? Copolla for a boring film with too much wasted potential/production, and for sort-of-lying about a question at the dialog post-film when asked how the French responded. She glossed over it and highlighted the good notes - that they were going to show it to some schools. Reports from Cannes Film Festival were that the French audience hated it so much that many walked out and there was much booing at the end.
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