MovieManChuck
2.5/4This is one of Hitchcock's earliest works and his first notable "talkie", but as a story, there is a lot lacking. The performance delivered by Ondra was impressive, and definitely the best on the set, as her hallucinations and trauma seemed very convincing. The fate of the story really rests on the lead's shoulders, and in Blackmail, it was a particularly heavy burden.The first 5 or so minutes is silent. You can see people talking, but no sound, only a score. Then, all of a sudden, our female lead steps in and the voices kick in. Her boyfriend is a cop, but she has dinner arrangements with an aspiring artist. When she goes home with him, he tries to rape her and as he does, she fatally stabs him. She quickly covers up any evidence that she was there, and makes an escape. Her boyfriend finds out and tries to cover it up for her so she won't get arrested, but an unlikely witness blackmails her.Interestingly enough, the plot never truly felt wrapped up. To my surprise, they didn't reconcile and establish the outcome of the case, and instead left it to the interpreter. It definitely isn't Hitch's best, even for the late 20's and early 30's, but it's definetely good in both the objective and subjective sense.
Syl
Sir Alfred Hitchcock was already a well known film director mostly for his silent films. This film is his talking picture. Blackmail is a short film but worth noting in studying Hitchcock's film catalog. This film stars Anna Ondry who plays a shopkeeper's daughter. She is beautiful and charming. She gets into trouble when she defends herself by killing the artist and leaving the scene. Hitchcock's includes his favorites like Sara Allgood. The film doesn't have too much suspense but we do feel for Alice in her situation but the plot is predictable for the most part. The cast is small enough and focuses on Alice mostly.
LeonLouisRicci
This is a Tale of two formats. The Silent and the Sound Film. Referred to early on as "Talkies", it was a rather limited labeling since the Sound Era was so much more than that. After all, there was Music and Sound Effects that so often added Depth and Delight to the Art Form.Here is the First British Sound Movie and along for the ride is Hitchcock transforming a Silent Movie that probably took a lot of effort considering the Technical limitations and must have been a learn as you go procedure.It does feel a bit Manufactured at first but quickly settles in and has a number of striking and entertaining flourishes that the Director creates and His Love and Playful Style is in clear evidence. There is much here that is Masterful Manipulation and is effective nerve racking done with a staccato of Montaging that is Excellent Film Craft.The Film also contains an Ending that would be forbidden a few Years later when the Hays Code would restrict many things not the least of which is evading Punishment for a Crime. This is an underrated Movie that takes much heat for its less than smooth transition from Silent to Sound, but that takes a backseat to all the other stunning accomplishments from Hitchcocks embryonic Period.
GManfred
Dating myself here. "His Master's Voice" was on the labels of RCA Victor records 80 years ago and even longer than that. My summary is woven from that slender thread - The heroine (Anny Ondra) had a pronounced accent and was dubbed. But even a dubbed-in voice didn't prevent her from nearly sinking the picture, as once again Ms. Ondra comes up short in the acting department. Recall, she was in "The Manxman" (1928) and displayed the same lack of acting skill.In "Blackmail", she is passable until the rape scene. Thereafter, she becomes catatonic and wanders in a daze for the rest of the picture. It was very unconvincing - how could Hitchcock put up with such an inept acting turn? The savior of the film is Donald Calthrop, the blackmailer in question, with a performance that turns an exercise in the ordinary acting-wise into something special.Oh yes, the story. This was a first-rate movie in all respects. It was taut and with very little down time, thanks to Hitchcock. It moves along quickly and is absorbing despite divulging the contents in the first half hour. Back to the acting - since this was the dawn of the talking era, it was overacted except for Calthrop, who struck the right chord and was convincing as well as loathsome. Anyone remember Cyril Ritchard? he was the murder victim, and a veteran of the stage and not often seen on the screen.May I offer an opinion? From a brutally realistic standpoint, why should the actions of a victim of a rape attempt be considered criminal, and didn't she do what she had to do to fend off her attacker? Sometimes in this world one has to do what one must, in order to survive - even if it is at great variance with society's, as well as one's own, code of ethics. Tough luck for the would-be rapist - justifiable homicide would be my verdict. Just my own thought. Most of the time my own thoughts wouldn't hold up in a court of law.
AD
