Year: 1927
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Country: UK
Language: N/A
Not until The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) did Alfred Hitchcock, the proclaimed "Master of Suspense", firmly plant his feet into the thriller genre that he is so beloved for. Previously he had ventured into many genres, infact only three pictures (Lodger, Blackmail & Number Seventeen) before 1934 could be considered "horror". The Lodger (1927) is the first true "Hitchcock" film, containing most of the themes he'd use throughout his career.
In this, a landlady suspects her new lodger of being the notorious madman who is killing women in London.
The script was adapted from the 1913 novel The Lodger by Marie Belloc Lowndes, a prolific and popular author of the period. He was inspired by the Jack the Ripper killings in London in 1888. Studio interference prevented Hitch from using the script's original ending, instead opting for an ending more in line with the Hays code that would be made mandatory in the 30's. It doesn't affect the film too greatly, albeit I would have preferred the original.
That being said, Hitch takes us on an emotional journey and manipulates his audience in a way that he would not surpass until Psycho (1960). Hitchcock’s obsession with blondes is notable here, as he uses the camera in an almost voyeuristic invasive way. Even the extreme close-ups of the killer's victims feel uncomfortably intimate. The Lodger, like most of his pictures, is well crafted in regards to editing and shot composition. It keeps up good pace in an absolutely haunting atmosphere.
Beautifully restored, Criterion's latest edition of The Lodger looks like a brand new film. It is a fairly easy watch, even for those who are not familiar with Hitchcock's work or the silent period in general. Though some symbolism is heavy handed, I was ultimately very impressed.
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