The Cool Channel DVD Review: The Manxman Posted by J.D. Dunn on 06.29.2006
Two friends, torn over the love of a woman. You know, that old chestnut.
The Manxman (1929)
D:Alfred Hitchcock W:Eliot Stannard, from a novel by Hall Caine. Starring:Carl Brissom, Malcolm Keen, Anny Ondra, and Randle Ayrton. MPAA: NR Runtime: 90m.
The Film:
"The Manxman" marks Alfred Hitchcock's final silent film, and thankfully, his final moralistic soap opera. It's not that Hitchcock didn't do good work in the genre, but to think of him as a mere director of potboilers would be a tragedy to the film community. Unfortunately, "The Manxman" is probably not the film Hitchcock wanted to end his silent career on.
"Unfortunately, "The Manxman" is probably not the film Hitchcock wanted to end his silent career on."
Peter Quilliam (Brissom) is a poor sailor who is lifelong friends with Philip (Keen). Although Philip and Peter are akin to brothers, their careers have taken divergent paths. Philip is a successful lawyer who has become a champion of the common man. Peter falls in love with Kate (Ondra), the daughter of the local innkeeper. Philip also has feelings for her, but he steps aside like a good friend and even puts in a good word with her father. Her crusty old father (Ayrton) refuses to let her marry a bum like Peter, though.
Undaunted, Peter sets off to make his fortune in Africa. He asks Kate to promise him that she will wait for him to come back and asks Philip to keep an eye on her so she doesn't get lonely. Well, you don't have to be Nostradamus to see where this one is going. Philip begins to call on Kate, taking her on long walks down by the pier. One thing leads to another, and the two begin a relationship.
Peter returns to claim his woman, so Philip and Kate end their secret affair. Kate keeps her word and marries Peter, but she's secretly miserable. Perhaps most shocking of all, Kate is pregnant with Philip's child — something that was unheard of in film at the time.
"Hitchcock tends to vacillate between putting women on a pedestal and portraying them as the temptation fruit, driving men to kill, cheat, steal."
Alas, the film peters out in tragic, melodramatic fashion with Peter completely oblivious to anything that's going on with the woman to whom he dedicated his life.
Title Cards & Visualizations
When Hitchcock is "on," he likes to tell the story as silently as possible, even in sound films. Since he had no desire to make a good film this time out, we get a lot of title cards where none are necessary, and no title cards when it would help to know what they're saying. Virtually everything important is told through the cards instead of images or not told at all.
When the actors do get a chance to tell the story, they do so through grand, melodramatic movements instead of the usual subtle gestures Hitchcock prefers. Lead actress Ondra must have impressed, though, because she was held over for Hitch's next film, "Blackmail." The situation proved interesting when the film was converted into a talkie in mid-production and the filmmakers were forced to dub over Ondra with an English-speaking actress.
Women & Moral Quandaries
As I said, this is the last of Hitchcock's moralistic melodramas, but certainly not the last time he explores the role of women. Hitchcock tends to vacillate between putting women on a pedestal and portraying them as the temptation fruit, driving men to kill, cheat, steal. It's typical of noir films, but usually it's more complex in Hitchcock.
"If ever there were a film in need of a remake with some effort, this is it. "
Here, Ondra's Kate acts as a MacGuffin, driving a wedge between two friends and nearly being destroyed in the process. Literary fans might feel a bit of "Wuthering Heights" in the story. While Kate suffers some of the same tribulations as Catherine, we never get the same depth of that tragedy as in the novel. If ever there were a film in need of a remake with some effort, this is it.
Video
Like "The Lodger," this film suffers from the lack of a good print. However, unlike "The Lodger," there isn't the same urgency in restoring it because it's considered one of Hitchcock's missable films. That would be unfortunate because, while it's not his best artistic success, there is a lot of good in the story, just not enough to recommend the film.
The 411: Hitchcock's silent melodrama phase ends not with a bang, but with a whimper. A good story lies somewhere in there, and the film might have been better served with a less-talented, more-motivated director. Fans of the soap genre might enjoy this more than Hitchcock-philes. A rare non-essential for a director who made so many essentials. C-
