Review of The 39 Steps (1935) by Michael P — 23 Jul 2007
Hitchcock's The 39 Steps is hailed by many as a seminal work in the spy thriller/suspense genre. It merits a Criterion Collection edition, and is much imitated, even by Hitchcock himself in North By Northwest.
For all that, I must say I found this to be the least enjoyable Hitchcock film, and the least enjoyable spy movie that I have ever seen. I'm sure most of the problem is related to the fact that this was so early in the evolution of the genre, but everything about this film felt slightly off-key to me, from the premise right down to the 'bond girl' heroine.
I think perhaps another part of the problem was that it was a British film, and Hitchcock's later American work has always appealed to be more, probably mostly because of the improved cinematography and less 'stuffy' acting (in the words of Eddie Izzard: '...more the "Room With a View with a Staircase and a Pond" type movies. Films with very fine acting, but the drama is rather sort of subdued, subsumed, or... sub-something or other.').
At any rate, for me this film was worth watching as an academic exercise, but failed to entertain.
This review of The 39 Steps (1935) was written by Michael P on 23 Jul 2007.
The 39 Steps has generally received very positive reviews.
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