Review of The Lady Vanishes (1938) by Jeffrey J — 24 Apr 2005

[i]The Lady Vanishes.

[/i]As one of the bridge films between Hitchcock?s earlier British years to his later American years, [i]The Lady Vanishes[/i] was a rare case which hits just the right notes of comedy, suspense, and romance. The master of suspense can be seen as perfecting his art within his own framework of basic plot. One could say that the film is, in fact, not all that different from his basic formula. A person becomes entangled within a mystery which seems to reveal itself as being increasingly complex. However, despite his constant use of this given equation, Hitchcock always seems to find certain ways to keep the film of interest to the viewer, never resorting to cliches. The movie begins with a small hotel which is packed due to a nearby train suffering an avalanche and its travelers becoming trapped in the town. This is how Hitchcock introduces the audience to his characters, avoiding his main motif until the character relationships are developed on a basic level so that they can later be explored under the harsh microscope of the plot. In this hotel, we meet Iris, a young charming engaged woman who admits that she is about to marry simply for the money, Gilbert, a man who causes her much distress but somehow comes across as quite alluring at the same time, Mrs. Froy, an older woman who seems to be more than what she first appears, and two English gentlemen who would be content with finding out the scores to the latest Cricket match. Now, they all get on the train and then when the main protagonist of our story, Iris, falls asleep after getting a knock on the head, Mrs. Froy vanishes. As the train continues to move, Iris and Gilbert begin to search for Mrs. Froy, becoming drawn into what could be a very large conspiracy. Although this all may seem extremely serious and suspenseful, it is crafted with such humorous and witty dialogue that it?s also among Hitchcock?s funniest films. I absolutely adore how the camera is used to create a feeling that the perpetrators must be in that train, a certain claustrophobia which adds to the tension despite many whimsical moments. I thoroughly enjoyed nearly everything about the film and believe it deserves to be ranked with his most accomplished. As usual, Hitchcock brilliantly mixes romance, intrigue, and comedy, to come out with a blissfully entertaining film in [i]The Lady Vanishes[/i].