Review of The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927) by Tyler M — 13 Dec 2007

Tall he was - and his face was all wrapped up.

The film that launched the career of the "Master of Suspense". A brilliant murder mystery filled with Hithcocks trademark style.

The Story: During a time when a murderer walks the streets, preying on the women of the night, a strange man with peculiar habbits shows up at the door of a lodging house. It's Hitchcocks first movie, actually it's his second or third, but it's what he considered to be his first. It's got the style, and camera work of a Hitchcock film and really sets the tone for the rest of his career. It's silent, and being silent, it moves a little slowly, but still an amazing work of art. After seeing this you'll understand his unforgettable style a little bit more as it's nothing short of amazing.

The Cast: IVOR NOVELLO...He's the only one here that really stands out. He's "the lodger", the suspected Jack the Ripper, or in the case of the movie, "The Avenger". As it's silent, I can't really tell you that he sounded like a great actor, instead all I can really say is, he acted greatly. In a time when acting really meant having to "act" he proved to be one in a million, the way he carried himself, the way he presented himself, everything about him fit the role perfectly. On a side note, Ivor Novello also appeared in a remake of this film in 1932. I've never seen the remake so I can't tell which performance is better, but I thought that was some interesting trivia.

One to Five Scale: 4.

It's a great start from Hitchcock, everything about his work was present back then, just as much as it was when his career ended. One thing though, this one is no doubt one of the hardest films of his to find or get a hold of, and it's SILENT, so unless you're an incredibly die hard Hitchcock fan, you probably shouldn't bother looking for it. I also recommend the book, as that's probably a little easier to get than this film.

Tyler.