The Lodger (1927) Review
08-24-04, 06:48 PM
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The Lodger (1927) Review
Review:
The Lodger is universally considered the best of Hitchcock's silents. Even in this early piece we see some of Hitch's trademark theme's, like the possibility of the innocent man accused and some interesting camera shots. It's a story that's loosely based on the Jack the Ripper killings in London. In this movie the serial killer is known as The Avenger and is killing blondes, which has the fair-haired girls of London worried. During this time a mysterious man shows up looking for a room to rent from a family. This lodger has some quirky habits of going out on foggy nights and has them wondering who exactly this lodger that's living in their house really is. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the Lodger is playing chess with Daisy. This movie definitely showcases Hitchcock's early talent for the thriller genre and he keeps you guessing throughout. I have read that Hitchcock wanted a different ending, but that it was shot down my the movie executives. I won't mention the endings to avoid spoiling the movie, but I would have liked to see it Hitch's way. Unfortunately this was long before the days of shooting alternate versions, so we just have to imagine how he would have done it. It's amazing to me to watch Hitchcock's quality movies from the 1920s-1970s. He truly deserves the title, The Master of Suspense. He dedicated his life to the art of filmmaking and we get to reap the benefits.
This review with more information, pictures, etc is nicely formatted on my non-commercial website (no popups or ads, I promise): http://www.andrewnixon.com/movies/lodger.htm
Some of you may recall that that I started my Alfred Hitchcock Movie Reviews on my website quite awhile back, well after a long hiatus, I have started back up with my chronological Hitchcock marathon. I'm sure it will still take awhile to make it through them all, but I hope to keep working on them semi-regularly. I'm excited about the release of several more of his movies on DVD in a couple weeks...though Lifeboat is still missing. Fortunately I have it on laserdisc.
The direct URL for my Hitchcock page is: http://www.andrewnixon.com/movies/hitch.htm
Current there are reviews for: The Pleasure Garden, Mountain Eagle (not exactly a review), The Lodger, and Waltzes from Vienna (You can read why I had to go out of order on this one).
I'd be happy to hear other thoughts on this or any of the movies I have reviewed. I enjoy other opinions, even if they are contrary to my own.
The Lodger is universally considered the best of Hitchcock's silents. Even in this early piece we see some of Hitch's trademark theme's, like the possibility of the innocent man accused and some interesting camera shots. It's a story that's loosely based on the Jack the Ripper killings in London. In this movie the serial killer is known as The Avenger and is killing blondes, which has the fair-haired girls of London worried. During this time a mysterious man shows up looking for a room to rent from a family. This lodger has some quirky habits of going out on foggy nights and has them wondering who exactly this lodger that's living in their house really is. I particularly enjoyed the scene where the Lodger is playing chess with Daisy. This movie definitely showcases Hitchcock's early talent for the thriller genre and he keeps you guessing throughout. I have read that Hitchcock wanted a different ending, but that it was shot down my the movie executives. I won't mention the endings to avoid spoiling the movie, but I would have liked to see it Hitch's way. Unfortunately this was long before the days of shooting alternate versions, so we just have to imagine how he would have done it. It's amazing to me to watch Hitchcock's quality movies from the 1920s-1970s. He truly deserves the title, The Master of Suspense. He dedicated his life to the art of filmmaking and we get to reap the benefits.
This review with more information, pictures, etc is nicely formatted on my non-commercial website (no popups or ads, I promise): http://www.andrewnixon.com/movies/lodger.htm
Some of you may recall that that I started my Alfred Hitchcock Movie Reviews on my website quite awhile back, well after a long hiatus, I have started back up with my chronological Hitchcock marathon. I'm sure it will still take awhile to make it through them all, but I hope to keep working on them semi-regularly. I'm excited about the release of several more of his movies on DVD in a couple weeks...though Lifeboat is still missing. Fortunately I have it on laserdisc.
The direct URL for my Hitchcock page is: http://www.andrewnixon.com/movies/hitch.htm
Current there are reviews for: The Pleasure Garden, Mountain Eagle (not exactly a review), The Lodger, and Waltzes from Vienna (You can read why I had to go out of order on this one).
I'd be happy to hear other thoughts on this or any of the movies I have reviewed. I enjoy other opinions, even if they are contrary to my own.
Last edited by Sinjin; 08-24-04 at 10:06 PM.
