Thoughts on The 39 Steps (1935)

So I just saw The 39 Steps.

And it was pretty great.

Going in, I expected something more like Blackmail, since these were made around the same time period and a lot of people think Alfred Hitchcock got really good around the 40s and 50s, while this film was made in 1935. But, while Blackmail was still good, this film was very good, and I think way better.

This was not a silent film, nor did it start life as such, and I think it's much better for it. It doesn't suffer from any awkwardness or unnecessary dialogue that Blackmail did. The dialogue is more purposeful, and it sounds better. I neglected to mention this in my thoughts on Blackmail, but the technical sound of the voices was kind of scratchy and rusty. It's forgivable because that was a new thing, but it was still something I noticed. The voices sound much better here.

This film also handles pacing much better. Blackmail was slow as tar, which in and of itself is not a bad thing, but it's not exactly the most palatable for a lot of people. The pacing in The 39 Steps was also slowish, but not too slow. It was paced very well, actually, and consistently, too.

I personally found the plot to be more engaging too. There are many twists and turns that kept me more engaged, which was helped by the pacing. This is personal taste though.

One objective thing I thought was done well was the sets. You had normal building sets, sure, but there was a lot filmed outside, or at least appearing to be outside––the fact that I couldn't tell is an achievement unto itself too. In nighttime scenes in the dark, lighting was used pretty well, too; we knew how dark it was, and this was exacerbated by the fact that The 39 Steps is black and white, but everything that needed to be visible was visible. I also personally found a bit of enjoyment at seeing the Flying Scotsman train. I'm kind of into that thing.

The acting was very good as usual and the music was used sparingly but effectively. I especially loved this little tune the protagonist kept compulsively whistling because it became important later. I also loved how the beginning and the end mirrored each other a bit; this was intentional and very well done. Apparently, it was supposed to be in Blackmail too but the ending was changed.

I honestly can't find a lot to complain about in this movie, if anything, and I've got to say that its praise is well deserved. It's either my first or second favorite Hitchcock film so far, and I'm giving this an eight or a nine out of ten.