Sabotage / The Lodger (1937) Review & Ratings

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Sabotage / The Lodger (1937) Review

(Please note that the DVD edition I am reviewing is the Lasterlight release double feature of Alfred Hitchcock's SABOTAGE and THE LODGER. It's the one with that groovy introduction by the collarless cardigan-wearing Tony Curtis, who does not wear his strange, black leather gloves in this particular Laserlight introduction.)
The viewing of this DVD was the first time that I had ever seen either Hitchcock's SABOTAGE or his silent feature, THE LODGER. Since this was an extremely inexpensive DVD purchase (as part of a three disc set), I assumed that there would be one fairly good film packaged with one forgettable dud. So, when I finished watching and enjoying SABOTAGE, I deduced that the second film on the disc would be the one that would be awful. Surprisingly, THE LODGER turned out to be almost as good as the first film. This is an excellent DVD to purchase if you are unfamiliar with either of these great movies. The picture and sound quality are not perfect, but for a budget release, they are quite acceptable.
SABOTAGE is a masterful piece of work. It has a straightforward, yet engaging plot that will keep you spellbound the entire way through. There is some genuinely surprising material contained here, and if anyone tells you that a film from the 1930s can't shock anyone in the 21st Century, you merely have to show them this film to demonstrate how wrong they are. Although the film seems predictable at times, there are moments that will surprise even the most cynical of viewers.
The action is fast and the tension is thick. The acting from the leads is quite excellent, with particular mention going to the main villain of the piece. Although the identity of the saboteur becomes obvious almost immediately, you'll be mesmerized watching the characters as they attempt to arrive at the same conclusion, and wondering if they can solve things before it's too late. Also of note are the family of foreign agents in the bird shop, and the wife who's torn between the truth and the man she married. This film is worth viewing even if just for the dangerously playful interaction between the main characters.
The picture quality on this film is certainly watchable. There may be better prints out there on more expensive discs, and I wouldn't claim that it's a particularly crisp picture; if you are fussy about the quality of your DVD, then you might want to give this disc a miss. But for what you pay, this is definitely a worthwhile purchase. On the other hand, the sound quality isn't terribly good either. This is unfortunate, as there are a few lines that are spoken quietly enough to be lost. This wouldn't be a problem, if the Laserlight people had put English subtitles on the disc. It's strange that English is not included, as they do have subtitles, in Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. Of course, this problem only affects the first feature on this disc, since the second film is a silent movie.
THE LODGER is also a class film, and makes a great addition to this disc. Given the age of the film, it's not surprising that the picture isn't in terribly great shape. It's in much worse shape than the first movie, though at no point is it completely unwatchable. Laserlight has released worse looking DVDs before (stand up, MR. ARKADIN) but this is definitely not one of their clearer products.
While the image quality is relatively poor, the quality of the story itself shines through. It's a thrilling story that contains several more experimental sequences than I was expecting to see. The movie is slightly repetitive and at times it goes over the top, but this is merely to increase the tension. We know, more or less, what's going to happen (apart from the very silly conclusion), but our interest is piqued by how we get from step to step. It's a fascinating journey. It's just a pity that the ending to the film seems to come out of nowhere. Apparently, the studio management forced Hitchcock to end the film in the way it does which explains why it feels so out of place compared to the entire lead up. Despite the disappointment and let down of the ending, the beginning and middle sections are excellent and exciting, and they more than make up for relatively poor resolution.
Considering the low price, this DVD is a great buy. These are two great movies that belong in everyone's collection. There are some problems with the picture and sound, but for the price you pay, you definitely get value for your dollar.

Sabotage / The Lodger (1937) Overview

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