Two neighboring families with large estates become rivals. The Hillcrists are an old family with a long history on their estate. The Hornblowers are new arrivals buying up local farms to build a factory.
This British talkie film is most notable for its director Alfred Hitchcock. He's obviously trying different ideas. Some work more than others. I couldn't really care less about the characters or the plot. It's Hitchcock's camera work that is the most interesting. First, he's doing long single takes with the dialogue and this does not make it any better. He's operating the camera almost as one of the characters on stage. He's panning the camera back and forth. It's fascinating but it's also not working. There are other filming choices. There are some beautiful visual compositions. There is one crazy single shot scene at the auction. I've seen anything like it and it's better than most modern work. It does go on for too long but that's part of the experimentation. I can't say that I love this movie but I do love Hitchcock trying some interesting ideas.
This British talkie film is most notable for its director Alfred Hitchcock. He's obviously trying different ideas. Some work more than others. I couldn't really care less about the characters or the plot. It's Hitchcock's camera work that is the most interesting. First, he's doing long single takes with the dialogue and this does not make it any better. He's operating the camera almost as one of the characters on stage. He's panning the camera back and forth. It's fascinating but it's also not working. There are other filming choices. There are some beautiful visual compositions. There is one crazy single shot scene at the auction. I've seen anything like it and it's better than most modern work. It does go on for too long but that's part of the experimentation. I can't say that I love this movie but I do love Hitchcock trying some interesting ideas.