The 39 Steps Hitchcock Essay Research Paper — страница 2

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organization who surround the actors, looking the same, acting the same, yet on a different level with a different agenda than anyone around them. It is the man with the nationalistic pride for Britain that acts as protagonist and conquers all in the end. In this way the film acted as a social commentary as well as entertaining with twists and plot turns, with little to no down time. Not only is this social commentary about wartime, but one scene in particular, and even one camera shot in particular, symbolize the entrapments of women, religion, and the wrongly accused at the same time. After a struggle on the train to Scotland, Hannay escapes to the countryside and finds a cottage with an older man and his much younger wife whom Hannay at first mistakes for his daughter. He pays

them to stay the night. The man, John, becomes convinced that his young wife Margaret and Hannay have romantic, sexual inclinations. This is merely his insecurity with the handsome newcomer (except for the final kiss goodbye). John is deeply religious, and seemingly very bitter about this state. This religious state may have also been a facade, as it seems that money is more important to him than anything else, asking Hannay if he will pay to stay, then taking his five pounds to not rat him out, and then turning on him and questioning the police in order to find out if they offered a reward that was larger. His wife feels disdain for her much older husband and longs for the days of her youth in Glasgow, shopping in town centers and going to the cinema. Hannay is still on the run

and in the final scene involving these three characters, is momentarily trapped. This was well symbolized by Hitchcock. The final shot of them together is taken through the bars of the back of a wooden chair, symbolizing their three entrapments. Yet this is another entrapment that our protagonist will endure and survive, while the married couple must face a dreary life in the country. Overall, this film marked very strong symbolism within itself and in social contexts. In viewing this film it marks no surprise and gives substantial evidence towards Hitchcock being the outstanding maker of films filled with mystery and suspense. The Thirty-Nine Steps is a wonderful film that well marks its era and flows endlessly from start to finish. Being that Hitler had just come to power as a

dictator, the Fuhrer of Germany, it is fitting that Hitchcock would use a spy that would seem to defect from Germany. This is well marked because of the time period in which people were starting to notice Hitler clashing with different states and the rest of the world. Hitchcock goes on to show prevalence in his protagonist against this foreign ring of spies. He must stand as victor because of the time it was filmed. It says much of marriage at the time, particularly relating to the arranged marriage which didn t seem to be working out for either John or Margaret, he having to deal with a wife who did not love him, she a husband she did not love, and a new life that took her away from all that she knew. Hitchcock used an outstanding shot to show the three characters imprisoned in

free lives, through the use of the back of the chair as a symbolic cage. The Thirty-Nine Steps is an outstanding ride of suspense with few letdowns, foreshadowing an outstanding and unique career for the master, Alfred Hitchcock.