Tag: Suspense
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The Man Who Knew Too Much. (1934)
Alfred Hitchcock’s earlier work is sometimes sadly overlooked. He is known by many for his American films, and too right; Rear Window, Vertigo, Psycho and Rope are just some of his exceptional later films. Still, Alfred Hitchcock was an Essex boy. He began work in silent cinema with respected films such as The Lodger. Hitchcock’s work in the 1930s remains quintessentially British. The…
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Purple Noon.
René Clément’s slick suspense thriller Plein Soleil, translated as Purple Noon, is bubbling over with attitude and terror. We first meet Tom Ripley on the streets of Italy, laughing and chatting with friend Philippe Greenleaf. We soon learn that Ripley is being paid by Greenleaf’s father to try and persuade Philippe to return home to the United States…
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Notes on a Scandal.
Notes on a Scandal, is a story within a story. A female teacher’s affair with a fifteen year old student, and the consequences of this, is merely a backdrop for the real tale of one woman’s agonising loneliness. Barbara is a stern and well respected teacher, nearing retirement. Her bitterly cold approach to teaching is…
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Vera Drake.
Mike Leigh is known for his individual and ambitious approach to character creation and film making. As one of his most stylised films, Vera Drake possibly demonstrates this the most clearly. Taking months at a time to develop character back story and personality, Leigh’s character are usually firmly in place before any kind of script or plot.…
Hannah McHaffie 