Lodger, The - A Story Of The London Fog Details

What a poor way to treat a classic

Hitchcock has been poorly served by the distributors here. This is a fine film with tremendous atmosphere and a lingering sense of menace. The shots of Novello taken from underneath, walking on the floor above, and hanging from the railings at the end are both superb - this is probably Novello's best film work, including The Rat.

But the treatment is appalling! The London Fog is far foggier than it need be because of the inept transfer and the music is off the shelf and stuck on anyhow with no feeling for mood or rhythm. I can sympathise with those who couldn't watch it to the end because they have been poorly served.

Eureka can do wonders with a film like this,but even if there is no money for that kind of restoration (though I find that hard to believe) there should be a law against this kind of release. Pat Hitchcock should complain!

In the meantime, turn down the volume and try to ignore the fuzzy image, it's a great story, told with skills picked up by Hitchcock from the Expressionists in Germany, and containing a superb performanace by Novello, full of ambiguity.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Vintage Hitch

Hitchcock described this as his as his first real film because it is here that he began to use some of the devices which later became trademark, and as you watch the film, it's interesting to try to relate certain shots, camera angles and sequences to later films.

This little diversion isn't necessary to one's enjoyment of the film, however: it still works as a thriller with a good build-up and plenty of atmospheric sequences. The added soundtrack, always a matter of some concern with re-issued silent films, consists of a series of light classics, but some effort has been made to ensure that what is playing on the soundtrack has some relevance to what is on the screen, even if only in the matter of tempo.