BEFORE: I debated whether or not to include this one, or whether this should count toward my final total, because it is a short film (26 min.) and I have no way to link to it. Oh, and it's all in French with English subtitles. I've decided to include it because a) it's already in my movie collection, b) it's officially part of Hitchcock's filmography and c) it happened to fall on Memorial Day weekend, making its WWII setting quite relevant. I mean, I planned it this way all along.
THE PLOT: A young Scottish RAF gunner is debriefed by French officials about his escape from occupied territory.
AFTER: There's really not a lot here, just a story told in flashback about how a Scottish man (who seems to speak French very well) escaped from occupied French territory. And he relates the story to his superior officers, who for some reason speak French also - shouldn't they speak English?
What Hitchcock brings to the table, along with the intrigue and focus on war/spy stuff is the fact that the man who helped him escape may not have been who he appeared to be. According to the officials, he may have helped one man escape in order to expose all of the people who helped him along the way.
The story is thus related twice - once before the possible double-agent is revealed, and a second time after this new information comes to light. Which is a pretty neat trick, all things considered. In terms of cleverness this is still miles ahead of Hitchcock's early work like "The Ring" and "The Lodger".
Starring John Blythe and a number of French actors who chose to remain anonymous. (no kidding, this was to protect any family members still in the occupied territory)
RATING: 4 out of 10 bicycles
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