THE SECRET AGENT
UK, 1936, 86 minutes, Black and white.
John Gielgud, Madeleine Carroll, Robert Young, Peter Lorre, Lili Palmer.
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock.
The Secret Agent is a Hitchcock film from his thirties British period. It comes from the same period as The Man Who Knew Too Much, The Thirty Nine Steps and Sabotage. It is quite enjoyable and comes from a Somerset Maugham novel.
The rather stiff hero is played interestingly by John Glelgud. Madeleine Carroll, who was in The Thirty Nine Steps, is an attractive heroine. Peter Lorre, who was in The Man Who Knew Too Much, is an odd villain. Even more surprising in Robert Young as a very suave villain. The film takes up many of Hitebock's favourite themes of the time and of later films, espionage, murder, mistaken identity, surly heroes and attractive villains, blonde heroine. He also raises questions about the wrong man which he was wont to do in so many films, especially the obligations that a secret agent takes to obey orders, even to killing. The film is very entertaining, a strange blend of melodrama and action and tongue-in-cheek comedy.
1. The film an an example of early Hitchcock, his work in Britain?
2. The origins of the film in the writings of W. Somerset Maugham? Ashenden as a Maugham hero? Maugham's attitude towards war?
3. The qualities of British film-making in the thirties, black and white photography, the use of studios and of the stars?
4. The importance of the opening and the mock funeral? The solemnity, the sudden revelation of humour and irony? Indication of double tone to the whole film: serious espionage drama, problems of conscience about murder, black humour pervading the atmosphere? (Hitchcock's trade mark over many decades?)
5. John Glelgud's style as Ashendon? The build-up to establishing his mission and his loss of his personal Identity? The information in the newspapers? the supplying of Elsa, as his wife? The General an his assistant? The journey to Switzerland, the atmosphere of Switzerland? Ashendon as the British agent abroad? The series of adventures that he was involved in? The serious tone especially in the sequence in the church, the importance of killing an unknown victim? For patriotic reasons? The repercussions of the death of the wrong man? The relationship with Elsa, the relationship with Mary? his ability and inability to kill? The emergence of conscience and the moral dilemm?
6. The contrast with Elsa and her excitement about such a salon? Her being confronted by the realities of death instead of romantic excitement? The sequence with the man being pushed over the cliff and her reaction? Her involvement with Mary in and the gradual realization of the truth? her attitudes towards him at the end? The comparison of Ashendon and Elsa's attitudes towards death and killing?
7. The ambiguous character of the general? The humour about his woman, - the seriousnoss of his capacity to build? The comedy consequences in sequences Switzerland? The sinister build-up to his killing the innocent victim on the mountain? his own death? Peter Lorre's style?
8. Mary as the obtrusive American? The suave romantic type? When did the audience suspect that he was the villain? His change of pace and tone on the train? His death?
9. The portrait of the man who was killed, the circumstantial evidence, his climbing the mountain and the General's presence, Ashenden's presence? His wife and the dog and Elsa's presence? The atmosphere of suspense and conscience with the editing?
10. The build-up to the sequence in the church and the revelation of the murder?
11. Hitchcock's techniques with train adventures? The crash and its repercussions?
12. Themes of espionage and conscience, war? The serious comrdy style as a vehicle for the exploration of these themes?
