![]() ![]() Still, these two very significant problems aside, there’s actually a lot of interest here, even if none of it quite gels. You know you’re in trouble when I can imagine two more effective twist endings, even if they are a tad easier to predict. In fact, it just makes explicit something that was very clearly implied earlier in the episode. While The Hidden Thing just has a revelation that… well, it’s a revelation, I suppose. Sure, it’s not exactly a complete surprise – anybody with any real experience of noir will probably see it coming a mile away – but it’s still clever and it still works in context. The other advantage that Revenge has is the twist ending. It’s a small thing, given how the narrative is singlemindedly fixated on destroying their happiness, but it is important nevertheless. Part of that is down to how much time we spend with them, but also because Elsa and Carl had more developed back stories than Laura and Dana. For one thing, we are far more invested in the young newlyweds there than we are with the chirpy soon-to-be-wed kids here. Revenge is a much stronger story, for several reasons. And, rather than trying to get past that trauma, our lead instead fixates on it, to an unhealthy degree. “We can’t find him without you help,” the cops tell our lead here. A random act of brutality leaves the husband trying to make sense of it all, while the law proves entirely incapable of bringing the offending party to justice. Of course, this being Alfred Hitchcock Presents, the universe itself conspires to fix that unfortunate turn of events. They both follow a young couple who are deeply in love and in a state of pure bliss. Both episodes feel somewhat thematically linked. ![]() In some ways, The Hidden Thing harks back to the pilot for the series, Revenge. In many ways, it seems like the ending to The Hidden Thing is a twist that just fell apart and, rather than enhancing the surrounding story, ultimately detracted from the episode. However, it never really ties all of its ideas together, finishing on a rather bland and – inappropriately enough – forgettable ending. It also has an interesting set-up, playing off a sense of unjust randomness. It has a strong central theme, even if it is a little blunt about it. The Hidden Thing is a bit of a strange little episode. I thought it might be worth taking a look at an episode from a director other than Hitchcock. ![]() It’s a very worthwhile cause and you can donate here. The “For the Love of Film” blogathon this year is raising money to keep one of Hitchcock’s earlier works, The White Shadow (which he wrote, edited, designed and assistant-directed), available on-line and streaming for free. As part of the “For the Love of Film” blogathon, I’ll be taking a look at his celebrated anthology series Alfred Hitchcock Presents. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |