Alfred Hitchcock himself described Blackmail as ‘a real Hitchcock picture’. It has all the essential ingredients: a beautiful blond, a knife, a murder, high places, a chase through a famous landmark, a charming villain, plenty of plot twists, a Hitchcock cameo, an innocent man accused, guilt, suspicion – the list is exhaustive, It marked a turning point in Hitchcock’s career for several reasons. Intended as a silent, Hitchcock was told to turn it into a sound picture during filming. The sound version was a huge european success and opened the doors to Hollywood for the young Hitchcock.But over time the original sound version has come to be seen as the superior film. Detailed, subtle and intricate, the silent form suits the story perfectly.

Alice White, after an argument with her policeman boyfriend Frank, kills a man who attempts to rape her. She covers up the crime, but when Frank is told to investigate things begin to unravel. Ass the complication of a man who attempts to blackmail Alice and Frank, and the plot becomes very twisted indeed,

The score, is inspired by 1920’s music but also by Bernard Herrmann

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