The Manxman (1928)

Hitchcock uses Cornwall to fill in for the Isle of Man in this early, superb, silent movie. Based on an 1894 novel by Hall Caine of the same name, it’s the story of two best friends who are in love with the same girl. After Pete travels abroad to earn some money (after having achieved an agreement with said girl, Kate, to marry him) his best friend Philip and Kate fall in love, but in the mistaken belief that Pete has died, after receiving some misinformation. We know Hitchcock is a master craftsman, and he had already proven this in silent cinema with the previous years’ The Ring; an excellent boxing drama released decades before Scorsese would take on the sport in Raging Bull (1980). The Manxman is a tragic tale, one in which every party involved feels the full effect of the originally well intentioned actions, and it is beautifully portrayed by Hitchcock, whose capturing of Cornwall pulls you into the story and the characters lives. If you haven’t ever checked out his early work in silent cinema, this is a great place to start, although perhaps not if you feel like a light hearted affair. 7.7/10