Absolutely the worst movie.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

The best films of this genre always show a path and provide a takeaway for being a better person.

By the 1929 Alfred Hitchcock was highly regarded as a film director, but still he was obliged to direct the movies British International Pictures chose for him. 'The Manxman' is one of those many mediocre (although technically superior) early Hitchcock's melodramas, still it is one of the strongest silents (after 'The Lodger' and 'The Ring') of 'The Master of Suspense'.Former boxer Carl Brisson stars as fisherman Pete Quilliam who falls in love into gorgeous Kate (gorgeous Anny Ondra). When Pete has to go to work in Africa he asks his best friend Philip (Malcolm Keen) to take care of his girlfriend. Unfortunately Kate and Philip start to feel more and more towards each other, and when Pete returns home, the emotions and tears start to flow.Although very simple story 'The Manxman' stands above rest of the numerous similar melodramas because Hitchcock's masterful direction and he doesn't allow the film to turn into cheese fest. All three main actors are doing great job, but especially wonderful is Anny Ondra, who is simply mesmerizing on the screen. Not the most memorable film, but it is worth to watch only for Anny Ondra.

Alfred Hitchcock's final silent film is an adaptation of a then-popular novel about a love triangle. This is the second film adaptation of that novel. Basically it's a soaper that begins with a tired premise. Two boys from opposite sides of the tracks are friends and both fall in love with the same girl. That's routine enough but the plot takes some twists and turns to keep things from being too predictable. The trade-off for those twists, however, is the characters become less likable as the movie goes on. By the end I was not invested in who wound up with who. I was kind of hoping for a triple suicide.It's not a bad film by any stretch. Hitch certainly gives it a professional polish. It's a very nice-looking picture. The performances are all good, as well. It's just pure melodrama with characters I didn't really like that much. Add to that the feeling it goes on too long and it becomes a chore to sit through. Still, it's Hitchcock so you should probably watch it at least once just for that.

I'm not big on most romance films - but this one I like. I've seen this one before, forgot about it, and watching it again it dawned on me that I have seen this one. I find it intriguing. Love triangles happen in real life and I would hope they don't end up in a tragic situation as in this film.The biggest questions when dealing with this love triangle is: "Is Kate really in-love with both men at once" (you know, finds something she loves about both of them)? OR is Kate really just a 'player' (using both men)? It seems to me that Kate is actually in-love with Phil but likes Pete as a good friend - so why did Kate flirt so hard with Pete? Why didn't Kate just tell Pete 'I'm in-love with Phil, and you are our good friend'? This whole thing/story happened because Kate flirted hard with both men but really only fell in-love with one man, Phil, and lead Pete on in the very beginning. Kate is to blame for all of this - left Pete hurting badly - not to mention Phil who was like a brother to Pete.Good film - I enjoyed this one.8/10

I read the story line elsewhere and it seemed to me rather over-complicated and uncinematic but having just seen the film, it is beautifully and efficiently presented. The musical score borrowed from Elgar's symphonies as well as some orchestrated Franz Liszt and matched the print to perfection. The age differences didn't bother me really at all. I don't know the Manx culture or the social values of the day so I'll leave it room.The "mise-en-scene" was exceptionally good. One scene sticks out in particular with Pete grinning and clapping in the background while Kate and Philip face the camera with despondent expressions. There were some slow dissolves as well to signify the passage of time which were handled quite adeptly. The use of the boats and the hills were strategically interspersed and quite lovely. There was an important clue near the beginning of the film when Philip's aunt warns him that his father married below his rank and suffered all his life. We are led to believe that Philip will suffer a similar fate. It is a story of two men's lives and their friendship destroyed by a woman who simply refuses to accept any sort of responsibility. The film wisely doesn't linger on the dire consequences. This was a tale well told.Curtis Stotlar