The 39 Steps (1935)

 Alfred Hitchcock's "The 39 Steps"

By 1935, Alfred Hitchcock had directed an array of British films, from routine dramas to literary adaptations to bizarre experimentation to the suspense and thriller that would start to become his singular focus. His 1935 film, "The 39 Steps," would find him playing in a sandbox that he would continue to return to throughout his film career. Not only that, it was a sandbox that many filmmakers would play in from then on. Screenwriter Robert Towne would even go so far to say that "all contemporary escapist entertainment begins with 'The 39 Steps.'" 

The plot utilizes the Hitchcock commonality of the 'MacGuffin,' or a plot device of no significance to the audience but is necessary to move the story along. The MacGuffin here are the '39 Steps,' a spy organization that is attempting to carry British secrets out of the country. However, these elements of the film only serve to push the protagonist along an Odysseus-like journey. A Canadian civilian visiting London gets dragged into an attempt to prevent the 39 Steps from accomplishing their goal. He gets pulled into these hijinks when he brings a woman to his home who is then murdered by the shadowy organization. Before her death, she reveals to him that they will be after him, as well, and that he must reach a man in Scotland to warn of the organization's plan. After being mistakenly accused of the woman's murder, he has no choice but to go on this journey to protect his innocence. This aspect of the film is in line with the thrillers that Hitchcock would make throughout his life, that is, an innocent man who is forced to go on the run or is swept up in a conspiracy. 

The film was a raving commercial success, mostly due to its commercial sensibilities. Hitchcock was very apt at arousing an audience, whether through sexual tension, intrigue, drama, suspense, adventure, etc. And it is safe to say that "The 39 Steps" has all of these elements. The sheer notion of an average, everyday man getting swept up in a conspiracy seems to connect an audience to the protagonist right off the bat. Caught between a wrongful accusation of murder and the threat of assassination by a shadowy organization forces the protagonist to become active to evade certain doom. This stress of an inevitable fate which forces the protagonist to action enlists the audience to understand that there are no other options and brings them along for the ride without judgement or criticism. When the protagonist becomes embroiled with Pamela, as the two of them are literally handcuffed together, the sexual tension is introduced which only adds another layer of intrigue. The mixing of these layered elements creates a film full of audience engagement. This would become a typical practice for films to come, as directors would continue to create engaging pieces of entertainment that were not just typical 'drama' or 'action,' but rather, an array of genre and elements. 

Despite being a film that centers mostly on commercial entertainment, the film does capture a sense of the socio-political environment of the UK. The film is loosely based on the novel of the same name by John Buchan, written at the onset of World War I. The book seems to capture the feeling of a sleepy and unsuspecting UK unaware of the socio-political hostilities that would ignite a coming frenzy. Like the novel, Hitchcock's film seems to do the same. Despite not being overtly political, Hitchcock still manages to paint a picture of political intrigue happening just under the surface of calm, domestic scenes. The conspiracy the protagonist is swept up in is unknown to the rest of the surrounding cast of everyday characters. The protagonist is aware of the fallout of letting these secrets leave the country and ensuing panic and peril that it is bound to cause. However, because he is the only one aware, he is never taken seriously by any of the other citizens. The milk man doesn't believe him when he tells him about the murdered spy in his apartment, the train car riders talk endlessly about mundane business while is on the run from the police, the quiet country folk are more focused on domestic responsibilities and economics means as he finds a place to hide, and Pamela does not believe his spy story, as she simply views him a common murderer. The entire story of espionage taking place is happening just under the nose of everyone else right in plain sight, whom are unaware of the catastrophic fallout that could occur. With this, Hitchcock is able to paint a portrait of a sleepy Britain, unaware that they are on the precipice of war.