Product: Young & Innocent [VHS] (1938)
Rating: 4.0
Enjoyably comedic
Though Hitchcock is no stranger to comedy in his films, this film strikes a particular resonance in that it is a lot more slapstick, a lot more oddball, and just overall a lot more funny than most of his films. Depending on what you think of his films (and it's probably that he's a master of the form and that all his films are amazing, because that's what everyone thinks), this might be interesting or... it might not. Why not Hitchcock take a comedic approach? Hitchcock is God!Okay, what am I saying? Anyway, this film has the usual collection of circumstances... a man on the run, wrongfully accused of a crime... a blond who gets involved with him but also has to deal with her own dilemmas beyond his de jure guilt... birds... suspense... but it's all a lot more light-handed and airy, with a lot more emphasis on fate and chance that makes it funnier than serious. As the characters go on their oddball romp through the world, it's in a way a lot more interesting to watch their various chance encounters than to get caught up in the common man who is wrongfully accused of something. I'm not saying Hitchcock's other work is bad, I'm just saying it's nice to have this added in as well.It's not quite as precise and formed as a lot of his other work, but it still maintains a high level of discipline and still is a well-crafted piece of work. Definitely enjoyable.--PolarisDiB