PaulLyons said:
Good Alfred Hitchcock comedic-thriller. I admit I didn't like this as much as I did the first time I saw it. Much of this has to do with the diminishing return of experiencing a story the second time around...where nothing is new, and you're left with a more discerning eye that can't help but look at the story from a greater distance than before...and also peek too closely behind the magic curtain that makes it all work. Not every film needs to appreciated in multiple viewings. That said, I still like THE LADY VANISHES, and appreciate how Hitchcock blended comedy and whimsy with a more serious, and violent tone by the end.
Criterion Blu-ray disc looked good, though not extraordinary. However, it did look better than the earlier print I saw.
I can see your point, but for me this one always holds up and I can watch this over and over and not get tired of it. I always get sucked into the story, even though I know what's going to happen. Something about the chemistry of all involved. The love interests, the two guys talking about cricket, the creepy little guy and the nun, I like them all so much that I just get wrapped up in the thing and just find myself enjoying the ride and, yeah, anticipating the end where despite how serious things get, Hitchcock really manages to keep the tone light.
This is one of my favorites of his and I think the older I get, the more I'm going to like it. (And I'm getting pretty old, especially when it comes to my tastes in things.)
I was hoping this one would hold up a second time, and I could watch it over and over again and still love it just the same (or more) after repeated viewings...yet for some reason, it did not happen. I wonder if it's because I first saw it less than a year ago? There are other Hitchcock films that I love to watch again and again...THE BIRDS, I CONFESS, DIAL M FOR MURDER, etc...yet this one went down a notch in my second viewing. I used to believe that I could not truly judge if a movie was great if I had only seen the film once. I no longer believe that. The first time I saw THE LADY VANISHES, I thought it was fantastic. Because I didn't feel that way this second time around shouldn't take anything away from the film. BTW, can you explain what happen to the enemy soldier at the end...the one who woke up after being knocked out, and had a gun (with one bullet left) on the leading lady before the train went passed the border? That conflict was strangely left unresolved...