This week’s #ProjectHitch film was the dramatic musical romp
that is Waltzes from Vienna. This 1934 Hitchcock offering was an interesting
change of pace as far as his filmography so far is concerned.
Waltzes from Vienna begins rather comically with a fire in
the basement of a busy café. The patrons are not particularly fazed by the raucous
events surrounding them and are more or less just looking to continue their
meals and conversations. The horse-drawn fire brigade arrives, proceeding to
tackle both the blaze and the rescue of a man and woman, practicing music
upstairs, unaware of the chaos below. Thus we are introduced to our protagonist,
Johann Strauss (played by Esmond Knight) and the object of his affections, Rasi
(played by Jessie Matthews).
Strauss is the son of a famous composer (of the same name)
and is looking to follow in his fathers, none too encouraging, footsteps and
make his own mark on the Vienna music scene.
The film follows his attempts to write a great piece of
music with the help and hindrance of his young love coupled with an older more influential
woman. Much of the story explores the relationship between great art and ‘real
life’.
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| They make quite a sweet pair, don't they? |
Waltzes from Vienna was an enjoyable film and one that I wouldn’t
be opposed to watching again, while at the same time being one that I wouldn’t
necessarily go out of my way for. Pleasurable but not overtly special or
memorable in the end.
Join me next time for a film I’m extremely curious to
experience, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934).
Lesley
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