BFF25: Becoming Hitchcock - The Legacy of Blackmail

Step inside the thrilling origins of a master filmmaker with Becoming Hitchcock – The Legacy of Blackmail. This captivating documentary revisits Alfred Hitchcock’s Blackmail (1929), a pivotal film that not only transitioned cinema from its silent origins but also crystallised the stylistic and thematic DNA of Hitchcock’s career. Director Laurent Bouzereau blends rare archival material, insightful commentary, and dynamic visual analysis to reveal how Blackmail became the blueprint for Hitchcock’s suspenseful storytelling.

Through a fascinating exploration of both the silent and sound versions, the film highlights the iconic director’s daring experimentation with sound design, editing, and point-of-view. From the unsettling use of subjective perspective to the unforgettable presence of the vulnerable yet resourceful blonde heroine, audiences can trace the early emergence of Hitchcock’s iconic trademarks.

Narrated with elegance by esteemed film critic Elvis Mitchell, this is more than a cinematic study, it’s a rediscovery of a film that marked the birth of modern thrillers and offers a front-row seat to the making of a legend.