Hitchcock's The Manxman (1929) is a surprisingly heavy silent drama

If you've got a couple of hours and don't mind reading title cards, The Manxman is actually worth your time today. It’s for anyone who likes a good, messy love triangle where everyone makes the wrong choice for the right reasons. People who only want 'scary' Hitchcock or fast action will probably hate it and get bored within ten minutes. 🌊

This was Hitchcock's last silent movie before he moved on to the talking stuff. Honestly, you can tell he was ready to move on, but he still put a lot of heart into how this looks. It’s not a thriller, just a really heavy drama about two guys who are best friends and love the same girl.

The story starts with Pete, who is a poor fisherman, and Philip, who is a lawyer and basically the 'golden boy' of the town. They are total opposites but they love each other like brothers. Then there is Kate, the daughter of a grumpy pub owner.

Pete wants to marry Kate but her dad thinks he’s a loser because he has no money. So Pete goes off to find his fortune in Africa or somewhere far away. He asks his best bud Philip to 'look after' Kate while he’s gone. You can already see where this is going, right?

There is a scene early on where they are all standing by the water. The wind is blowing like crazy and you can almost feel the salt on their skin. Hitchcock was really good at making you feel the location, even though I read somewhere they actually filmed a lot of it in Cornwall instead of the Isle of Man. It looks convincing enough to me though.

Anny Ondra plays Kate and she is just incredible to watch. She has these massive, expressive eyes that seem to take up half her face. In silent movies, if the lead can't act with their eyes, the whole thing falls apart, but she carries it. She looks so genuinely torn between these two men.

Then the news comes back that Pete is dead. It’s sad, but it also clears the way for Philip and Kate to finally be together. They start a secret affair and things seem like they might work out. But then—and this is the part where I actually gasped a little—Pete just shows up. He’s alive!

The moment Pete walks back into the pub is so awkward. It’s like that feeling when you’re at a party and you see someone you’ve been talking trash about. Except way worse because they think he’s a hero and he has no idea his girlfriend and best friend are together. Carl Brisson, who plays Pete, has this big, goofy grin that just makes you feel terrible for him.

He’s like a big golden retriever who doesn't know he's being cheated on. It’s almost physically painful to watch him be so happy. He brings back gifts and everyone is celebrating while Philip and Kate look like they want to crawl into a hole and die.

I noticed a small detail in the pub scenes. The background extras actually look like real fishermen. Some of them have these really craggy, weathered faces that you just don't see in modern movies. They aren't 'Hollywood' pretty. They look like they’ve spent forty years pulling nets out of the ocean.

The movie gets really dark once Kate and Pete get married. Kate is miserable because she’s still in love with Philip. There is a baby involved eventually, and the guilt just starts piling up like old newspapers. It reminds me a bit of the heavy atmosphere in The Pioneers, where everything feels very permanent and serious.

There’s one shot that really stuck with me. Philip is now a high-level judge, a 'Deemster.' He’s sitting up on this high bench in his wig and robes, looking down at everyone. The lighting makes him look like a statue. He’s achieved everything he wanted, but he’s completely empty inside.

I found myself getting a bit annoyed with Philip, though. He’s so passive. He just lets things happen to him and then feels bad about it later. I wanted to shake him and tell him to just speak up. But I guess that’s the point of a melodrama. If people talked, the movie would be over in twenty minutes.

The pacing in the middle is a little saggy. There are a few too many shots of people staring out at the sea or walking slowly down paths. It’s not as snappy as Kill or Cure, which I watched last week and felt much faster. ⏳

But the ending really sticks the landing. It’s not a happy ending where everything gets tied up with a bow. It’s messy and sad and feels very human. The final scene on the harbor is just... wow. The way the townspeople look at them is chilling. It’s all about the shame and the weight of the secrets finally coming out.

One weird thing I noticed—the title cards are sometimes really long. I’d finish reading them and then have to wait another five seconds for the movie to start again. Maybe people read slower back in 1929? Or maybe they just wanted to make sure everyone got the point.

Also, the hats! Everyone in this movie has fantastic hats. Big wooly caps, stiff top hats, little lace things. It’s a great 'hat movie' if you’re into that kind of thing. 🎩

Is it Hitchcock’s best? No. You can tell he wasn't doing the suspense stuff he’s famous for yet. But it’s a really solid piece of storytelling. It feels more 'real' than a lot of the polished stuff that came later. It’s rough around the edges and a bit slow, but the emotions are there.

If you’re looking for something that feels like an old folk tale brought to life, give it a go. Just make sure you’re in the mood for something a bit depressing. It’s definitely not a 'feel-good' flick. But sometimes a good 'feel-bad' movie is exactly what you need.

I’m still thinking about Anny Ondra’s face in that last scene. She was a silent film queen for a reason. It’s a shame her career hit a bump when sound came in because she had such a heavy accent, but here, she is perfect. Anyway, that’s my take. It’s a 7/10 for me. Good, but bring tissues maybe? 📽️