The 39 Steps
Alfred Hitchcock / GB, 1935 / 85 min.
Stylish exercise in dry humour and suspense, in which Canadian Richard Hannay (Robert Donat) becomes embroiled in a British military espionage plot. Along with The Lady Vanishes (1938), The 39 Steps is seen as the epitome of Hitchcock’s English period.
The 39 Steps introduces two of Hitchcock’s favourite motifs: the cool blonde vamp and the MacGuffin, a plot device that distracts our attention from the real action by prominently showing something insignificant. In this tense, loose adaptation of John Buchan’s novel of the same title, an innocent man gets caught up in a tangled trail of espionage and murder, that even leads to the Highlands of Scotland.
This is part of
Special screenings
Details
Director
Alfred Hitchcock
Production year
1935
Country
GB
Original title
The 39 Steps
Length
85 min.
Language
English
Subtitles
NLD
Format
35mm
Part of
Eye Classics
Eye’s collection includes a wealth of classics. With the Eye Classics series, Eye brings film history even closer. Every week, we screen at least three classics from the collection under one recognisable name: Eye Classics.
Planning on having a drink or a bite to eat? Book online for Eye Bar & Restaurant.
Share your love for film and become a member of the Eye Society.
Share your love for film and become a member of the Eye Society.
NLEN