A Netflix Recommendation From A Christian Perspective: The Lady Vanishes
1938’s “The Lady Vanishes” stars Margaret Lockwood, easily one of Britain’s biggest female stars of the 1940’s, and Micheal Redgrave, who is perhaps best known for his real-life role as father of Vanessa Redgrave. It is directed by none other than Alfred Hitchcock himself. Do not let the year of release discourage you. Yes the movie is old, but the story is rich and engaging. What’s more, you may even recognize that some newer movies have “borrowed” themes, cinematography, and plot devices used in this film.
The film is primarily about Iris, Margaret Lockwood’s character, a young woman on her way to marry a man she has settled for, for the sake of security. She must take a train alone to get to him, but even before boarding the train she has troubles. There is a noisy hotel guest keeping up the other guests with his music and folk dancing, and she is struck hard when a large flower box falls from above and knocks her on the head. All is well after she finally gets on the train and a kind older woman whom she met at the hotel cares for her. And then she falls asleep…
When she awakens, her older friend is gone, and shockingly, no one will admit to seeing her on the train at all! Her only ally turns out to be the obnoxious, but charming folk music enthusiast Gilbert, played by Micheal Redgrave, whom she butted heads with at the hotel. A variety of characters, from comical to menacing, fill out the rest of the passengers. Iris and Gilbert must race to put all the pieces of this puzzle together before they run out of time and lose track of her missing friend permanently.
The movie is packed with intrigue, espionage, twists, comic relief, and romance. It may sound like a lot, but without the stunning visual effects of today, the movie must rely entirely on performances and the story to be a hit. There is some violence, a gunfight, and threatening characters, so I would advise discretion if you choose to watch it with your children. However, I highly recommend “The Lady Vanishes” to any fan of mysteries, Hitchcock, trains, and happy endings. 10/10!
