The Ring

Like most of Hitchcock’s silent films, The Ring is not a thriller. The screenplay alone – the first based on his own story – demonstrates the highly personal nature of the project, which might almost be described as an “independent film.” Producer John Maxwell gave Hitchcock free rein in constructing the film’s love triangle: Two men enter the boxing ring, which is also a ring of love. Over several rounds, the woman – an unpredictable referee – will choose between her fiancée and his rival, to whom she is equally attracted. The symbolism of boxing ring/wedding ring/bracelet/circle weaves its way through the film in an endless series of visual and semantic variations. The mature poetic expression demonstrated by Hitchcock, then just 28 years old, drew expertly on the achievements of French cinematic Impressionism and German Expressionism; moreover, it was so exceptional in British cinema at the end of the silent era, that not even the island’s legendary snobbish critics could ignore it. The film will be accompanied live by silent film music specialist Neil Brand. (Karlovy Vary International Film Festival)