Hitchcock referred to this as his farewell to the silent era, and it’s a fascinating piece of film history as much as an efficient and effective little thriller. BLACKMAIL concerns, perhaps not surprisingly, murder, shock and intrigue. When a secret date with another man goes horribly wrong, Alice and her boyfriend Frank, a policeman, do what they can to avoid Alice’s arrest. But they haven’t reckoned with the attentions of a blackmailer, who knows of Alice’s guilty secret and will attempt to use it to his advantage. Whilst seeming to be a straightforward story of suspense, BLACKMAIL challenges the audience with the moral ambiguity of the characters' actions and choices. Some might want or expect a neat ending, but Hitchcock, being Hitchcock, doesn't let us off so lightly.

A restoration by the BFI National Archive in association with STUDIOCANAL Principal restoration funding provided by The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and The Film Foundation. Additional funding provided by Deluxe 142, Pia Getty, Col & Karen Needham, and the Dr Mortimer & Theresa Sackler Foundation

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