The Manxman

Set in a secluded Isle of Man fishing community, The Manxman is Alfred Hitchcock’s penultimate silent film and considered one of the most mature works of his early career. The story follows two childhood friends who choose significantly different paths as adults: Pete becomes a fisherman, Philip a lawyer, but both fall for the same woman—the daughter of a puritanical Methodist—triggering a heartbreaking love triangle that clashes with not only their own moral compasses but also with the stern Manx society. With his filmmaking bravado on full display, Hitchcock’s depiction of the untamed coast is among the most expressive flourishes in his lengthy, peerless career, elevated by a nuanced performance by Anny Ondra that preceded her role in Blackmail later that year.