let me firstly say that too many of these reviewers ,particularly the film student,are viewing the film in a modern context and not as a film made at the coming of sound.In an interview given by John Longden for the BBCs programme "Yesterdays witness" he stated that the ridiculously long pauses between dialogue were entirely the idea of the director.So it is unfair to blame the actors for this.Also in that same programme sound men were interviewed.They said that the effects were recorded on a liner berthed at Tilbury.The ship was linked by phone line to Elstree studios.Before each effect someone would come on the line to describe the effect and it would be recorded at Elstree.The problems with early sound films were quite apparent here.few directors here or in America had the skill of Hitchcock in adapting to the new medium.In fact one should praise the attempt to tell the story in what was then effectively a new medium rather than decry the effort some 84 years later because it is old fashioned.no doubt in the year 2097 young film students will be looking at the like of Man of Steel and chuckling at its antique quaintness.
Review of Atlantic
