Week 1: The Lodger

A particular scene in The Lodger that caught my attention was the one where the Lodger enters the house for the first time (around 11:35). Numerous subtle, and some not-so-subtle, elements come into play in order to paint a grim, but to some degree ambiguous, picture of the Lodger.

               He sets up this scene, which is quite early in the film, by introducing Daisy by name, and identifying her as “the daughter of the house” (9:08). At 9:22, the detective mentions that he, like the Avenger, likes girls with golden hair (such as Daisy). Before the arrival of the lodger, at around 10:40, two shots show a light dimming and then going completely out. Then, Hitchcock uses a point-of-view shot from the Lodger’s perspective to show him approaching and knocking on the family’s door. Here we can see that the door is labeled with the number “13” (10:45), a number generally considered to be unlucky in Western culture. Then, the door opens to the Lodger, cloaked in black, sporting a face mask, and surrounded by the London fog. Ominous, scary, music starts to play (11:05), and the same light that went out is shown turning back on at 11:31. At 11:46, the Lodger sports a smile that looks downright devilish, and the contrast of his pale white skin with his jet black hair, eyeliner, and lips is quite apparent. At 11:55, Daisy’s father falls off of a chair and a cuckoo clock is shown chiming. Then Daisy comes into the Lodger’s view, and he eyes her shadily, the look on his face disturbingly reminiscent of a rapist’s gaze (12:07).

               Most of these elements portray the Lodger in a negative light. The point-of-view shot, the number 13, and the Lodger’s dramatic, portentous entrance serve to both build suspense for his arrival, and to have the audience start to associate feelings of fear with him. His ghastly appearance and the use of music paint him in the light of an evil gothic horror character such as Dracula. The father falling off of the chair and the noise and movement of the cuckoo clock add chaos to the scene, and suggest a supernatural presence inside the house. Finally, the detective mentioning that he likes Daisy’s golden hair, just like the Avenger; and the Lodger’s creepy stare at her, imply that the Lodger is the Avenger and is possibly interested in making her a victim.

               However, there is an interesting element that suggests a degree of ambiguity to the evilness of the Lodger. The light coming back on when the Lodger enters is a subtle nod to his internal goodness, one that would only be picked up by attentive viewers and would not overpower the association of the Lodger with fear. It also foreshadows the end of the film, with suspicion of the Lodger’s guilt rising to the point where he is chased by an angry mob, and the community’s subsequent realization that he is not actually the killer. This view is re-enforced by the fact that the shots of the light do not push the plot forward and have no relevance to the events that unfold.