Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		3.5

The Farmer's Wife Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 13, 2025

Note: This version of this film is available as part of the Hitchcock: The Beginning set from Studio Canal.

1934 seems to be some kind of invisible dividing line between Alfred Hitchcock's more recognized output and some of his arguably lesser remembered earlier films. The first version of The Man Who Knew Too Much was released that year, and was followed in relatively short order by at least a couple of Hitch's best remembered British productions like The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, but aside from those titles and maybe one or two others (i.e., The Lodger), even diehard film fans may be relatively unacquainted with other early (or at least earlier) films of one of the most celebrated directors in the annals of cinema. Studio Canal is helping to rectify that lack of renown with an appealing collection that aggregates ten early Hitchcock films, including one that has often been cited (rightly or wrongly) as the first British feature length sound production.

The Farmer's Wife may be the least "Hitchcockian" film in Studio Canal's collection, and indeed some coming to this film without any foreknowledge may see the title and its now legendary director and wonder if they're in for some sort of Monsieur Verdoux adjacent "shenanigans" involving a guy offing his wife, and/or wives. There are no murderous tendencies whatsoever in this sweet if slight comedy, other than perhaps occasional cases of umbrage both by a widower named Samuel Sweetland (Jameson Thomas) and several women he approaches to be his new if perhaps not substantially improved spouse.

What ensues is a series of rejections for the arrogant Sweetland, who can't quite figure out why women aren't completely bowled over by his tendency to mansplain and lack of other social graces. The film might be viewed in some weird skewed way as advocating for female empowerment, though that would frankly be a stretch. Instead it's probably best to accept this as an unavoidably dated comedy of manners (the play on which it was based predates the film by a decade or so).

The Farmer's Wife Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Farmer's Wife is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Studio Canal with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.33:1. While Studio Canal sent only check discs for purposes of this review, and so I'm not privy to any additional information that might be offered in an insert booklet, this bears a BFI masthead and assumedly was part of BFI's restoration project involving Hitchcock silents that were undertaken a few years ago. I did find the following information online, which may be from Studio Canal's booklet:

After an international search, the earliest available sources for the film were established as two preservation intermediates made from the camera negative in the 1960s. After careful selection, the best sections were scanned from both, to form the basis of the restoration.

A restoration by the BFI National Archive in association with Studio Canal. Restoration funding provided by Matt Spick. Additional funding provided by Deluxe 142.

This presentation is based on either a more generally consistent and pleasing looking source element (or elements) than the one utilized for The Ring or has been restored more effectively, as the result here has surprisingly little age related wear and tear, though there are certainly some minor nicks and scratches to be seen along the way. Detail levels are quite enjoyable throughout, especially on some of the natty fabrics used for costumes. Contrast is solid and grain resolves without any issues.

The Farmer's Wife Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Farmer's Wife offers scores from either Neil Brand or Jon Mirsalis delivered via LPCM 2.0 tracks. These are each appealing in their own ways, though each can sound somewhat "contemporary", something that's especially noticeable in Mirsalis' effort, which sounds like he may have used synthesized strings and brass to augment the keyboard. Brand's approach features a solo piano in some appealingly melodic material. Optional German subtitles are available.

The Farmer's Wife Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Hitch in the Countryside: Neil Brand on The Farmer's Wife (HD; 11:23) offers Brand commenting on several unusual aspects of this film within Hitchcock's oeuvre.


• Hitchcock / Truffaut: Archival Audio Interview (HD; 2:11) plays to stills.


• Extract from BEHP Interview with Ronald Neame (HD; 10:04) plays to stills.


• Introduction by Director / Film Historian Noël Simsolo (HD; 4:37) is subtitled in English.


• Stills Gallery (HD)

The Farmer's Wife Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Probably more so than any other film in the Studio Canal set, The Farmer's Wife should probably not be approached as a "traditional" Hitchcock film. Instead, this is a charming if occasionally problematic to contemporary sensibilities comedy of manners that features some fun if era appropriate hyperbolic performances. Technical merits are generally solid and the supplements appealing. Recommended.