"Juno and the Paycock" is not a Hitchcock film, this is a film that 'happens to be' directed by Hitchcock. The difference is simple: the film is such a faithful adaptation of Sean O'Casey's successful play of the same title that he can stand as the film's honorific director. This is not to discount Hitchcock's contribution but the Master had his three-decade streak coming so this can be seen as an early warm-up with the then-rising sound technology, but the film is as close to Hitch' universe as Walt Disney is to Russ Meyer.
The story is about a dysfunctional family, the Boyles, the father is a loafer who spends time drinking with his friend (and efficient comic-relief) Joxer and talking about his 'glorious' naval past (he's nicknamed Captain, but his tendency to exaggerate his stories doesn't fool anyone). And there's Juno, the responsible and mature housewife, played by Sara Allgood, she was the matriarch in "How Green Was my Valley" but this is where the comparison ends. While John Ford's nostalgic journey in the Welsh country was painted with the beatifying light of nostalgia, "Juno and the Paycock" is a challenge to all the stereotypes about the Irish Family that movies have been nurturing for years, no kids that can be counted by the dozen, no Catholic overzealous devotion, no noble-hearted poor and no men of virtue.
For some strange reason, we tend to idealize the past, confident that it was a time where men were men, and women women, time where people fulfilled their duties. We also tend to idealize the spirit of poor people, as if the lack of money was compensated by the gold in their heart. Rubbish, mediocrity is timeless and has no social barriers, the poorer, the more bitter these people get. And the least Captain Boyle works the least he wants to work again and only counts on his woman to carry the house. Sean O'Casey makes a play of high sociological value, setting the story in one of these brownish tenements our memories usually borrow from Jim Sheridan's movie or sketches about Irish community. And the dysfunctional aspect of the family, that slap in the face, also extends to the Irish context.
The film is set in the midst of the Civil War and it's not just a colorful detail as it opens with a long oration from Barry Fitzgerald praising the people's courage. This is where Hitchcock's sense of humor shows its head, the many close-ups on the ugly mugs shows a funny contrast between the speech and the reality, and then the reaction from the gunfights says a lot about these men's spirit. The opening sets the tone: this is a film set in a world where men have ceased to prove their value and woman carries the cross. The only seemingly positive male character is Johnny; the son who just lost his arm in a fight yet seems to hide a more painful wound. Another man is courting Mary, the daughter, but she's in love with a young solicitor named Bentham and he's got good news for the Boyles.
The second act deals with the inheritance, a cousin leaves his fortune to Boyle whose reflex is to immediately snub his buddy, if money can't buy love, it can't bring much dignity. The Boyles start buying fancy furniture, show off their fortune, enjoys the music from their gramophone and while a funeral procession pass near their house, even Juno can't empathize with a mother mourning her son, also killed in the war. It says a lot about the way wealth conditions our behavior and clouds our empathy. The Boyles discuss with Bentham matters of religion, wondering what can exactly fascinate people in this. For all the Catholic faith we supposed Irish people are impregnated with, here is an Irish playwright giving us a glimpse of how malleable their faith are, like everyone's.
Even while recalling his pasts on the boat, Boyle remembers the question he used to ask himself "what brings the stars?" God doesn't strike as an obvious answer, a loser is likely to lose his faith
and loses it more when luck strikes. Naturally, the third act will change everything, a mistake from Bentham will prevent them from getting the money, out of shame, he'll leave Mary pregnant, as for Johnny, he'll be taken away for reasons explaining his torment all through the film. Boyle is treated like dirt by the tailor and the female neighbor, both come to take the stuff he bought by credit, and when he goes to buy his last drink with Joxer, as if nothing happened, only Juno stays with Mary, instead of one father, she'll have two mothers, and this is one of the greatest quotes I've ever heard in a film.
The film ends on the poignant eulogy of faith, in an empty room emphasizing the isolation of men when adversity becomes too hard to handle, and this is the irony of faith, too much troubles make us question it, and sometimes, we're so desperate, we need something to hook on, not to drown in an ocean of desperateness. Mary doesn't believe in God, but Juno has a good answer "what can God do with men's stupidity?" one might think if God is so powerful, he should prevent it, but even Einstein had a few wise words about the unlimited aspect of men's stupidity.
"Juno and the Paycock" was a revelation to me, a real slap in the face. It has nothing to do with Hitch' canon yet the fact that it is associated with Hitchcock's name is the film's ironic blessing because this is exactly why most movie buffs will be curious enough to discover one of 'Hitchcock's earlier films, so maybe apart from Irish or British people, thanks to Hitchcock, the work of Sean O'Casey will never totally sink into oblivion.
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