This post originally appeared on my former blog Oct. 27., 2010.
International director of mystery. Absolute master of suspense. Loved his heroines blonde, cool and courageous. Seriously, is there anyone here who has not seen a film directed by Alfred Hitchcock?
Last night, I enjoyed the luxury of watching Vertigo again. I’ve seen this movie at least a dozen times. The restored film is beautiful, Bernard Herrmann’s score is haunting, and the story line, well, still makes my skin crawl. Not that it’s scary. That’s the brilliance of Hitchcock. It’s just unsettling.
Hitchcock dealt with fear of all varieties in his films, but he used a broad range of styles. From the caper To Catch A Thief to the action/adventure of North by Northwest, to the moody and cathartic Vertigo to the mysterious suspense of Rebecca. In his masterpiece Psycho he scared the audience like they’d never been scared before. To this day I have a transparent shower curtain in my bathroom.
What molded his artistic sensibility? I found this story on Hitchcock’s IMDb page:
As a child, Hitchcock was sent to the local police station with a letter from his father. The desk sergeant read the letter and immediately locked the boy up for ten minutes. After that, the sergeant let young Alfred go, explaining, “This is what happens to people who do bad things.” Hitchcock had a morbid fear of police from that day on.
Interestingly, another recurring theme in his films is that of the “wrong man.” Cary Grant mistaken for a spy in North by Northwest. Jimmy Stewart in The Man Who Knew Too Much. Robert Cummings in Saboteur. And, well, Henry Fonda in The Wrong Man.
Other notable films: Suspicion. Strangers on a Train. Rear Window. The Birds (bonus–this trailer includes Hitchcock’s trademark humor!).
Hitchcock famously appeared in a cameo in each film he made. Many fans make a game of identifying Hitchcock when they see him.
Quotes attributed by IMDb to Sir Alfred:
For movie-makers: “Film your murders like love scenes, and film your love scenes like murders.”
For authors: “The paperback is very interesting but I find it will never replace the hardcover book — it makes a very poor doorstop.”
For storytellers: “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”
And for all of us: “Man does not live by murder alone. He needs affection, approval, encouragement and, occasionally, a hearty meal.”
“Blondes make the best victims. They’re like virgin snow that shows up the bloody footprints.”
Yep, Alfred was a droll sort of fella…
So please share–what’s your favorite Hitchcock film and why? Do you admire his brilliance or shun his work?