This post will show how Hitchcock became such a memorable director in his own right, that his films are still being discussed today and still are around. It will critically discuss how he got started, showing a small example of his techniques, his iconic recurring themes, his treatment of leading ladies and the special obsession he had with Tippi Hedren.
Hitchcock, is one the most famous directors of all time who mastered not only the art of making films but also, the art of channelling his own vivid imagination. He is best known as the king of auteurship in cinema, a master of storytelling and suspense, captivating audiences with his thrillers worldwide. He got into film making when he was 21 years old. In the 1920s, he became 'Jack-of-all-trades' in film making before he became the accredited famous director of all time. Although, his plan was never to become a director, as his love was in script writing but maybe this is why he was obsessed with every area of the film from choosing the right location, wardrobe, actors, lighting, shots, and even having the correct filming crew. Learning his craft from the best as quoted by Spoto (2009), 'All my early training was by Americans and far superior to the British' (Spoto, 2009, p1).
In 1925, Hitchcock directed his first film, silent movie debut, 'The Pleasure Garden' in Germany. This is where he learns German expressionist cinema by using hallucinatory cinematic techniques of violence and boudoir sex. Dream sequences were used in later films, such as, 'Spellbound' in 1945, where Salvidor Dali designed the dream sequence and producer David O. Selznick wanted Hitchcock to make a movie based upon Selznick's own positive experience with psychoanalysis. Selznick even brought in his own therapist (Spellbound, 1945) and 'Vertigo' in 1958. 'The Pleasure Garden' is also where Hitchcock started using his trade marks of 'the theatrical setting, the motif of voyeurism, sudden emotional breakdown and the psychological torture and physical pain inflicted on women by deceitful and violent men' (Spoto, 2009, p6).
Hitchcock is the star of his own films, even with the likes of the glamorous cast of, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Doris Day, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman. People even say, 'lets see a Hitchcock film', instead of stars which is not like today. The genius of Hitchcock can not be taken away with his uniqueness of creating a film so captivating they are still around today, so just how far did he go to get that shot?
Key Themes
Hitchcock has key themes in the narrative style that include iconography expressionist motifs as Cook (2009), refers to as 'an extreme stylisation of mis-en-scene' which are 'stylist features fairly specific and include chiaroscuro lighting, surrealistic settings and a remarkable fluidity of mobile framing' (Cook, 2009, p68). Hitchcock, made his mark in the film industry by using many recurring motifs that reflect his own life and emotions, which is evident why his films are memorable. A few examples are given as follows:
Cameos
A signature recurring theme is Hitchcock himself, by having a cameo appearance, for a brief moment in his film, mainly, only in comedic moments, if possible. For example, 'To Catch A Thief' (1954), he appears as a passenger on the bus, with a lady with her bird cage and sitting next to Cary Grant when he is trying to escape from the Police. In 'The Birds' (1963), he emerges with his dogs as Melanie enters to pet store' (Paglia, 1998).
Hitchcock uses close up of eyes, a signature recurring them which is essential for to get that reaction shot. They are the 'window of the soul' and the act of voyeurism where the person watching does not engage with the person being watched. For example, in Rear Window (1954), Jeff's obsession watching his neighbours across the square from the darkness of his window and suspects one in particular, has murdered his wife. Also in Psycho (1960), when Norman watches through the peephole on the wall as Marion is undresses who are all unaware they are being watched.
Also in Psycho (1960), you see the terror in Marion's eyes from being stabbed by Norman Bates and the life draining away and the shocking skeleton of Norman's mother, is the most famous shot from Psycho, in this case a horror.
Facial Expressions
Close ups or mid shots of the face are a key element an a recurring theme, used frequently in Hitchcock films which was effective in creating and expressing shock, suspense, worry and concern where the audience can have empathy with the character.
Hitchcock, is one the most famous directors of all time who mastered not only the art of making films but also, the art of channelling his own vivid imagination. He is best known as the king of auteurship in cinema, a master of storytelling and suspense, captivating audiences with his thrillers worldwide. He got into film making when he was 21 years old. In the 1920s, he became 'Jack-of-all-trades' in film making before he became the accredited famous director of all time. Although, his plan was never to become a director, as his love was in script writing but maybe this is why he was obsessed with every area of the film from choosing the right location, wardrobe, actors, lighting, shots, and even having the correct filming crew. Learning his craft from the best as quoted by Spoto (2009), 'All my early training was by Americans and far superior to the British' (Spoto, 2009, p1).
In 1925, Hitchcock directed his first film, silent movie debut, 'The Pleasure Garden' in Germany. This is where he learns German expressionist cinema by using hallucinatory cinematic techniques of violence and boudoir sex. Dream sequences were used in later films, such as, 'Spellbound' in 1945, where Salvidor Dali designed the dream sequence and producer David O. Selznick wanted Hitchcock to make a movie based upon Selznick's own positive experience with psychoanalysis. Selznick even brought in his own therapist (Spellbound, 1945) and 'Vertigo' in 1958. 'The Pleasure Garden' is also where Hitchcock started using his trade marks of 'the theatrical setting, the motif of voyeurism, sudden emotional breakdown and the psychological torture and physical pain inflicted on women by deceitful and violent men' (Spoto, 2009, p6).Hitchcock is the star of his own films, even with the likes of the glamorous cast of, Cary Grant, James Stewart, Gregory Peck, Doris Day, Grace Kelly, Ingrid Bergman. People even say, 'lets see a Hitchcock film', instead of stars which is not like today. The genius of Hitchcock can not be taken away with his uniqueness of creating a film so captivating they are still around today, so just how far did he go to get that shot?
Key Themes
Hitchcock has key themes in the narrative style that include iconography expressionist motifs as Cook (2009), refers to as 'an extreme stylisation of mis-en-scene' which are 'stylist features fairly specific and include chiaroscuro lighting, surrealistic settings and a remarkable fluidity of mobile framing' (Cook, 2009, p68). Hitchcock, made his mark in the film industry by using many recurring motifs that reflect his own life and emotions, which is evident why his films are memorable. A few examples are given as follows:
Cameos
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| 'The Birds' (1963) |
 |
| 'To Catch a Thief' (1954) |
Eyes
Also in Psycho (1960), you see the terror in Marion's eyes from being stabbed by Norman Bates and the life draining away and the shocking skeleton of Norman's mother, is the most famous shot from Psycho, in this case a horror.
 |
| Marion in Psycho - dead eyes of shock |
 |
| Norman's Dead Mother in Psycho |
Facial Expressions
Close ups or mid shots of the face are a key element an a recurring theme, used frequently in Hitchcock films which was effective in creating and expressing shock, suspense, worry and concern where the audience can have empathy with the character.
 |
| 'Frenzy', 1972 |
Blond Bombshells
Every minor detail had to be right even down to the shade of blond, he called them 'Nordic' blonds which filmed better in monochrome, if they did not have blond hair they were made to wear a wig. Hitchcock found that blonds were more vulnerable (Spoto, 2009, p12) and suited his films
Treatment of Leading Ladies
Spoto (2009), states that Hitchcock fell in love with three of this leading ladies, Tippi Hedren, Grace Kelly and Kim Novak. His leading ladies greatly enriched his films, and many of them achieved international stardom because of their work for Hitchcock. Although, a great director, he had a bad reputation for the sadistic bad treatment of his leading ladies by being very controlling and, sometimes working under Hitchcock's strict demands and torture was gruelling. A few samples as follows:
In the 'The Man Who Knew Too Much' (1956), a remake of his 1934 version in Vista Vision and Technicolour. A story of 'a family who are on holiday and their son is kidnapped to secure their silence when they become unintentionally involved with the plot to assassinate a foreign dignitay' (Spoto, 2009, p151). It was filmed in Marrakesh starring James Stewart and Doris Day and, because of the fear of flying, she nearly turned down the role. Doris Day found it hard working with Hitchcock because of the lack of praise from her performance, who found it rude, who seemed to 'just sit and switched on and off the camera' (Spoto, 2009, p152). She called a meeting with Hitchcock who was shocked to hear this when he found her performance good and never had to give any direction. Doris also walked off the set for about three days due to the bad treatment of the animals and ironically in her later days opened up an animal sanctuary.
'The Birds' (1963) is one of Hitchcock's most famous films with the small town of Bodega, California being attacked by thousands of birds. Hitchcock got the inspiration from a Du Maurier novel of the same name and a newspaper article, where a town in California was attacked by thousands of seagulls in 1961 (Paglia, 1998, p10). Hitchcock never really stuck to the premise of the books and adjusted it to become a Hitchcock sensation. Cook states: '......that to be a good auteur is the death of the author' (Cook, 1999). The birds used, was a mix of real birds, some painted and mechanical models. To get the shot of multiple birds, the real ones were thrown and the models were attached by wires using a rotoscope or travelling process, whereby a single swooping gull was photographically reversed and multiplied (Paglia, 1998).
Tippi Hedren, was a classic beautiful model when Hitchcock spotted her on a television advert. Although, she was not an experience actress, he knew she would be photogenic and she turned into his project and trained her while writing 'The Birds', he became obsessed with her (Spoto, 2009). Hedren claims Hitchcock ruined her life when he went too far when Hedren had to open up a door, in a scene and was never told that there was hundreds of birds about to fly out. Also, her health and safety was compromised as Paglia (1998) writes that 'the terrorisation of Melanie was also the terrorisation of Tippi, who recalled of the gruelling days with birds tied loosely to her where one clawed at her eye' and in 'total state of collapse, she was forbidden by her doctor to return to work, so shooting of film was halted for week' (Paglia (1998).
Of course, Hitchcock, again, just wanted her reaction to get the perfect shot. Hedren, went on to make one more film with Hitchcock, 'Marnie (1964) but then retired and opened an animal sanctuary (Spoto, 2009).
In conclusion, Hitchcock was the most widely known and influential director in history of world cinema with a significant body of work produced over fifty years before he died in 1980. Most films from other directors, have been forgotten over time but when it comes to a Hitchcock film, there is no comparison. It takes one great director to have this affect and still keep an audience captivated with his dramatic suspense today. Alfred Hitchcock is a famous director which is still being discussed today which just proves the greatness of this man with his films standing the test of time.
References
Cook, P. & Bernink, M., 1999. The Cinema Book. 2nd
ed. London: British Institute Film.
Paglia, C.,
1998. The Birds. 1st ed. LONDON: BFI Publishing .
Spoto, D.,
2009. Spellbound by Beauty: Alfred Hitchcock and His Leading Ladies. 1st
ed. London: Random House.
