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Hitchcock: A Biography
INTRODUCTION: HITCHCOCK’S THEMES ANDSTYLE
The adjective “Hitchcockian” is used to describe thekey stylistic and thematic features of his techniquethat have influenced subsequent directors. Hisinfluence may be seen in the work of manycontemporary film directors.
Some commentators see him as a prurient moralistwith an unhealthy interest in the darker side ofhuman nature and a misogynist, whosemanipulation and control of his actresses on screenbordered on the sadistic, Others see him as thedirector’s director par excellence.
His films are often categorised generically assuspense thrillers, some as horror films. But manycontain elements of black comedy and all of themfeature his dry humour and acute eye for theobservation of human behaviour and flair for visualcomedy, often featuring himself in his infamouscameo performances.
The themes of mistaken identity, false accusation,the psychology of fear and guilt, the terrifying crueltyand indifference of crowds and the deadly nature ofwomen are returned to again and again in his films.His melodramatic style, which he described as“ultra-realism, is seen in many recurrent visualmotifs throughout his films. Common elements arebravura montage editing, aerial shots at the end of asequence to signify ironic detachment from thesubject, the visual grammar of GermanExpressionsm and film noir, surrealist images andbold use of Technicolor. This style wasunderscored, for most of his major films, by themusical scores of his chief composer, BernardHerrmann, whose work is now synonymous withHitchcock.
BACKGROUND AND BRITISH CAREER
On Friday 13th August (an auspicious date) 1899,Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born in Leytonstone,East London, England, into a lower middle classfamily. He was sent to a Jesuit school, where hesaid that he learnt about the power of fear and guiltand where corporal punishment, by means of athick rubber strap, was regularly meted out to sinfulboys.
His film career began in 1919 at the ParamountStudios’ London base in Islington where his job wasto create the title cards for silent films. While there,he learnt about script writing, editing and artdirection. In 1922, he began directing his first film,Number 13, which he never finished as the studio
closed. He met his future wife, Alma Reville there,who was a film editor, but waited until he was ofsufficient status, as an assistant director, to ask herout. Alma was to become an important contributor tohis film career, both as his wife, with productioncredits in many of his films, and mother of theirdaughter, Patricia (who became an actress andappeared in Strangers on a Train).
He went to work as an assistant director at the UFAstudios in Berlin, Germany. Hitch had theopportunity to observe the successful Germandirectors, F W Mumau (Sunrise, Nosferatu) andFritz Lang (Metropolis, M), who both later went towork in Hollywood, Their style was described asGerman Expressionism, the defining characteristicof which is the outward expression of inner emotionusing exaggerated mise-en-scéne, stylised acting,unconventional camera angles, foreboding lightingand angular framing, depicting the chaos of themodern world and human emotions. It is consideredto be an influence on the dark detective! thriller filmsof the early 1940s identified by the French authorsof Les Cahiers du Cinema, Godard, Chabrol andTruffaut in the 1960s as films noirs (dark films)because of their dark nature, both visually andthematically which reminded them of the Frenchroman (novel) noir. Indeed, in many of Hitchcock’sfilms, the visual motifs of what we now call film noircan be clearly identified.
His first successful film was The Lodger in 1925 andwas typical of his future films, being concerned withthe hunting of an innocent man, falsely accused ofgruesome crimes. After this success, Hitch was theobvious choice to direct the first ever British talkingpicture in 1929, “Blackmail”, which was hailed atriumph.
Suspense was the key to the typical Hitchcockthriller as his famous anecdote about how to film abomb explosion shows.
“The element of suspense is giving the audienceinformation. Now, you and fare sitting here.Suddenly a bomb goes off up we go, blown tosmithereens! What have the audience had watchingthis scene? Five or ten seconds of shock. Now, youdo the scene over again but we tell the audiencethere's a bomb underneath this table and it's goingto go off in five minutes. Now this innocuousconversation about football becomes very poten4they say ‘Don’t talk about football, there's a bombunder the table!’ That's what they want to tell us,then their anxieties will be as long as that clock ticksaway But the bomb must never go off!".
He earned an international reputation from thesethrillers and in 1939, he and his wife and daughtermoved to America, where he was to live and workfor the rest of his life.
AMERICAN CAREER
Hitchcock signed a seven year contract with David0. Selznick (who had released Gone With the Windthat very year).
At the end of his contract with Selznick, duringwhich the producer hired him out to several otherstudios at a profitable premium, Hitchcock made abid for independence with the formation of his owncompany Transatlantic Pictures (with SidneyBernstein as producer). He made Rope (1948), inwhich he showcased his clever but expensive tenminute take technique to produce a film whichappeared to have no editing at all, the antithesis ofmontage editing, and Under Capricorn (1949) afterwhich the company promptly went bankrupt. Aftersome success with Warner Bros. IncludingStrangers on a Train (1951), he went to ParamountPictures. Here he had several successes includingRear Window (1954), To Catch a Thief (1955), TheTrouble With Harry (1955) and Vertigo (1958).
By this time Hitchcock had come to the attention ofa group of young French film critics who producedLes Cahiers du Cinema. In it they deconstructedand revered his work and in so doing, helped toraise his status as an auteur. This examinationculminated in the fifty hours of interviews herecorded with the film director, Francois Truffaut.
Ironically, the American TV series, Alfred HitchcockPresents, which ran from 1955-65, helped toundermine his serious artistic status, reinforcing theearlier perception of him as a popular showman.
It was with this younger audience in mind that hemade his last film for Paramount (but actually madeon the Universal lot) Psycho (1960). Despitemisgivings, it cost £800,000 and made £11 million.For Universal, he followed it with The Birds (1963),Marnie (1964), Torn Curtain (1966), Frenzy (1972)which was the only late film to show any sign ofHitchcock’s earlier form, and his final film FamilyPlot (1976).
Hitchcock became progressively debilitated byarthritis and on 29 April 1980, at 80 years of age,after a belated knighthood, he died at his home inCalifornia with his wife, Alma, who followed him twoyears later.
GCSE English Teachers’ Notes
A study of Hitchcock’s work can be used specificallyfor the Media coursework unit for NEAB EnglishGCSE syllabus, by the study of a single film orcomparison of two or more films. The followingapproaches could be adopted for any GCSE Englishsyllabus as:
stimulus for discursive written or oral work (e.g. onHitchcock’s recurrent themes his characters - bygender or as heroes and villains - or on issues offilm censorship) stimulus for creative writinga comparison of the original literary source andthe final film
Films to be recommended for study at this level are:
Rebecca, The 39 Steps,Rear Window,North by Northwest,The Birds, Psycho andThe Lady Vanishes.to pupils before each element of the scheme of workis undertaken as it is important, especially if this kindof study is new to them (and especially if they thinkthey are just watching a film), precisely why they aredoing it.
The study of Hitchcock’s films offers an excellent
opportunity to study the medium of film as they areless about the mere visual illustration of a story andmore about how to tell a story in moving images,sound and editing.
In English, pupils learn how writers create narrative,characters and themes using written language,structured as poems, plays, novels and shortstories. Films use the language of the medium offilm, which is complete with its own grammar syntaxand the style of the “author”.
Hitchcock has been frequently credited with thestatus of author or auteur” as French film theoristsreferred to great directors, because his authorialpresence is inscribed within the themes and stylisticmotifs of all of his films. This is what makes himvery suitable for study on an English GCSE course.
The opening few scenes of Rear Window are veryrewarding to study with pupils of all abilities, as theyare an exercise in pure fun narration, mostly (for thefirst 3 minutes 40 seconds) without any spokenwords. This unit and its tasks encourage pupils tolook very carefully at how all of the elements of filmlanguage are constructed to create a vitalcomponent of any narrative: to engage theaudience.
HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK
On his mission in life:“To scare the hell out of people.”
“Psycho gave me very wrinkled skin. I was in thatshower scene for seven days - 70 set-ups. At leasthe made sure the water was warm.”JANET LEIGH
For this resource the study of narrative has beenchosen as a focus for study in preparation for acoursework unit (it could easily be divided intosmaller units if desired) for NEAB GCSE English,but it could be adapted to other syllabuses toproduce creative writing, as indicated below.References to Tasks in bold correspond to those inthe Students’ Notes.
NARRATIVE IN HITCHCOCKTEXT Rear Window (1954)
In the NEAB syllabus the Media unit of coursework“should demonstrate the candidate’s ability toanalyse, review and comment on features of mediatexts (NEAB 1999/2000 syllabus). It alsostipulates that “Where a film or video version of atext is the subject of a coursework response, there
must be analysis and review of the medium.” Theseshould inform the learning outcomes of eachspecific task or coursework assignment. Specificlearning outcomes should be clearly statedPupils may initially find that the film is slow (aperennial problem with using any films but high-action ones), however, with repeated viewing, pupilsnotice more and more details that the director andhis team have created. It is fair to say that study ofall aspects of film language, especially narrativestructure, helps to develop transferable skills whenreturning to analysis of the construction of literarytexts. For most of our pupils, after verbalcommunication, the visual medium of the movingimage, in television programmes and films, is moreprimary than the written one. Yet there is littleopportunity to study precisely how it is constructed.With this focus, the study of film and more traditionalliterary texts is entirely complementary and goesbeyond the more obvious, though legitimate,comparisons of the book and the film of the book.
One of the frequent concerns of teachers whenteaching about film, if they have little or no Media orFilm Studies training, is the lack of knowledge offilm terms. However in the case of this and similaractivities, this is not a significant problem. It isimportant, and motivating, for pupils (of all abilities)to learn some camera and editing terms (theyprobably know many already) and it will help themto be specific and clear in their writing.
There is a basic list of useful terms in the Students’
Notes and it is unlikely that they will need any moreadvanced terms. If you want additional terms, theymay be found in most GCSE and A level MediaStudies textbooks or a video skills manual. Youcould provide a short glossary worksheet for them,or you could engage the pupils in researching andproducing their own glossary. If you would like toinvestigate film language and narrative structure ingreater detail yourself, there are several useful titlesin the bibliography provided.
GCSE English Teachers’ Notes
• A SUGGESTED SCHEME OF WORK FOR 6/7 WEEKS
AIMS
To introduce the study of narrative in filmsTo compare film language with that of literary texts
PRE-SCREENING PREPARATION
An introduction to Hitchcock using the biographyprovided or other sources. Discussion of whatpupils already know about Hitchcock and hisfilms.Study of the components of written language andnarrative structure and investigation into the filmlanguage equivalents, for example, bycomparison of the similarities and differencesbetween novels and films. (Task 1.1)Screen Rear Window. Ideally films should beseen once through at the cinema, but the realityof timetables and challenging classes makes thisimpossible for most schools, Therefore, thefollowing are suggested:a) screen the film on video without interruption byteacher (in two or more parts, if necessary,preferably with a re-cap between screenings)b) or by watching it in parts with regularinterventions by teacher in the form of openquestions to the class at significant moments(“Why did he say that? What does this look/soundlike? What do you think will happen next?”) toincrease pupil concentration and involvement.
POST SCREENING ACTIVITIES ANDCOURSEWORK SUGGESTIONS
1.The minor characters(Task 1.2) A second screening is very useful,especially for this activity. Assign the minorcharacters (Miss Torso, Miss Lonely-Hearts, LarsThorwald, the musician, the sculptress, etc.) tosmall groups to make notes through the secondscreening of the film to collect information abouttheir individual narratives. This can be sharedwith the rest of the class to prepare for thefollowing written assignments. (Task 1.3) Pupilscould individually or in groups draw a diagramrepresenting where everyone lives in theapartments Jeff can see from his rear window.The purpose of this would be to increase pupilengagement with the clever construction of thesense of place and the relationship of all of thecharacters in this drama. It would also supportthe following work.
COURSEWORK ESSAY SUGGESTION
(Task 1.4) Pupils could choose one of the minorcharacters to write either a diary or a first personnarrative of their individual perspective of themurderous events in their neighbourhood or “aday in the life of’ piece about a typical day for thatcharacter.
1.Film Language - creating narrative and character(Task 2.1) Study of the openings of novels, shortstories and mills.(Task 2.2) Pupils to produce a storyboard for theopening sequence of a novel or short story.(Task 2.3) This uses detailed study of the openingsequence from the credits to the arrival of themain character’s nurse, the first 7 minutes 46seconds. The sequence should be watchedseveral times and it is important to make pupilsaware that, like studying a literary text in smallbits, repeatedly, this is far from how it wasintended to be read/watched. The purpose is toreveal how it was constructed, the film languagetechniques used and the effect on the audience.The danger is always that a section of a text canbe “done to death”.Divide pupils into small group to make notes, witha specific focus (e.g. one for sound, onecharacter, music, lighting, set, camera movementetc.), and report back to the rest of the class; thisincreases their concentration during the processof collecting textual evidence for their writtenanalysis.The outcome is an essay that could be used forcoursework.
COURSEWORK ESSAY SUGGESTION(TASK 2.4)
Discuss the ways in which Hitchcock sets thescene for the audience in the opening minutes ofhis film Rear Window (1954)
There are many other essay possibilities, whichinclude the rest of the film, for example:
a character sketch of L B Jefferiesa discussion of the importance of the theme ofmarriage, or privacy, in the film.
These approaches may be successfully used withany Hitchcock, or other, film. The Students’ Noteswill be most effective if you go through them withthe students; they contain a great deal of materialwhich could be easily divided into individualsessions and the process may take much more timethan you think, because the pupils will want to sharetheir observations.
GCSE English Students’ Notes
• TASK 1: FILM LANGUAGEWritten language uses words arranged in sentencesand paragraphs. Writers choose particularadjectives or metaphors to tell us about places andpeople. In a similar way films have shots arrangedinto scenes and sequences. Film directors chooselighting effects and camera angles to tell us aboutpeople and places. Before you study a few scenesfrom one film in particular, take time to consider therelationship between film and literary texts (novelsplays and poems) and how they communicatestories, ideas and emotions to us.
TASK 1.1
Create and complete a table with two columns,that compares the components of writtenlanguage with film language• Try to pair the ones that are the same and
show which ones are different• Have a go at finding an example for each
one, if possible, from a novel or poem youhave read recently Consider what thespecific function of each component is
TASK 1.2
Track one of the minor characters throughoutthe film, collecting information about what welearn about their life, personality and point ofview.
TASK 1.3Draw a diagram of the view through Jeff’swindow. Try to work out the spatial relationshipof the apartments to Jeff’s and label it with wholives there.
TASK 1.4CREATIVE WRITING
Choose one of the minor characters and writeone of the following:a) a diary for the period of the murder andJeff’s Investigationsb) a first person narrative of their point ofview of the murderous eventsc) a day (or week) in the life of this characterbefore the murderd) a character sketch using third personnarrative
• TASK 2: FILM NARRATIVE - OPENINGSEveryone loves a good story, whether it is real or madeup. Hitchcock loved a good story, but more than that, heloved to entertain and thrill an audience. He would dothis by keeping the audience in suspense, eager to findout what will happen to the hero in the end. Orsquirming in our seats because we know something thatthe character on screen doesn’t.But, in the case of every film, before the audience canget involved with the details of the plot and its outcome,they first need to have some essential information aboutlocation, characters and clues to the plot. The verb“narrate”, means to tell a story and the telling of thestory is the narrative. In a novel, for example, the storymay be narrated by a character (first person “I”narrative) or by an objective narrator (in the third person“She,They” narrative).
TASK 2.1Look at the opening pages of a selection ofnovels or short stories and study how location,time, mood, character and plot are established.Try to identify the narrator.
In a film, there are additional ways of telling a story,creating a narrative using film language, rather thanjust with words.
Study the opening 5 minutes or so of a variety offilms and see how they establish the aboveelements with images, lighting, action, music anddialogue.
TASK 2.2PRACTICAL
Produce a storyboard of shots you would chooseto open a film version of a novel or short story ofyour choice. Write an analysis of your ownnarrative construction.
HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK“Always make the audience suffer as much aspossible.”
TASK 2.3
FILM LANGUAGE - TECHNICAL TERMSFind out the definitions of the film terms belowandcreate a worksheet of them to help you withyour analysis Using your glossary of terms, tryto identify whichcomponents of film language are used, whereand why, in the opening few minutes ofHitchcock’s Rear Window.
Useful termsCamera shots
close-up, medium shot, long shot, wide shot,establishing shot, low/high angle shot, framing
Camera movement~ pan, track, crane, zoom, reverse zoom, tilt Editing
cut, montage, fade in/out, dissolve, superimpose,slow-motion
Soundsoundtrack, musical score, sound mixing and
editing
Other useful termsscene, sequence, set, mise-en-scéne, lighting, actor,extra, theme, narrative, style, genre
GCSE English Students’ Notes
• TASK 3: TELLING A STORY -THECONSTRUCTION OF NARRATIVE
The genre of Rear Window is, on the surface, awhodunit, a murder mystery or thriller. But it alsocontains several themes:what they are is for you to find out in the course ofwatching the film. However the film is very famousfor being, almost like, a visual essay on how anaudience responds to watching a film at the cinema.
TASK 3.1
The similarities between us, the audiencewatching the film at the cinema or on video, andthe position of the main character, Jeff, aresignalled to us in the opening few minutes ofthe film. Can you find where this is and what thesimilarities are?
Now, to study the opening minutes of the film indetail, you will need to look and listen very carefully.Use these questions to help you to analyse thenarrative techniques used. It is very important thatyou give more than one word answers and provideevidence from the film for your answers to earnmarks for analysis. Remember every shot, angle,sound and object was chosen very carefully to tellthe story, so don’t miss anything! Explain in detailthe reasons for your answers. This is a crucialaspect of academic work, as you need to givetextual evidence to back up your points. This is animportant way of testing whether your points areconvincing or not.There are very few spoken words in the first fewminutes of this film, but we know where we are,where the apartments are in relations to the openwindow and we know a bit about Jeff, the maincharacter. Perhaps we have also got some clues asto what the story will be about? How is this done?
TASK 3.2Watch the first few minutes of the film, up towhere the nurse arrives, and time each shortsequence. Then divide each sequence intosections to collect notes with these headingse.g. credit sequence, apartments opposite thewindow, Jeff’s apartment, Jeff’s telephoneconversation.
• The credit sequence opens with windowblinds being
rolled up slowly. What does this remind you ofand why might it be a good way to start afilm?
• Listen to the music. Which instruments canyou hear? Does it remind you of anything?What kind of mooddoes the music create?
• Who, or what, is the narrator here? Whatpoints of view are we given?
• Where are we?• What time of day/year is it? w What is the
weather like?• What sounds can you hear?• Who can you see and what have you learned
about them? Sit The main character, playedby James Stewart, is LB Jefferies. What doyou learn about him, from a) purely visualinformation b) from his telephone
conversation?• What do you think the story of the film will be
about?
You will need to watch this section of the film atleast four times to collect detailed notes.Develop and structure your notes to prepare foryour essay on the construction of narrative.
COURSEWORK ESSAY• Discuss the narrative techniques used by
Hitchcock to set the scene for the audiencein Rear Window (1954).
• HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK
“When an actor comes to me and wants todiscuss his character, I say, It’s in the script. Ifhe says, But what’s my motivation? I say, yoursalary.”
A Level Media Studies Teachers’ Notes
A study of Hitchcock’s work can be used within theOCR A Level syllabus as (some activities are alsosuitable for other syllabuses):
an auteur study examining his signature style andrecurring themesindividual student research papers on single filmsor comparisons of two or more filmsa case study for British Cinema of the 1930s and40s a case study of the strengths andweaknesses of the Hollywood studio system1930-59practical production exercises in montage editing
Below is an additional approach to Hitchcock’s workthat would be compatible with any A level syllabusand is considered to be a good introduction to filmstudy and the work of Hitchcock. However, it will notbe sufficient in itself to meet the topic demands ofany syllabus. Reference could also be made to theother activities contained in this book, as they couldbe adapted easily, especially the A level FilmStudies material.
TEXTUAL ANALYSIS SKILLS TEXTNorth by Northwest (1959)
Textual analysis is a reading skill. Whether studentsapproach it from the perspective of semiologicaltheory or not is largely irrelevant. The act, or art, oflooking closely at, and asking questions of, a text ismore important. The term deconstruction hasnegative associations of dissection and destruction,but nevertheless, the film was constructed, scene byscene and frame by frame, and deconstructioninvolves the study of how it was put together.
The danger is that this kind of detailed analysis canruin students’ enjoyment of a text; the same risksare involved with the study of fine art, literature ormusic. But it is possible for such study to enhancestudents’ appreciation and enjoyment of film as filmas well as a text to be examined. It is important tomake students at any level, understand that theprocess of repeated screening and analysis is anartificial, academic one, not intended by the filmmakers (or is it, in this age of the digital freezeframe when we can rewind and replay our favouritescenes?).specific passages from some Hitchcock scores tosee what their reading is and to learn their criticallanguage.
Reading skills are vital as they provide the textualevidence for analysis of whole-text aspects such asnarrative structure, debates on representation,ideological interpretations etc. Too often, students’examination answers are vague and superficialbecause they are not rooted in close observationand supported by specific textual examples.
Students can progress from the exercises in thesenotes to study of the film North by Northwest as awhole and it is evident that close analysis createsconfidence and critical autonomy in the student.When next applied, students will notice much more,more quickly, as their eyes and ears will have beentrained to be attentive and perceptive. The art toavoiding tedium is not to “do anything to death” andit is particularly important for the teacher todemonstrate textual analysis first with a film whichenthuses them as this will be communicatedpositively to the students.
The work below obviously cannot be undertaken forevery Hitchcock film that you wish to study as itwould take several years! Please see the Teachers’Notes in the A level Film Studies section regardingapproaches to student presentations andindependent research to cover several films. It isimportant that clear and specific learning outcomesare planned for each unit of study. It is alsoimportant to make reference to the syllabusrequirements, past examination papers, markschemes and Chief Examiners’ reports in order toensure that any scheme of work is tied to thesyllabus being followed.
A SUGGESTED SCHEME OF WORK FOR 3/4WEEKS
AIMS
To teach detailed textual analysisTo introduce and/or demonstrate understandingof film study terms
PRE.SCREENING ACTIVITIES
Introduce students to life and work of Hitchcock,discusstheir expectations and what they already knowand have seen of his work.
textual analysis, or deconstruction, is not an end initself. It is the reading skill that allows deeperanalysis of a film’s meanings and significance forthe individual student, or for a wider audience, andtheir interpretations, including critical perspectivesfrom academics. The next stage is to providestudents with extracts of critical writing (seebibliography for suggestions) which they canconsider in their study of particular films andrespond to.
Reading skills should encompass the understandingof the spoken and written word, as well as imagesand sound/music (a much neglected subject forstudy). Incidentally, there is an excellentdocumentary on the composer Bernard HerrmannMusic for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann(Channel 4 1999), as well as some essaysanalysing his scores for Hitchcock on a Hitchcockwebsite if you would like to explore this dimension.Enlist a music colleague to help you to prepareanalyses of
Watch North by Northwest preferably at thecinema, with a video copy available for follow-upstudy.
POST-SCREENING ACTIVITIES
TASK 1.1Using the commentary in the Students’ Notes,watch opening five minutes several times to makenotes to write an essay
TASKS 1.2 and 2Analysis, to be written or conducted as classdiscussion.
TASK 3Students to use open questions provided toprogress to their own analysis of the auction roomscene from North by Northwest for an essay.
A Level Media Studies Students’ Notes
TEXT North by Northwest (1959)CAST Gary Grant (Roger Thornhill);
Eve Marie-Saint (Eve Kendall);James Mason (Phillip Vandamm).
• TEXTUAL ANALYSIS: ESTABLISHINGCHARACTER, PLOT & THEMES
This section offers a brief textual analysis of theopening of North by Northwest and provides someideas about how to approach textual analysis. Theaim is to introduce some important terms andconcepts for further study. After this there arequestions to help you do your own analysis of theset-piece scene in the auction room.
TASK 1
Write a detailed textual analysis demonstratinghow the first five minutes establish thecharacters, plot and themes of Hitchcock’s filmNorth by Northwest (1959).
• OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE (2 MINS)
TASK 1.1
Watch this sequence several times using thecommentary below and add your ownobservations and examples.
HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK
“I didn’t say actors are cattle. I said they shouldbe treated like cattle.”
The title of the film is a direction - North-by-Northwest - the one which the hero takes in the film.
It’s also an allusion to a line from Hamlet:
“I am but mad north-north-west; when the wind issoutherly I know a hawk from a handsaw” [II.iil
when Hamlet feigns an act of lunacy. The fact thatappearances can be deceptive, an important aspectof the film, is signalled at the outset of the film. Onthe other hand, Hitchcock denied a deliberateallusion when questioned, but the reference is stillone that might work within the minds of someviewers.
While the credits are rolling we also hear the nowfamous musical score by Bernard Herrmann, aboldly dramatic start with a foreboding theme ofdanger and excitement, relentlessly taking us to theappearance of Hitchcock himself as he misses thebus. The orchestration consists of an imbalance onthe woodwind section, with heavy emphasis onbass clarinets and percussion - a perfect match forHitchcock’s melodramatic style.
But the director does more than this. He presents uswith a montage of people going about their busylives, in a hectic and frenetic world:
• street scene of people walking in direct lines• a subway entrance sucking the people in• crowds crossing the roads• people descending large concrete staircases• two women fighting for the same cab.
This world is not immediately attractive, but it is theone in which our hero feels secure. It is theestablishment of the equilibrium that the hero enjoysand which is about to be dramatically disrupted bythe intervention of the villain.
Hitchcock presents us with an image system for the film from the opening of the title sequence. He holds theattention of the audience with a lurid bright green screen, with parallel lines drawn across, which eventually fades toreveal the establishing shot of the front of a Manhattan skyscraper reflecting the busy Madison Avenue world inwhich the hero, Roger Thornhill, resides.
An image system is one way in which a director cangive coherence of style and visual effect, whileunderlining the subtextual themes of the wholenarrative. The use of shapes, patterns, camerashots, movement and angles, dress codes, sets,movement of characters, visual motifs, are all put touse in such signifying practices. In the film parallellines are used in many of the set pieces and set-upsand are an important part of the mise-en-scéne.
TASK FOR LATERLook for evidence of these parallel lines in:
• the cropduster scene• the auction room scene• the set design of the Townsend/Vandamm
library• the set design of Vandamm’s house near
Mount Rushmore (a Frank Lloyd Wrightdesign)
• roads and rail networks.
HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK
“The length of a film should be directly relatedto the endurance of the human bladder.”
“The Donald Spoto biography ofHitchcock was absolute nonsense.Hitchcock couldn't have been a nicerfellow. I whistled coming to work."Cary Grant
A Level Media Studies Students’ Notes
• OPENING SCENES (3 MINS)
The lift opens and the plot begins. The appearance of RogerThornhill is very important: he is immaculately attired in alight grey, single-breasted suit and superficially, he is asophisticated, witty, advertising executive. He is also shotfrom a low angle to emphasise his status. It is demonstratedto the audience, however that he has talents, abilities andan attitude to life that helps us to believe how he will copewith the demands placed upon him in the ensuing narrative.Hitchcock said that he placed ordinary men in bizarresituations, and this is partly the appeal of his films.
TASK 1.2What do the following tell us about Roger Thornhill?
• He has to dictate on the move.• He doesn’t carry a briefcase.• His secretary organises his life and reminds him
of important details.• He is friendly to the elevator man.• He sends flowers and excuses to his lady
friends.• He is personally known to the waiter in the hotel.• He feels heavy - so he needs to “think thin.”• He is going to the theatre with his mother in the
evening.• The way he walks.• He works in advertising - is this relevant?• His name.• The casting of Cary Grant• What else have you noticed?
An interesting aspect of his behaviour is when he steals thetaxicab from a man in the street by lying that his secretary isunwell and needs the cab urgently. His defence is that itmade the man a Samaritan, and that in advertising lying ismerely “expedient exaggeration” - a hint of a major theme tocome when the truth becomes very elusive for both him andthe audience.
When he arrives at a very grand hotel for his businessmeeting one of the men remarks how much he can toleratealcohol - “no-one faster coming down the home straight” -and again foreshadows his escape from the villains when heis drunk in the car.
Hitchcock, in great style, has established the settingand the protagonist, but so far, the major storylinehas not really started. So how does the director doit? As Thornhill explains to his colleagues that heneeds to send a telegram to his mother, we hear thename “George Kaplan” being paged in thebackground not once, but five times. Thornhill clickshis fingers and shouts “Boy” and the main narrativehas begun. Hitchcock pans to the left and zooms inon the two stereotypical East-European henchmen,who were previously framed in the top right handcorner of the previous shot; in other words, we havealready seen them without realising who they are - itreinforces the reality of the space in the mise-en-scéne. This moment is called the inciting incident: itis the point in the narrative when the main plot iskick-started into action.
Of course, the film revolves around the issue ofmistaken identity, one of Hitchcock’s favouritethemes. An innocent man being in the wrong placeat the wrong time; or in this case, he clicks hisfingers and is suddenly taken into the bizarre worldof a Hitchcock narrative.
When Thornhill is abducted by the two villains heasks a number of questions. In fact, he asks thekind of questions the audience are probably askingthemselves. These questions are called enigmas,and at the end of the plot all major and minorenigmas will be resolved and the equilibrium will beestablished again, albeit with important changes.The conflict that has now been introduced is theengine that drives the narrative and puts the herounder stress. Conflict is essential in any narrative toengage the viewer’s attention and emotions. Noticealso that the audience will share Thornhill’s point-of-view for a substantial part of the film.
Finally, when we look at the genre of this film (cold-war romantic-comedy-thriller) it is not difficult to seethat in some ways it is a prototype for James Bond,at least in style and characterisation. Grant broughta lightness of touch to the role that kept it constantlygood-humoured. In fact, despite his age, Grant wasoriginally offered the role of Bond after making Northby Northwest but didn’t want to be tied down to athree picture deal.
TASK 2CLOSUREAs a comparison you might like to look at the closure ofthe narrative and see the economy with whichHitchcock brings the film to an end. The sequence fromthe point where Thornhill and Kendall are hanging offMount Rushmore to the end of the film is only 47seconds long.
How many enigmas are answered in those 47seconds and how does Hitchcock do it?Find out what a “MacGuffin” is and see how it fits intothose 47 seconds.
TASK 3
ANALYSING THE AUCTION ROOM SCENE
By answering the following questions prepare notes towrite an essay demonstrating a detailed textual analysisof this scene.
1. How is the camera used in this scene?Consider distance, movement and angle.
2. Vandamm’s ‘ownership’ of Eve is subtextuallyevident in a number of places. Where canyou spot this and what is its relationship tothe auction setting? Does his attitudechange at any point?
3. Describe the mise-en-scéne of the auctionroom? Where is the image system of parallellines evident and what effect does it have.
4. There are a couple of master shots inoperation. How and why are they used?
5. How is the climax of the scene achieved?6. What is the change in Thornhill’s character by
this point in the film and how is it evident?7. Vandamm refers to Thornhill overplaying his
various roles. How does this relate to majorthemes in the film?
8. What new enigmas are created in this scene?Are any resolved?
9. The “MacGuffin” appears. What is it and whyis it important?
A Level Film Studies Teachers’ Note.
A study of Hitchcock’s work can be undertaken forexamination or coursework assessment of theWJEC A Level Film Studies syllabus content, inparticular for:
Film Form and Film NarrativeCritical Approaches to HollywoodCritical Approaches to British Cinema
It is important to have specific learning outcomesclearly in mind when devising a scheme of work.This is especially so when there is so much to learnabout Hitchcock and the danger is that students willbecome overwhelmed. Look carefully at the syllabusand its guidance on assessment (as well as pastexamination papers and Chief Examiner’s reports)to decide how best to approach a study ofHitchcock. Different emphases may be chosen froma wide variety of aspects of study according to themethod of syllabus assessment chosen.
These emphases might include:
Auteur studyProduction and promotion historyThe influences on Hitchcock’s work, includingGerman ExpressionismHitchcock’s relationships with producer David 0.Selznick,Paramount and Universal and/or his starsHitchcock’s men and women — representationand ideologyNarrative and suspenseUse of mise-en-scéne and mise-en-shotGenreReadings of sections of an individual film orcomparisons of two films
Films to be recommended for study at this level are:All of them! Choose films that are accessible to you,appropriate to the level of your students and thatyou will be enthusiastic about teaching. For thisresource, the study of Hitchcock as an auteur hasbeen chosen.
• AUTEUR STUDY OF HITCHCOCK
Hitchcock’s films offer an embarrassment of richesfor Film Studies teachers and students alike and heis an obvious and popular choice of director forquestions on auteur study. What follows is asuggested, but not exclusive, approach for teachingthis aspect of Hitchcock.
It goes without saying that the nature of auteurstudy can only be undertaken after considerationof several of a director’s films and this alwayspresents a challenge to teachers with theconstraints of timetables and the demands ofcovering any syllabus. Therefore, this scheme ofwork is predicated on independent studentresearch, in order to cover his work in sufficientbreadth and depth within the available timetableas well as to develop these important learningskills. It is of course, perfectly acceptable to teachthe same content in a traditional lecture/seminarway. The topic culminates in asking students tostudy Vertigo (1958), for many, the most perfect,personal and important film of his oeuvre, in thecontext of a preliminary study of his other films toassess the claims for auteur status. Vertigoshould be watched in its entirety, preferably at thecinema.Making your own extracts from a selection ofHitchcock’s films can afford a useful introduction(or, even better encouraging your students to do itas indicated below), as are some of the televisionprofiles that have been made over the years,BBC2’s Reputations (June 1999) being the mostrecent. Please note that is possible for schoolsand colleges to gain access to the off-air videolibraries of universities and colleges of HigherEducation. The new Universal Hitchcockcollection on video includes useful extra features,such as trailers and documentaries, for exampleon the Universal restoration of Vertigo. Studentswill need advice with sources of research andaccess to materials. The internet has some usefulacademic and industry material and Hitchcockspecific websites are included in the bibliographyof this booklet.
• A SUGGESTED SCHEME OF WORK FOR6/7 WEEKS
AIMS
To prepare students for the auteur question(although more than one director should bereferred to in the exam) in the CriticalApproaches to Hollywood paperTo engage students in detailed textual analysisof a single film (preparation for Film Form andFilm Narrative exam paper or for coursework ina reading, practical project or essay)To develop independent research skills
PRE-SCREENING ACTIVITIES
Supply definitions of the term auteur, explainorigins of the term and outline areas of debate tothe class or set students to do this individually orin small groups (TASK 1.1)Using extracts or video biographies to introducethe topic to class
To cope with the demand of watching a number offilms in class, an effective way to cover a greatdeal of ground and increase student engagement,is to divide students intogroups to study a different Hitchcock film of yourchoice, independently. They need to make notesand select extracts on video for a presentation tothe rest of the class. (TASK 1.2) De-briefpresentations, compiling observations, perhaps bymaking a grid or worksheets of the major pointsarising from them, for example, narrative
structure, themes, use of miseen-scéne andmise-en-shot, music, representation andideology and production context, all withreferences to key scenes for later reference fortheir essays.Initial demonstration of the ways in whichHitchcock’s work may be seen as the work of anauteur - production of a worksheet summary forwhole class use for drafting of essay.
POST-SCREENING ACTIVITIES
• Collection and examination of a selection ofexisting critical responses to Vertigo (TASK2.1)
• Application of the above major points of analysisin Vertigo to consider conclusions anddrafting of essay (TASK 2.2)
• Essay tasks (TASK 2.3)a) A past paper essay question on auteur studyb) An essay question on Vertigo - to bedesigned by student (individually or in smallgroups).Coursework opportunity - to be devised by youas appropriate
A Level Film Studies Students’ Notes
HITCHCOCK AS AUTEUR
Hitchcock was a highly visible director. He nevershunned publicity, made fleeting cameoappearances in his own films and agreed to manyinterviews. He also used himself in his cinematrailers and even had a TV series in the 5Os namedafter him, Alfred Hitchcock Presents ... Reviewersand film fans alike use the term ‘Hitchcockian’ todescribe classic moments of his own work and thatof other directors’ films. In his foreword to DanAulier’s “Vertigo: The Making of a HitchcockClassic”, Martin Scorsese sees Vertigo asHitchcock’s most personal work and the one thatbears the strongest signature of the author; despitethe constraints of the Hollywood studio system.
Hitchcock used the term “pure cinema” to describethe entirely personal signature that he used to ‘sign’his work. So what was this individual signaturebased on and is it appropriate to study films in thisway?
Simply, the term ‘auteur’ is French for ‘author’.However; the term is used, judgementally, todescribe directors who have attained the status ofan artist or author, rather than a mere technician (ormetteur-en-scene) and who have superceded thematerial a film was derived from, to produce auniquely personal film that can be identified as theirown. In his interviews, Hitchcock used manyanalogies for the process of film making frompainting and composing music; he was scornful ofcritics who emphasised his technical skills or “tricks”and demanded the same respect afforded to moreconventional definitions of art. However; debate isfocused on the essentially collaborative nature offilm making which makes claims of authorship verydifficult, especially when many directors relyregularly on the same lighting cameraman or editor.
QUESTIONMany moments from Hitchcock’s films havebeen described as ‘typical Hitchcock’ -which other directors could have the statusof auteur claimed for them and why?
Auteur theory has been the source of critical debateon film since the 1950s. It can be grouped into thefollowing theories or stages:
Auteur policy in France - in the writings ofcritic/film makers in Les Cahiers du Cinema, byTruffaut, Chabrol, Rohmer, Rivette and Godard(l95Os)
Auteur policy in Britain - in the writings of thecritics in Movie magazine, by Perkins, Shivas,Cameron and Mayersberg (1960s)
Auteur theory in North America - the writings ofAndrew Sarris (1960s)
The debate has continued since the sixties andJohn Caughie’s book, “Theories of Authorship”, isuseful to outline them, but the work of Robin Wood(especially with reference to Hitchcock), John Ellisand Peter Wollen are also useful for research.
The construction and promotion of the auteur by theuse of the director’s name in contemporary filmmarketing has become very far removed from theoriginal definitions of the term, being principallymotivated by the economics of the film industry.
RESEARCHTry to find examples from the work of a numberof contemporary directors in recent years. Whatis this use of the director’s name based on? Is iteffective?
TASK 1.1• Undertake research on the origins and
definitions of auteur study, includingchallenges to the theories, and produceyour own detailed summary of notes — youwill need them to write the essay at the endof the topic.
TASK 1.2In your group, prepare a presentation on the filmyou have been given. You should prepare aworksheet for the rest of the class thatsummarises your main points. You shouldresearch its production history and context,analysis of its key scenes, critical perspectivesand the hallmarks of Hitchcock’s authorialsignature. Remember, your presentation will beused by you and the whole class to inform youressay and exam preparation.
A Level Film Studies Students’ Note1
TASK 2.1
Collect a range of different critical responses to Vertigo to compile useful quotes for consideration inyour essay and to indicate interpretations you might not have thought of. Examine your initial personalresponse in the course of your academic analysis.
Here are examples of two scenes you could use:
Extract 1The extract starts at the end of the famous Saul Bass credit sequence and lasts 1 minute and 31 seconds.This sequence contains the essence of the film’s themes and image system. Note that the followinginformation is established in this sequence:
TASK 2.2
A textual analysis of the whole film - this isbest done using a video copy for repeatedviewing. Having seen the film as a whole,consider and make notes on the followingaspects:
• Narrative structure - divide the film intoscenes and acts (using the screenplay, ifavailable or video) with timings usingdiagrammatic representation - this makesthe structure more obvious and showsits rhythms and repetitions.
• Genre• Themes• Image system• Representation and ideology• Production history and context
• Textual analysis of specific sequences
This evidence should then be used, togetherwith your findings from Tasks I and 2.1, inorder to demonstrate the auteur theory asapplied to Hitchcock’s work.
• The location - San Francisco• A rooftop chase, a manhunt by the law• The star as hero - James Stewart as a
Hitchcock “everyman” in a dangeroussituation
• The famous dolly out/zoom in shot -technical invention
• Fear (of heights) and guilt (responsibility foranother’s death)
• A combination of omniscient and restrictednarration
• Musical score as narrative accompaniment• Where have you seen these before in
Hitchcock’s work?
TASK 2.2 (continued)
Extract 2A later sequence that starts at 12 minutes 56seconds into the film(at Ernies club) and can be studied under thefollowing headings(use these for your analysis of other scenes):
NarrationMostly omniscient, with some restricted narrationfrom Scottie’s point of view.
Mise-en-scéneThe use of colour - red flock wallpaper andMadeleine’s green stole are contrasted against thegreys, browns and blacks of the other diners tomake her stand out. When in profile, Madeleine’shead is backlit to create an almost angelic aura, itincreases in brightness as the music swells to reachanother key in an expressionistic way.
A Level Film Studies Students’ Not
Mise-en-shotThe melodramatic sweeping pans and slow zoomsestablish the spatial relationship between thecharacters, each other and their environment,
Musical score/soundBernard Herrmann’s romantic and suitably hauntingtheme starts here - look at precisely when it starts.What does it tell us about how Scottie is feeling atthis point? Where is the usual diegetic sound of theclub? When do we finally hear the low murmur andchatter? Which instruments are being used andwhat associations do they have?
EditingThe rhythm of images and music is perfectly in timein the editing of this scene. Look at the rhythm of thecuts when Scottie turns to see Madeleine, as sheturns away from him - it creates an erotic tensionbetween them as it is tantalisingly close, but notclose enough and the moment of eye contactbetween them is deferred.
Visual motifsMadeleine’s profile is repeatedly used (in this andother scenes) as from this angle she may be seen,without the voyeur being noticed, The colours green(signifying a dream/a ghost?) and red (signifyingdanger or death?) are used repeatedly to createpart of the image system used to unify the film.Arches, doorways and mirrors are also usedrepeatedly - have you noticed any others?
ThemesLove and death, the unattainable versus thedomestic/mundane dreams/nightmares - you willnotice that all of these are binary oppositions, usedbecause they create conflict, which in turn,increases the audience’s engagement in thenarrative. The recreation of the perfect woman(actress?) - the unattainable glacial blonde.
Acting directionIn his interview with Hitchcock, Francois Truffautsaid that “In both films (Rear Window and Vertigo)James Stewart isn’t required to emote; he simplylooks - three or four hundred times - and then youshow the viewer what he’s looking at.” ConsiderStewart’s performance in this film in the light of thisquote and how miseen-shot is used to exploit his“looking”.
Representation and ideologyMasculinity and femininity: For a character who wouldtraditionally be represented as a man of action, he startsand proceeds throughout the film as a follower, passiveand powerless to prevent the deaths of three people. Helooks and feels, rather than acts, a great deal in the filmand this scene establishes this, together with his slightunease - he almost looks guilty and turns away, so he isnot discovered. Here Madeleine is a trophy, the perfectfantasy woman, she also does not make eye contact, butpauses before him in a dreamlike state, almost oblivious,and then glides past.
“Hitchcock loves to be misunderstood, because he hasbuilt his whole life around misunderstandings.”
FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT
These headings may be used for analysis ofsubsequent scenes. See how the one thatfollows this has continuity, in most respects,with this one.
Where have you seen similar examples of theabove aspects of Hitchcock’s pre-occupations, style and technique? Comparethem with your collection of specific examplesfrom his other films.
HITCHCOCK ON HITCHCOCK
“I am scared easily, here is a list of myadrenaline-production:1: small children, 2: policemen, 3: high places,~: that my next movie will not be as good as thelast one.”
TASK 2.3
Answer both a) and b)
a) Choose one of the following pastexamination paper questions (or anyothers supplied) from the CriticalApproaches to Hollywood paper:I) How useful is auteur study inapproaching films made in Hollywoodwhich, almost by definition, are a productof a large number of creative individualsworking collaboratively? Refer to twodirectors in developing your answer.2) Auteur status is claimed today byHollywood marketing hype for almost anydirector. What, in your opinion, are thecharacteristics which make a Hollywoodauteur? In answering this question referin detail to one or more directors andtheir work.
b) Design your own essay title to assessyour study of the film Vertigo. You shouldwrite the aims and objectives of youressay as well as the criteria by whichyour essay should be assessed.
RESEARCH SOURCES
In addition to the books listed (not exclusive so search forother books and journals using the BFI bibliography onHitchcock), there is a list of websites for study ofHitchcock at the back of this booklet. In addition, MatthewParrott’s Media Studies website(www.bamaca.demon.co.uk) has a handy media linkssection which contains shortcuts to many sites.Specifically, to Dr Daniel Chandler’s comprehensiveMedia and Communication Studies website atAberystwyth University which has a Film Studies sectioncontaining articles by international academics andstudents.
Film SynopsesThe Lodger, a Story ofthe London Fog (UK1926)Stars Ivor Novello, JuneTripp, Malcolm Keen. Herparents’ mysterious lodgerattracts Daisy Bunting.Daisy’s detective boyfriendbecomes jealous andbegins to suspect thelodger is a famous serialkiller who is on the loosein London.
Blackmail (UK 1929)Alice has a row with herboyfriend, Frank, andagrees to go to a maleartist’s studio. The artist,Crewe, tries to rape Aliceand she stabs him in self-defence and runs away.Frank finds one of Alice’sgloves, but the other isfound by Tracy, a friend ofCrewe’s. Tracy thenblackmails Alice. StarsAnny Ondra (who isvoiced by Joan Barry inthe sound version), CyrilRitchard and JohnLongden.
The 39 Steps (UK 1935)cast includes RobertDonat and MadeleineCarroll. A spy sent to warnthe British about a majorsecurity breach ismurdered. AdventurerRichard Hannay is framedfor this murder but, on therun from the police inScotland he chances onthe ringleaders. Richard isthrown together withPamela, an innocentbystander, and exposesthe ringleaders’ plot, inorder to prove his owninnocence.
Sabotage (UK 1936)Verloc is an anarchiccinema manager whoaccidentally kills hisbrother-in-law Stevie whenhe sends him to plant abomb. Verloc’s wife Sylviasuspects his guilt, and killshim. Starring SylviaSidney and OscarHomolka.
The Lady Vanishes (UK1938)Margaret Lockwood andMichael Redgrave star inthis espionage adventure.When an elderlyEnglishwoman disappearsfrom a transcontinentaltrain, fellow travellers IrisHenderson and GilbertRedman attempt to solvethe mystery...
Rebecca (US 1938)Joan Fontaine plays atimid lady’s companionwho meets rich grievingwidower, Maxim de Winter(Laurence Olivier) andaccepts his suddenmarriage proposal. Whenthey go to Manderley, deWinter’s Cornish mansion,de Winter’s new wifediscovers the memory ofhis beautiful, dead wife isbeing kept alive by hissinister housekeeper, MrsDanvers.Suspicion (US 1941)Lina, a wealthy countrygirl, falls in love withcharmer Johnnie Aysgarth.They marry and Linadiscovers Johnnie wassacked from his job forembezzling funds. Lina’sdisapproving father dies,having cut her out of hiswill and Lina suspectsJohnnie of murderousintent. Stars Cary Grantand Joan Fontaine.
Saboteur (US 1942)Barry Kane is suspected ofsabotage following a fire atthe aircraft factory wherehe works. Kane goes onthe run across Americaand tries to find Frank Fry,the man who framed him.Stars Priscilla Lane andRobert Cummings.
Shadow of a Doubt (US1943)When Uncle Charlie visitshis family in California, hisniece, Young Charlie,suspects he may be theinfamous Merry WidowMurderer’. Teresa Wrightand Joseph Cotten star.
Spellbound (US 1945)John Ballantine isconvinced he hasmurdered someone, butsuffers from amnesia andcannot remembercommitting the crime.Psychiatrist ConstancePetersen becomesromantically drawn to himand sets about proving hisinnocence. Stars IngridBergman and GregoryPeck.
Notorious (US 1946)US agent Devlin pressesAliceHuberman into spying on agroup of German exiles inRio do Janeiro. Shemarries top NaziAlexander Sebastian, thenstarts to fall for Devlin.Cary Grant and IngridBergman star with ClaudeRains.
Rope (US 1948)cast includes JamesStewart and FarleyGranger. To prove theirintellectual superiority overtheir friend David Kentley,Brandon and Philipstrangle him. Guestsarriving at their apartmentshortly afterwards areserved food from the chestcontaining Kentley’s body.But one of the guests, theirformer teacher RupertCadell, begins to suspectsomething is amiss...
Strangers on a Train (US1951)Screenplay by Raymondchandler. Starring RobertWalker and FarleyGranger. Guy Haines andBruno Antony, twostrangers, meet on a train.Bruno suggests they swap’murders - that he killsGuy’s wife Miriam and Guykills Bruno’s father inreturn. Bruno murdersMiriam and Guy must clearhis name...
Dial M for Murder (US1954)On discovering his richwife, Margot, is having anaffair with an Americanwriter, former tennischamp Tony Wendicehires an old acquaintanceto murder her. Howeverthe plan misfires. StarringRay Milland, Grace Kellyand Robert Cummings.
Rear Window (US 1954)Starring James Stewart,Grace Kelly and RaymondBurr. A wheelchair-houndphotographer spends hisdays looking out of hiswindow into the fiatsopposite. When the invalidwife of his neighbourdisappears, thephotographer suspectsmurder and enlists hisown girlfriend’s help tofind out the truth...
To Catch a Thief (US1954)Stars Cary Grant andGrace Kelly. Theinfamous retired burglar,John Ruble is suspectedof a series of jewelrobberies by Frenchpolice. Ruble goes on therun and decides to trackdown the real thief, withthe help of beautifulheiress Frances Stevens.
The Trouble With Harry(US 1954)captain Wiles discovers acorpse while shooting inthe woods, and wonders ifhe has accidentally killedthe man. Be decides tobury the body, and whiledoing it he is interruptedby all sorts of characterswho have had contactwith Harry, the dead man.Starring ShirleyMacLame, EdmundGwenn, John Forsythe.
The Man Who Knew TooMuch(US 1955)cast includes JamesStewart and Doris Day.Ben and Jo McKennawitness the murder of aFrenchman on theirholiday in Marrakech.They hear his dying wordsthus their son is kidnappedto ensure their silence. SoBen and Jo travel toLondon to rescue him andavert a politicalassassination.
Vertigo (US 1958)Stars James Stewart, KimNovak and Barbara BelGeddes. An ex cop ishired to follow Madeleine,his old friend’s suicidalwife. The ex cop falls inlove with Madeleine butfails to prevent her death,then falls in love with herapparent double.
Stars Anthony Perkins andJanet Leigh. Marion craneescapes with $40,000 ofher boss’ money anddecides to stay in theBates motel. Things startto go terribly wrong whenMarion takes a shower...
The Birds (US 1963)Melanie Daniels, a wealthyplaygirl, follows MitchBrenner to his mother’shome in Bodega Bay.Trouble starts whenthousands of birds startattacking the town’sresidents. Stars RodTaylor and Tippi Hedren.
Marnie (US 1964)Starring Sean Conneryand Tippi Hedren. MarnieEdgar is a compulsive thiefwho empties her publisherboss’ safe and takes offwith the money. However,her fascinated boss runsafter her and blackmails
Torn Curtain (US 1966)Michael Armstrong is anuclear physicist who fliesto East Berlin to obtainimportant information froma German scientist.However he goes underthe guise of defecting tothe Russians...
Stars Paul Newman andJulie Andrews.
Topaz (US 1969)A French intelligenceagent works with anAmerican official, to findout information onRussia’s involvement inCuba. Starring FrederickStafford and Dany Robin.
Frenzy (US 1972) Aninnocent man is wronglysuspected of a number ofnecktie murders’. With awarrant for his arrest, hetries to avoid the police
continues killing peopleStarring Jon Finch, BarryFoster, Anna Massey andBarbara Leigh-Bunt.
Family Plot (US 1976)Stars Karen Black andBruce Dern. A phoneypsychic gets involved in amurder plot hatched by asinister man...
North By Northwest (US 1956)cast includes Cary Grant,Eva Marie Saint andJames Mason. RogerThornhill, an advertisingexecutive, is mistaken fora secret agent by anenemy espionage chief.Re is framed for themurder of a UnitedNations diplomat, thenescapes from New Yorkon a train where he meetsa curiously sympatheticwoman.
BibliographyHITCHCOCKTRUFFAUT, FrancoisHitchcock. (Revised edition).Grafton Books, 1986.
SPOTO, DonaldThe art of Alfred Hitchcock: 50 years of his films.(Revised and updated).London: Fourth Estate, 1992.
BOGDANOVICH, PeterThe cinema of Alfred Hitchcock.New York: The Museum of Modern Art FilmLibrary, 1963.
GOTTLIEB, SidneyHitchcock on Hitchcock: Selected Writings andInterviews.Faber and Faber; 1997.
WOOD, RobinHitchcock’s films revisited.New York: Columbia University Press, 1989.
MODLESKI, TaniaThe women who knew too much. Hitchcock andfeminist theory.New York; London: Methuen, 1988.
RYALL, TomBlackmail.BFI Publishing, 1993.
PAGLIA, CamilleThe Birds.BFI Publishing, 1998.
SI-IARFF, StefanThe Art of Looking in Hitchcock’s Rear Window.Limelight Editions, 1996.
CONDON, Paul and SANGSTER, JuinThe Complete HitchcockVirgin Publishing, 1999.
ALLEN, Richard and GONZALEZ, S. Ishli, EdsAlfred Hitchcock: Centenary EssaysBFI Publishing, 1999.
FILM/MEDIA STUDIESBORDWELL, David and THOMPSON, KristinFilm Art: An Introduction.McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1996.
MONACO, JamesHow to Read a Film.Oxford University Press Inc USA, 1981.
COOK, Pam and BERNINK, MiekeThe Cinema Book.BFI Publishing, 1999.
ALTMAN, RickFilm/genre.BFI Publishing, 1999.
McKEE, RobertStory.Methuen, 1998.
KONISBERG, IraThe Complete Film Dictionary.Bloomsbury, 1988.
BORDWELL, DavidNarration in the Fiction Film.Routledge, an imprint of Taylor &Francis BooksLtd, 1990.
STAM, Robert, BURGOYNE, Robert andFLITTERMAN-LEWIS, SandyNew Vocabularies in Film Semiotics.Routledge, an imprint of Taylor & Francis BooksLtd, 1992.
BUCKLAND, WarrenTeach Yourself Film Studies.Teach Yourself, 1998.
DOWNES, Brenda and MILLER, SteveTeach Yourself Media Studies.Teach Yourself, 1997.
WARD, Glenn PaulTeach Yourself Post-modernism.Teach Yourself, 1997.
LAPSLEY, Robert and WESTLAKE, MichaelFilm Theory: an introductionManchester University Press, 1988.
USEFUL BIBLIOGRAPHY
The BFI Library and Information Services publishHitchcock, a bibliography of informative booksabout the filmmaker.
SELECTED WEBSITES
www.mca.comUniversal/MCA’s company website.
www.Hitchcock.100.com
Universal’s Hitchcock centenary website.
www.tdfilm.comThis site contains The Definitive Alfred HitchcockLinks Page with all of the major sites of interestfor students and fans of Hitchcock alike. Theseinclude: Psycho Homepage, Alfred HitchcockMaster of Suspense and The MacGuffin.
www.imdb.comAn enormous database on film productioninformation, including reviews, trailers, postersand links to other sites.
www.bamaca.free-online.co.uk
Media Studies site maintained by teacher; MatthewParrott, that contains useful support andnetworking information together with links toindustry/academic sites. In particular, there is a linkto Daniel Chandler’s Media and CommunicationsSite at Aberystwyth which is very useful for Filmand Media Studies teachers and students.
www.bfi.org.ukBritish Film Institute
www.filmeducation.orgFilm Education
www.bbc.co.ukThis site contains a link to BBC movies page with acurrent feature on Hitchcock’s films.
