Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most well-known and respected names in British and American cinema. From his initial foray into cinema during the silent era and transitioning to sound cinema before heading to the United States to work in Hollywood, Hitchcock's influences can be traced to three distinct cinema and film styles and periods: German Expressionism, Soviet Constructivism, and Griersonian Documentary Realism. The combination of these three styles and periods are present in The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), two thriller films from Hitchcock's British Sound Period. Through The 39 Steps's and The Lady Vanishes's editing, mise-en-scene, and narrative, Hitchcock exploits the fundamental elements of German Expressionism, Soviet Constructionism, and Grierson Documentary Realism to create a unified film that draws in a willing and captive audience. Hitchcock was first introduced to German Expressionism in 1924 when he was sent to work at the UFA studios and collaborated directly with German Expressionist directors such as F.W. Murnau on Der Letze Mann (The Last Man) (1924). One of the most important contributions German Expressionism made to cinema was a focus on mise-en-scene, or how a scene is framed. This contention highly influenced how people, situations, and objects were represented onscreen; symbolism was injected into each scene through techniques that highlight the duality of characters and of society. Additionally, German Expressionist techniques helped to heighten suspense in each film. In Hitchcock, Francois Truffaut contends, "The art of creating suspense is also the art of involving the audience, so that the viewer is actually a participant of the film" (Truffaut 16). This involvement can only be achieved through what is presented on the screen through mise-en-scene and editing. Hitchcock claimed, "Our primary function is to create an emotion and our second job is to sustain that emotion. When a film is properly staged, it isn't necessary to rely upon the player's virtuosity or personality for tension and dramatic effects" (Truffaut 111). Moreover, Hitchcock depends on what is depicted...
Hitchcock contends, "When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it's impossible to do so otherwise" (61). In The 39 Steps, one of the most memorable and outstanding uses of German Expressionist techniques can be seen in the film sequence in which Hannay eludes the police by jumping off a train. The angles created by the bridge where the train stops -- thus allowing Hannay to jump off and continue his escape -- is reminiscent of the painted scenes found in the German Expressionist films of Murnau and Lang. Furthermore, the angles created by the bridge add to the suspense of the film and the confusion that Hannay experiences by creating a dizzying effect. In The Lady Vanishes, the narrative of the film is dependent on what is portrayed on screen as the majority of the action takes place within a contained space, a moving train. Because of this, every shot has to contribute to the creation of a contained atmosphere where no one can be trusted.
This ties closely with Hitchcock's belief that "dialogue means nothing" in and of itself. He explains, "People don't always express their inner thoughts to one another, a conversation may be quite trivial, but often the eyes will reveal what a person thinks or needs." Thus the focus of a scene within his movies never focuses on what actors say, but rather on what they are doing. Unlike a painter,
According to Francois Truffaut, "Hitchcock is universally acknowledged to be the world's foremost technician, even his detractors willingly concede him this title," and other critics state, "Hitchcock is one of the greatest inventors of form in the entire cinema," while still others assert that "his films remain central to questions of cinematic practice and critical theory" (Kirshner). Psycho was one Hitchcock's favorite films, because he derived his main satisfaction from
Among these were women's inaccessibility to birth control and proper information about their own sexuality, the lack of knowledge about which caused many women to suffer health and social problems. It is not only the overtly sexual scenes that show parts of a woman's body like the famous shower scene in Psycho or the depiction of sexual tension in L.B. Jeffries' room in Rear Window, therefore, that suggest Hitchcock's progressive
During the broadcasting of Psycho, Hitchcock asked for the doors to the cinema to be closed for those that wanted to enter. Psycho is a motion picture that had surely intimidated its audience. From the very start of movie, the viewers feel that they are being presented with a distorted image of an ordinary lunch. Marion and Sam have sex in their hotel room instead of finishing their food. This
ALFRED HITCHCOCK was born in London in 1899, and came to America in 1940 to make his mark as a film director. He became one of the most renowned and emulated directors of horror and suspense film. Many of his films are still considered classics, such as "The Birds," "Psycho," "Rear Window," and "North by Northwest," and they starred some of the biggest names in Hollywood, including Cary Grant, James
Hitchcock even placed the camera behind the wheel of Scottie's car as he followed Madeleine around the city. In addition, Hitchcock uses the first-person technique to put the audience in the right mind frame of a suspense thriller. "Vertigo" ends in one of Hitchcock's most shocking, abrupt, and negative scenes. From Scottie's viewpoint: Madeleine! INT. CHURCH, SAN JUAN BAUTISTA -- DAY Scottie runs in, stops at the foot of the steps, hears
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