Term Paper on "Films and Life of Alfred Hitchcock"

Term Paper 6 pages (1793 words) Sources: 2 Style: MLA

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Films and Life of Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the most fundamental film makers of the twentieth century. He brought his own unique style and flare to each one of his films through the repetition of particular themes and motifs in film after film. These repetitions make a Hitchcock movie what it is known for. William Rothman explores the hidden world of Hitchcock's films in his work Hitchcock: A Murderous Gaze. In this work, Rothman exposes the common motifs used by Hitchcock, such as the repetition of the dashes or "///," effects using rising curtains, and a particular instance of a white flash. These motifs represent some of the commonalities of Hitchcock's truly unique style and vision for creating suspenseful and engaging potion pictures.

The constant repetition of the "///,"or vertical line image occurs very subliminally within Hitchcock's larger works. This image can be transformed into a variety of different objects and signs, but with the same overall affect. In various movies, this image is represented through solid bars in the background context of the scene, a series of fence posts, and various other examples throughout several of his most infamous movies. It is sometimes seen as one his signature stamps upon the silver screen. These images typically represent a form of impending entrapment of the characters within the world of the piece. An example of this image as representing entrapment can be seen in the movie "Blackmail." There are several instances when the shot is framed in the background with the vertical line image. This represents the trapped world which Tracy is living in, both literally in the plot line through the encroaching police, and more metaphysically through the abstract idea of the environment of the film as further entrapping his character, (Rothman, 1984). The sharp, hard bars of the vertical line motif are symbolic of an image of being trapped behind bars, unable to escape into the real world.

Another commonly represented image throughout various Hitchcock films is the image of a raising curtain. This could be a literal curtain raising effect seen in the context of a theater or stage, or a symbolic image representing the opening of a theatrical performance. By using such techniques, both blatantly and covertly, Hitchcock gives praise to his past. Motion pictures evolved directly from theatrical performances, and so Hitchcock gives tribute to those theatrics which came before his own techniques. In one of his most famous films, "Vertigo," Hitchcock uses a symbolic image of the curtain raising effect in the scene where Madeline is spotted in a dark alley by "Scottie" Ferguson. She enters through a door, revealing Hitchcock's covert image of opening into a scene as had been previously done for generations with the use of a curtain in theater. This image is repeated shortly after when "Scottie" opens up and walks through another door into the flower shop. These images are meant to represent the beginning of a new scene where ominous action is about to take place.

Yet another popular image seen in Hitchcock's movies is the occurrence of a sudden white flash. These events typically force the members of the audience to endure the same experience as the characters up on the screen. Hitchcock uses it to show the complex relationships between viewer and watched; the camera becomes not a tool for the audience to chime in the context of the film, but actually an independent symbol which is unbiased to both character and movie fan. One great example of this idea is within the plot events of the film "Rear View Window." There is one scene in particular where L.B. Jeffries continues to flash his brights at Thornwall in order to blind him at a crucial moment. However, the audience is also overexposed to the bright white flash, representing the intimate connection between what Thornwall is experiencing and what the audience is also exploring.

2. This artistic identity seen through Hitchcock's unique style had originally been within his directing, but was later given the chance to develop into a more sophisticated artistic flare. One of his very first popular films, "The Lodger" of 1926, shows his early artistic capabilities which only got better with time and experience. However, just the idea that the talent was there in such an early context, shows the true brilliance of Hitchcock's films, (Rothman, 1984).

This British picture was an adaptation of an earlier novel portraying some of the psychological aspects of the typical murder mystery. As a true example of one of Hitchcock's early films, it represents the psychological thriller concerned with bringing the murder mystery home. As the Buntings slowly realize their newest lodger in their own home could be the murderer in the story, the audience is glued to their seat in suspense. Yet, the end of the film allows a happy ending, with the real Avenger being caught, leaving Mr. Drew free of suspicions and to be with his new found love Daisy.

Although the film was produced in the 1920's, its stylistic techniques still agrees with how modern audiences think of a murder mystery in the modern context. The film also shows early developments of common themes seen in later Hitchcock films. The idea of the suspect really being innocent, yet still hunted down by an overly zealous society. This is most obvious towards the end of the film, when Mr. Drew is being hunted down like the monster in Frankenstein. In such themes, Hitchcock is exploring the negative aspects of the popular media and how ignorant the masses could be when forced to constantly regurgitate a biased media.

3. Both Alfred Hitchcock's films and his behavior have made many criticize his view of women. Many of his most infamous films represent women in a questionable manner; whether as sexual objects, his misogynic treatment of the women both in fiction and during filming, and hollow shells. However, many of his films also represent another side of the female struggle against gender prejudice during the time, and therefore convey a well rounded view of women in the modern world than many of his critics would fail to admit.

Much of the controversy surrounding Hitchcock regarding the treatment of female characters in his films resolves around two negative aspects of many of the fictional women within the microcosm of the film itself. A number of his films included characters remembered for their sexual objectiveness. Hitchcock no doubt had a thing for blondes, and this constantly was portrayed on screen with the female image of many of his characters was a blonde bombshell. Even in his 1927 "The Lodger," he portrayed his obsession with beautiful blondes with a gruesome twist. The Avenger, or the violent murderer, focalized his obsessions with beautiful blonde girls. All of his victims were blonde, not to mention the heroine of the story being blonde as well -- to further victimize her position.

This unhealthy obsession was combined with a constant re-occurrence of women being violently victimized in some of his most famous works. His most infamous picture, "Psycho," is the perfect example of the brutal treatment of his female characters on screen. The beautiful blonde killed famously in the shower; the scene is a classic, yet many overlook the misogynic implications that scene, combined with others, showed about his actual character. Another prime example is the character played by Trippi Hendren in "The Birds." During the filming of this classical tale, Trippi was forced to endure scenes with live birds attacking her which shows a potential avenue of misogyny in the flesh, (Wennerberg, 2003). In fact, many of Hitchcock's female heroines were objectified on screen in violent situations. This lead several critics to claim that this was in fact done on purpose to fulfill a dark element of every male audience member's fantasy.

However, despite such criticism, many believe that Hitchcock also portrays the struggle of women at the time based on gender prejudices. In the film "Shadow of a Doubt," Hitchcock combines both misogynistic portrayals of the female mind along with the tension created out of having to constrain oneself to society's gender hierarchy during the period of the 1940's and 50's. The ditzy housewife actually announces her struggle to conform with the role of obedient wife and mother to the audience, showing Hitchcock's understanding of such a situation, (Wennerberg, 2003). This was also radical because many did not want to announce this concept in fear of retaliation of the men within such a male dominated society. Thus, Hitchcock may not have been so hostile to women as many of his critics propose.

4. Theater was the beginning origins of the motion picture industry. As an artist early in motion picture history, Alfred Hitchcock would have been very familiar with the styles and techniques of theatrical performances. These then were transformed into his work in moving films, therefore carrying on the theatrical tradition which fostered Hitchcock's early times.

He continually uses theatrical techniques to build suspense and separate scenes within his… READ MORE

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