Alfred Hitchcock may be one of the most famous directors of the last century. The British film director was born on August 13, 1899, and produced more than 50 films before his death in 1980. It is undeniable that he changed the way audiences watch movies, for example, Hitchcock asked for the specific opening time of ‘Psycho’ and asked the audience not to reveal the end of the movie.
First Films
In 1926, Hitchcock married his film editor and screenwriter Alma Reville (Alma Reville). In the following year, he directed the melodrama ‘Downhill’, ‘Easy Virtue’ (from Noel Coward’s work) and the boxing drama ‘The Ring’ with great success. The comedies ‘Farmer’s Wife’ and ‘Champagne’ (both 1928) were followed by the tragic romance (and box office hit) ‘The Manxman’ (1929). Hitchcock’s first sound film was the thriller ‘Blackmail’ (1929). As one of the most popular movies in the UK this year, it is the first British movie to use only synchronized sound after completing the dubbing and partial re-rotation of the silent version. Polish actress Anne Ondra (who appeared in ‘The Manxman’) played a quasi-model who stabbed him to death when he tried to attack the artist. The murder investigation was led by the model’s fiance, but she was blackmailed for the murder and did not dare to confide in him. The most memorable scene of the film is the chase across the British Museum and the rooftop, but Hitchcock consistently creates an atmosphere of threat of invasion. ‘Juno and the Paycock’ (1929) was adapted from a popular play by Sean O’Casey, while ‘Elstree Calling’ (1930) was created by Greek A collection of music and comedy sketches directed by Ou Kirk and the other three.
His Impact on the Industry
‘The Lodger’ is Hitchcock’s 1927 silent film about hunting down the Jack the Ripper serial killer on the foggy streets of London. It is now considered Hitchcock’s first iconic film. His attention to innocent men on the run and interest in human sexuality set the tone for many movies later in his career. It is heavily influenced by the German expressionist tropical regions, and is featured in films such as ‘Nosferatu’ and ‘The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari’. Hitchcock also influenced the movie dictionary and popularized the term ‘MacGuffin’ in ‘The 39 Steps’. Roughly speaking, the MacGuffin is the object (or device or concept) that the plot revolves around, it pushes the narrative forward and is essential to the protagonist, even if the audience itself has little or no investment. These MacGuffins make the audience turn in a certain direction while the real action prepares for an outside. A real MacGuffin will take you where you need to go, but it will never overshadow what is ultimately there. Taking into account the mentality of ordinary movie fans, Hitchcock only used a simple and easy-to-understand storyline. While reviewing the script, he deleted any content deemed boring or irrelevant to the story. “‘What is drama’, Hitchcock said, ‘...but the boring part of life has been deleted...’”. This method allows the audience to maintain interest in the film and more effectively convey tension. Hitchcock is very specific about how he uses music in movies, whether it is to create excitement, increase tension, or go to climax. Even his character is fascinated by music, as Edward Rothstein of The New York Times pointed out, it can be said that music can even play a role in Hitchcock movies. Hitchcock also popularized the use of the dolly zoom in his thriller ‘Vertigo’, and Spielberg once again paid tribute to this in his own films ‘Jaws’ and ‘E.T.’. When the background size changes, the subject will appear to be still. In ‘Vertigo’, Hitchcock uses the effect of looking down on the tower axis to emphasize its height and Scotty’s vertical disorientation. After becoming famous in Britain, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood in 1940. His first film was adapted from Daphne Du Maurier’s psychological thriller ‘Rebecca’, which won an Oscar for Best Picture. Nearly eighty years later, this film retains all its impressive power and horror, and remains one of the pioneering examples of Gothic cinema.
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Alfred Hitchcock’s Gothic and Horror Style
Alfred Hitchcock, due to the tension calculated in precise time, forces arouse excitement and limit the viewer’s attention to the movie. Through the attention and focus of the audience, he it conveys its message to the troubled depths of the person. This increases anxiety and lowers ego levels. Activity and decision making, and the person experiences negative feelings. Dark spaces, long and frightening roads, desolate places and emptiness habitat, signs and symbols that sometimes refer to ignorance and its inner events. Using sharp lines and sharp edges in places and shades taken from the gothic style make the movie a horror movie. Hitchcock, increasing vigilance, drives the audience to create a powerful ‘ego’ against incidents that mostly indicate determinism. The last suspense technique is nothing more than twisting the ending. Hitchcock never wants his film to have a predictable ending, because it would destroy the full meaning of creating tension in the audience.
Themes and Scriptwriting
Hitchcock likes to pay attention to issues surrounding obsession and morality. Sub-themes in Hitchcock's films include voyeurism, authority, death, sex, guilt, and family. He uses these sub-themes to increase the depth of his storytelling and build a strong relationship with the audience. Innovative script creation allows Hitchcock to control the audience. He often emphasizes the psychological characteristics of his primary and secondary characters. In his films 'Rebecca' and 'Shadow of a Doubt', he casts a dark and mysterious shadow for the entire film, and has a voice-over for the opening shots.
Modern Films Influenced by Alfred Hitchcock
The title of the current blockbuster 'The Girl on the Train' not only pays tribute to Hitchcock's 'Stranger on a Train', but its premise is also reminiscent of 'Rear Window': a person who may have witnessed the murder but nothing is what it seems. David Fincher often quotes Hitchcock in his films, especially in his recent feature film ‘Gone Girl’, in which Rosamund Pike played a role that has never been seen since Norman Bates, a mentally ill character who appeared in ‘Psycho’. Director Robert Zemeckis deliberately shot the following things in the style of Hitchcock, and combined the killing plot of the rear window with possibly non-supernatural perspectives to bring the script to life. In addition, the protagonist is a blonde heroine (played by Michelle Pfeiffer), an archetype that often appears in Hitchcock’s films and husband (played by Harrison Ford) is even called Norman, which is based on adapted by Norman Bates of ‘Psycho’.
Hitchcock is clearly known for his films, but his name appears in various artistic fields-such as novels written when he was young, Belgian artist J. Grimonprez’s project called ‘Looking for Alfred’ and other works of art. And even designer pens (Montblanc’s ‘Limited Edition Alfred Hitchcock’). The influence of Hitchcock on modern popular culture cannot be overestimated. Hitchcock’s influence is not limited to the big screen. He was one of the first Hollywood directors to realize the importance of television. His ‘Alfred Hitchcock Presents’ is an early example of a TV appointment that dominates today’s schedule. Many famous directors have followed Hitchcock’s television path, including Spielberg, Fincher, Scorsese and Cary Fukunaga, and many of them also use their names to promote products.
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