4 Stars
Once the narrative is set in motion it never stops for a moment. That is the true music of Alfred Hitchcock.
Hitchcock came of age during World War I. Shy, overweight, and effeminate by East End London standards he was often alone and quietly observed his world rather than interacting with it. Themes from his childhood emerged and were replayed in his films: fear of authority figures, fascination with the murder and rape of women, and serial killers. His interest in film was obvious: the theatrical nature, the framing relates back to his youth and experiences with the stage.
He greatly influenced cinematography. Breaking to the second character while the first is still speaking to highlight the quicker pace and advantage of talkies over silent film. He developed the "traveling shot" or "crane shot", the ten minute take, and the MacGuffin.
For Hitchcock the camera was the penultimate character in the movie. Many actors would complain through the years that they felt ignored by the director that they were irrelevant or puppets, not true, but they were subordinate to the camera. The camera's eye, the angles, the light, the abstract formalism was critical to Hitchcock; character motivation he could care less about. When actors inquired, he state the motivation was their paycheck.
Hitchcock's famous advice to actors: "Do nothing."
More difficult than it sounds, and allows the audience to project onto the character what they want.
Hitchcock came to America after achieving success in England under contract to Selznick. The difference in modus operandi, Hitchcock did not enjoy the American version of producers fiddling with dailies and changing his very specific vision. The first film, Rebecca ended up winning the 1940 Oscar for Best Film, which Selznick received the statuette. Additionally, the old Hollywood studio traditions of renting out contracted talent saw Hitchcock sold for double his contract price to work for others. Resentment aside, the diminished supervision/interference suited Hitchcock fine.
Again, war was marching across Europe and criticism of Hitchcock from his homeland was particularly painful. Labeled a deserter, though forty and unfit for combat, previous good friends and colleagues from his London years turned on him. His new work was derided by the British press as "glossy and vulgar", chasing nothing but profit. The irony was that Hitchcock did do some propaganda film work for the Ministry of Information, but wouldn't refute the accusations because it was a hurtful attack from one he didn't expect, most likely. It would be another 30-40 years before the opinion of Hitchcock's work changed.
By 1942, Hitchcock had head billing on promotional materials, and he never lost it: Alfred Hitchcock's Suspicion.
Imagine having writers like Dorothy Parker, Thornton Wilder, Raymond Chandler, John Steinbeck scripting your films, though many others snubbed offers. Salvador Dali imagining a dream sequence, which ironically ended up on Spellbound's cutting room floor.
"He really scored the sound effects the way a musician writes for instruments."
Deaths of his mother, Emma and shortly thereafter brother, William had a profound effect. While there are no recorded comments, Hitchcock rapidly lost over 100 lbs., enough that Selznick was concerned. Shadow of a Doubt (1943) was the film he was planning and filmed during this period. It is also the most critically acclaimed and the one, though he didn't praise things, he intimated was his favorite.
"Hitchcock seems to have been obsessed with beautiful blondes but the women he liked were feisty, witty--even foul-mouthed--characters such as Carole Lombard or Tallulah Bankhead."
Both anxious and eager to strike out on his own and rid himself of Selznick's interference, Hitchcock finally in 1947 started his own company with long time colleague Sidney Bernstein, Transatlantic Pictures. The first picture was Rope. Due to the controversial material, Cary Grant and Montgomery Clift passed on playing the leads, homosexuals. The parts went to relative unknowns, but one surprise, Jimmy Stewart took the pivotal role of the students' teacher/mentor.
I am not self-indulgent where content is concerned," he said. " I am self-indulgent about treatment. I'd compare myself to an abstract artist. My favorite is Klee."
The complaint by actors that the camera was the lead in films continues. Hitchcock continued to develop and the ten minute takes in Rope added to tension of the shots; everyone was terrified of messing up the closer to the end of the take they got. This translated into the film. Hitchcock was a grand manipulator of the actors either by the manner in which he treated them or ignored them, or the technical pre-eminence that made them feel like a puppet playing before it's eye. Unfortunately, Under Capricorn, Transatlantic Pictures second film, a vehicle written for Ingrid Bergman flopped resulting in bankruptcy.
Hitchcock planned ahead and a series of studio relationships transpired. The most notable, for me, but also considered the Golden Age of Hitchcock was his tenure with Paramount. By 1954, Rear Window was released to critical and box office acclaim.
October, 1955 Alfred Hitchcock Presents debuted. He was set to take on television. The team he'd built over the years carried on. This brought him financial stability, and for one of his anxious temperament was a boon. But, Hitchcock's declining health and more terrifying, Alma's health scares upset him more. In his late years, he began to see how far he'd fallen behind in the trends of cinematography, disheartened and absolutely petrified of Alma deserting him in death he withered quickly.
For readers interested in Hitchcock, his movie progress, relationships with his crew and stars, Hollywood tinder, and some of the origins of his motifs then I strongly recommend this biography. It is both informative and entertaining to read; you never feel once like you have to choose between the two while reading.
Hitchcock once summarized the difference between his English and American periods as one between spontaneity or instinct, and calculation.
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