Alfred Hitchcock is Britain’s most prominent and esteemed director
Perhaps, Alfred Hitchcock is Britain’s most prominent and esteemed director. However, it is imperative to remember that Hitchcock began his career in the silent movies’ era. By the time sound arrived in 1927, the silent filmmaking language had become so worldly to the extent that some people felt that sound was unnecessary. The arrival of sound forced some directors not to tell a story using only images, making cinema’s distinctively visual storytelling to suffer. Nonetheless, Hitchcock continued to believe in cinema as a visual medium. In Hitchcock’s narrative universe, the audience’s emotions were crucial. According to him, these emotions are aroused by “grasping situations,” which emanate from the motion’s picture basic structure, albeit dialogue plays a small role. Generally, Hitchcock doesn’t have many dependencies on dialogue.
Additionally, he perfectly uses his technical mastery in taking care of his insightful sense of suspense and in composing scenes that are most catchy in the history of films. His films were modernized and with a lot of intense that one couldn’t miss watching. Below is a description of how films like The Lodger, Psycho, and The Birds testify to the manner in which the skilled director earned his “Master of Suspense” reputation.
The Lodger (1927)
It is generally acknowledged to be the one where he properly found his “voice.” It was in this film where Alfred Hitchcock established the foundations for an artistic vision. In addition to being a suspense thriller, the lodger forecasts a lot of plot details and themes that are currently recognized as critical elements in the world of cinema. The script was a modification of Marie Belloc Lowndes’s novel, the lodger (1913). Getting its inspiration from ill-famed 1888 Jack the Ripper killings, the novel talks- as Hitchcock’s film does- of the tale of a family in London who, after renting a room to a peculiar young man, come to get convinced that the young man was the killer who terrified people.
The film begins with a lengthy montage. Then, the screen gets filled with an image of a youthful, terrified blonde woman screaming. The theater marquee’s flashing lights then follow. As many films of Hitchcock are, the “real” action of the film joins here immediately – the murder of a woman. The marquee’s lights then glow in the dark, displaying the words “To-Night, Golden curls.” At this point, we are not sure that the flashing lights are components of the theater marquee because no context was offered for interpreting the illuminating words. Then, Hitchcock cuts back to the dead body of a woman lying on the ground. Here we learn, of a murderer who has been terrifying the blonde women in London. On the dead body, the killer’s card has been left there, bearing the words “The Avenger,” which are framed within a triangle. Throughout the film, the role of triangular configurations is conspicuous.
The montage then takes us to an incident where the police are interviewing a witness, but the witness’ report is mocked by a bystander that mimics the description of the killer. This is followed by the filing of subsequent reports about the killings by the reporters. Here, Hitchcock shows the detailed operations of the mass media, including the reporters’ images, radio broadcasts, and newspaper productions. This captivating sequence is repeated in Psycho, emphasizing Hitchcock’s interest in documentary films.
Cutting back to the interior of the theater that has already been mentioned, we find young blonde women who are returning from an evening’s performance. Every woman has a curly blonde wig, explaining the illuminated words that were seen earlier on the marquee. Additionally, this shows that a connection exists between the Avenger and the theater. However, the girls’ chorus of a jovial mood dissolves, when a late edition of a paper announcing that Avenger has killed another blonde woman again. The Avenger does this every Tuesday evening. This weekly killings by the killer may make people have contradicting arguments. Others might say that his plot is sparse, yet the weekly performance suggests a further connection between the theatre and the serial killer.
Hitchcock brings out the suspense in the film in various incidents. One of which is the cyclical repetition of the crime, which not only provides a deliberately measured pace not only to the killer’s behavior but also to the rhythm of the film’s suspense. The second incident is when the peculiar lodger strides in his room while the family, which is anxious to listen. Here, Hitchcock is aiming to develop the idea that everything is not right with this young man. Later in the film, the lodger, who decides to take a nighttime stroll, is overheard by the landlady, who takes the chance to survey the lodger’s room. As soon as the lodger goes out, another murder occurs, generating suspense in two different ways. One, it thwarts our desire to learn about the murderer’s identity. Two, it makes us worry that the landlady will be discovered.
Therefore, this typical combination of death, trick shots, and music-hall humor, suspense, and elegant camerawork assured Hitchcock’s place among the giants of the cinemas.
Psycho (1960)
Psycho (1960) is a film about family life and horror, which is filled with suspense and crimes. But most importantly, it is a film with a lot of cinematography. This is a demonstration of; the filming ability of Hitchcock and his ability to relate the recorded things directly with people. The film begins with the city’s roofing being viewed from the top. This is followed by the slow panning of the camera from the left to right then the appearance of the name of the city, time and date. Looking closely at the described sequence, an outstanding pattern can be seen in the narrative style of Hitchcock. The persistent panning underscores a change of the atmosphere from a normal one to an abnormal one. The strange atmosphere we learn about later is filled with anxiety and a shady love between lovers, Marion Crane and Sam Loomis, who are not free.
Hitchcock must have thought this scene systematically, skillfully, and carefully for it to appear like this. Filming of movement of the opening camera is not done in a manner that is neutral, thus drawing attention to itself. This demands for a reading that is metaphorical. As the camera progresses towards the location of Sam and Marion, it works metaphorically. Additionally, Herrmann’s music also works in a metaphoric way, underscoring the significance of the movement of the camera. Therefore, the camera and the music work together to supplement the situation being depicted.
Generally, Hitchcock figuratively uses film language from the opening of a film to its closure; he artistically alters a scene from its ordinary meaning to its metaphorical importance. Additionally he the cinematography applied by Hitchcock in this film is so thoughtful and unique, making him to be one of the greatest cinema giants.
The Birds (1963)
In this film, Alfred Hitchcock utilizes many different cinematic techniques and tools to create the disquieting films he is known for. In his 1963 classic drama/romance, “The Birds”, tightly orchestrated classical editing leads the viewer through the intersection of the major characters’ stories and builds up to the terrifying bird attacks. One sequence in “the Birds” which stands out for masterful editing is when Melanie delivers the lovebirds to Mitch’s home via a small boat, then escapes in the boat back across the bay. The playful, flirtatious interaction between Melanie and Mitch in this scene, even though they never speak to one another and never actually share the frame, is created through tightly structured editing conveying the characters’ increasing romantic interest in one another through the continuous flow of movement from shot to reaction and change from one character’s perspective to the other’s.
This scene, through classic narrative editing, jumps from views of Melanie to views of Mitch, conveying their awareness of and interest in one another without a single word exchanged between them. The scene begins with a medium shot of Melanie sticking her head out of the front door of the Brenner house, clandestinely looking around, then shutting the door and walking quickly down the walk; she is shown in profile so that the viewer can look past her in the direction where she last saw Mitch. Her quick pace and darting looks signal that she is doing something she does not want to be caught doing. The shot cuts to the front of the barn and the barn door, which puts the viewer into the role of watching for Mitch to appear, just as Melanie is. The next shot is from behind Melanie as she hurries down the gangplank of the dock; Melanie is shown looking behind her, and then cuts to the barn door again, continuing to give the viewer the perspective of “the lookout”. Melanie is next shown getting into the boat and paddling away. The shot, a medium shot facing straight on, shows Melanie with a mischievous look on her face; she is getting away with the surprise she planned. The shot cuts to a long distance look from the water at Mitch appearing in the door of the barn. Cutting to Melanie, the shot shows her crouching down behind the motor to observe Mitch’s actions; again the shot cuts to Mitch as he goes inside the house. Even though the viewer does not see Mitch finding the lovebirds, Mitch’s reaction tells the tale; still shown from long distance, he runs out of the house and checks the road for a car or a clue as to who had left the gift, then he suddenly notices her boat in the distance. The shot, still from long distance and from the perspective of Melanie, follow Mitch as he grabs binoculars to see who is in the boat. Several seagulls flutter in front of the shot from the boat to the Brenner house, which offer foreshadowing of the attacks to come. This is the first time seagulls or any other type of bird has appeared during this sequence. With the next shot, the viewer now sees as if through Mitch’s eyes. This is established by the medium shot of Mitch, looking through the binoculars. The shot jumps to Melanie as seen through Mitch’s binoculars, starting the outboard and powering away. The scene cuts back to Mitch in a medium reaction shot as he smiles. The shot cuts to Melanie’s view of Mitch jumping into his car. Without use of dialogue, Mitch’s intent is clear; to meet her on the other side of the harbor. The next shot is a close up of Melanie, her hair fluttering in the wind and with a flirtatious half smile. However, the feeling of the scene starts to change at this point; storm clouds gather behind Melanie, as if suggesting there will be dark and stormy times ahead. The shot cuts to a view of the approaching fishing dock where she will return the boat. Next, the shot cuts to a close up of Melanie looking ahead almost dreamily when suddenly a seagull rockets into the frame from the left side and strikes her in the head. The next shot, a close up of her glove after she touches her head shows a single drop of blood, is the final turning point from the feeling of lighthearted romance to one of serious jeopardy. The 180 degree rule is strictly adhered to in this sequence; this consistency and the crisp editing clearly communicate that Melanie and Mitch are starting a relationship without ever actually being in the frame together. As the shots cut from Melanie to Mitch and back again, the axis stays consistent with the characters remaining in the right of the frame even though the shot jumps back and forth between them. This creates continuity and meaningful flow of the story. All of this action takes place without dialogue or background music; the only sounds in the sequence are Melanie’s footsteps, the water, the boat’s motor, and finally, the cry of the seagull that attacks Melanie.
“The Birds”, despite being primarily seen as a suspense film, does include a romantic angle. In the sequence where Melanie leaves the lovebirds in Mitch’s home, the flow of images, despite a great deal of cutting from one scene to the next, is a fine example of using classical editing technique to precisely communicate the feelings of Melanie and Mitch without the devices of dialogue, music or sound effects. This sequence features editing, along with the body language and facial expressions of Mitch and Melanie, as the sole tools used to elegantly and simply communicate the story to the viewer.
The impact of The Birds (1963) in the film industry
Not only is this film a terrifying Horror Story, it very much starts out as a beautiful love story about to people that actually can’t really stand each other but also can’t deny the attraction that exists between them. Therefore here Hitchcock incorporates the use of love in horror movies. This set the to the current horror and zombie filmmakers, who can’t miss to include an element of love in their films.
Hitchcock’s influence to horror filmmakers