Alfred Hitchcock - Free Essay Examples and Topic Ideas

The films Pulp Fiction and Vertigo, are very similar in the way in which they use homogeneous film techniques in order to communicate to their audience their messages. The use of these formal choices are what help develop their unique cinematic style which in turn enhances their overall themes. Both films convey these messages with a similar technique called mise-e-scene, with the use of symbolism/motifs, setting, sound, and camera placement. The iconic film Pulp Fiction, directed by the well respected…

Alfred Hitchock is a director with high attention on his movies. Many story lines and techniques within cinematography of Hitch are common standards for films today. Hitch films are known for being mysterious, cynical, as well as suspenseful and they are all similar, but different because of his use of mise-en-scene, narrative elements and the actors. In two of Hithcock’s movies called Rear Window released in 1954 and Vertigo released in 1958, both movies have similar, but different techniques that…

Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), has been highly regarded for his unique Hitchcockian style. He is renowned as the “master of suspense” given his distinctive understanding of arranging suspense and shock; he also is a master storyteller, who never stopped innovating to surprise the audience; moreover, Hitchcock values the importance of technical ingredients (cinematography, soundtrack, etc.) above acting and subject matter. Alfred Hitchcock created more than 50 films (mainly thrillers) spanning six decades, the famous ones include Vertigo, Psycho, Rebecca, The Birds,…

For the movie The Birds I chose to look at it through a feminist lens. In the movie unlike Hitchcock’s other movies, there is a lot of female representation throughout the film. The main character Melanie is a very important role in the movie. Not only is she the main character but she is also the main contributor to the movie. While the same issues still arise with her as do other films. She is a typical blonde, wealthy, good…

The horror film “Psycho” was a groundbreaking film in the history of the American film industry. The film faced controversy at first because it was so different from movies in the past. Horror films before this were very unrealistic. The film “Psycho” created more of a reality which captured so much attention. Moviegoers and film critics believed that it was overly violent and not expectable for viewers to see, but later on the movie “Psycho” was seen as a creative…

Originated in 1954 by French film director and critic François Truffaut, the auteur theory sees films as literary texts as if they are authored. His theory, from the article “Une certaine tendance du cinéma français” (‘A Certain Tendency of the French Cinema), argues that a film should express a singular artistic vision rather than just being “well made” (François Truffaut, 1954). Since the 1960s film critics began to criticise the auteur theory and its focus on the director, for example…

The theme of death is strongly present in Alfred Hitchcock's masterpieces “Vertigo” and “Psycho”. In both movies, we notice how dead people are sometimes taken into account more than the living and how life might revolve around one dead person. While James Stewart's character in “Vertigo” is involuntarily denying Madeleine's suicide and death, and striving to see her face in every woman on the road, we see on the other hand, how Norman Bates in “psycho” is holding two shifting…

Rear Window is a true classic of the world cinema. Created by a master of suspense, this film is very multilayered and provides the viewers with many ways to enjoy it. There are many themes in Rear Window; however, the ones that seem to stand out the most are love and voyeurism. This paper will show that Rear Window is an archetype of the modern culture of voyeurism, as this problem has exacerbated very since the time the film was…

Mothers is the motif that I’m going to analyze. The shower scene really depicts how mentally gone Norman is. He’s dressed like his mom and to top it off he killed Marion. His split personality can be seen from his final words: “She wouldn’t even harm a fly.” This clearly portrays how Norman should have been put away a long time ago, which is what his mom should have done before. “A boy’s best friend is his mother” this shows…

The film The Birds, created by Alfred Hitchcock, is an american horror film made in the 1960s, which focuses mainly on birds violently attacking people in the town of Bodega Bay. Alfred Hitchcock is a famous director who created great films and most with the genres of thriller and criminal. This film was a bit different compared to the ones Hitchcock prior to this one and mostly because there was not a case of someone being murdered by another person.…

Alfred Hitchcock's famoud film, American Psycho, delves into the dark world of corporate greed, drawing parallels between Patrick Bateman's gruesome deeds and the heartless nature of Wall Street. The movie's enigmatic conclusion suggests Bateman's growing moral awareness, as he grapples with the consequences of his behavior while the world around him remains apathetic. While watching the film, I found myself wanting to get up and leave, because it was so graphically disturbing and degrading to women. Now that I have…

Rear Window, by Alfred Hitchcock, is a suspenseful film intended to show insight on the act of voyeurism, as well as connect its cinematic audience with the main character. Within this film there are several distinctive scenes, along with different types of framework, that allow the audience to seemingly step into the set themselves. While solidifying his own opinion on voyeurism, Alfred Hitchcock cultivates a connection between the audience and Jeff through human’s natural curiosity. The connectivity of this film…

In 1960 Alfred Hitchcock produced and directed 'Psycho'. An incredible film which revolutionized the industry. It practically created the horror/thriller genre and although the question still arises of whether or not you can call it a slasher movie, it most certainly inspired such productions as 'scream' and 'I know what you did last summer'. Alfred Hitchcock was an inspiring director. He was an 'auteur', his style was very idiosyncratic and this made all his movies very appealing, one such idiosyncrasy…

A comparison of Alfred Hitchcock and Edgar Allan Poe, focussing on the themes common to both authors. Hitchcock vs. Poe Fear, terror and suspense are the most vivid emotions created by Poe's stories and by Hitchcock's films. Several themes are common to both: the madness that exists in the world, the paranoia caused by isolation which guides people's actions, the conflict between appearance and reality along with the double aspect of the human nature, and the power of the dead…

Alfred Hitchcock was one of the greatest film directors of the Twentieth Century. He directed many films from the nineteen thirties right through to the nineteen sixties. Some examples are "The Birds", "Vertigo", "Rear Window", "Psycho" and "Rebecca". He is interested in the idea of an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances. He is also interested in the powerful effect of the psyche on a human being. He used the famous actors Lawrence Olivier to play Max De Winter, Joan…

The film Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock is definitely in the genre of a horror film. A horror film should include the ideas of fear, suspense, unexpected surprises that make you jump, twists, history and depth in the plot, and an element of mystery. The film Psycho fits these ideas. Psycho which was released in the 1960's is a film that has maintained its popularity, and is still admired to the present day. Hitchcock directly asked people not to walk…

Films are a masterful blend of artistic perfection and superb casual viewing. Like a painting is made up of colours, shapes and many brush strokes, a film is made up of camera angles, camera shots, and sound. Both existing within a context and a culture. Psycho and Gladiator are based in two different time periods with different perceptions of death and gender. Psycho, which was released in 1960 and set in, what was then modern time, a horror movie taken…

The Birds is one of Alfred Hitchcock's finest works of technical achievement. In this review I will provide an overview of performance, describe the films general theme, plot, character development, and style. As well as giving examples of standard editing technique used in this film compared to today’s new technology of editing technique. I will show how costumes, makeup, and acting lead to and detract from a memorable viewing experience of watching the film The Birds. Overview of Performance Tippi…

An analysis of the final scenes of Alfred Hitchcock's film, "Notorious", focussing on the most often recurirng object - the poisoned coffee cup Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" After viewing Alfred Hitchcock's Notorious for the first time, the film did not strike me as particularly complex. Nothing specific about the film lodged itself in my brain screaming for an answer--or, at least, an attempted answer. Yet, upon subsequent viewings, subtle things became more noticeable. (Perhaps Hitchcock's subtlety is what makes him so…

When you ponder the term 'genre', what does it mean to you? It is likely that you all generally consider it to be a type or category of text, but does it truly align with this definition? Good morning, Year 11. As you prepare for your HSC course next year, our focus will be on how the genre of crime fiction has evolved over time, with various elements in a text either supporting, questioning, or expanding upon genre conventions. So,…

Nicely printed on the poster of this movie are the words: THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE WEAVES HIS GREATEST TALE. And true to these words, Alfred Hitchcock does not disappoint. North by Northwest (1959) is full of suspense and is one of the most entertaining flicks ever made. Although it is shockingly outclassed by his other classics, such as Rear Window and Vertigo, this movie is Hitchcock’s chef-d’oeuvre. It is rather sad that it does not get the recognition it deserves.…

Alfred Hitchcock’s 1935 film The 39 Steps, is today regarded as among the best of his career, and possibly his best film before he left Britain for Hollywood in 1939. Its history was somewhat tortuous and unconventional, reflecting Hitchcock’s own unconventional working style and eccentric personality, and it became an archetype of how Hitchcock worked with actors and screenwriting collaborators alike. Based on an adventure novel by British-born lawyer and government official John Buchan, the story of an innocent man…

In the “shower scene” in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie, the amount of blood that flowed can be considered in contemporary times as nothing short of artistry or a sense of tastefulness in the viewer’s understanding. However, during the 1960’s, the “shower scene” is considered unreasonable or gratuitous, giving the scene the impression that it depicts too much unsolicited violence. For those who look upon the “shower scene” as one of Hitchcock’s attempt of revolutionizing films, the scene can be treated as…

For every Hitchcock’s story come suspense, drama, terror and exhilarating scope of life’s spectacular event. Alfred Hitchcock who was an English made the word “mystery and suspense” attached to every story he has to tell. He has been a productive writer, director and an ever mysterious of a man himself ever since he was young man in the 1930’s. His passion for storytelling and direction always catch the ever hungry public for horror, suspense and drama. AH revolutionizes filmmaking with…

Alfred Hitchcock, also understood as, "The Master of Thriller", was a director to a range of award winning movies. Numerous Hitchcock films will be noticeably influenced by many paintings, consisting of the work of renowned artist Edward Hopper. Hopper, born in New york city, was well known for his realist paintings. Comparing the paintings and films, one will see the similarities showed between the 2. Alfred Hitchcock and Edward Hopper are linked by creating an eerie mood through their use…

Vertigo is a 1958 film directed by Alfred Hitchcock that has stood the test of time in the horror genre. It is considered to be one of the seminal films in the genre not only because it set the tone for the films to follow but also because it exhibited numerous features and techniques that would serve to revolutionise the way in which movies were made. The camera angles, use of space, cinematography, special effects and sound all contribute to…

Introduction Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, an adaptation of the French novel D’Entre les Morts by Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac, stands as a testament to the director's brilliance. As Adair (2002) aptly phrases it, Vertigo is the "strangest, yet most hauntingly beautiful film he had ever made." Despite its mixed critical reception upon release, contemporary consensus positions it as a deeply felt cinematic experience. Initially based on the novel, Vertigo garnered a diverse range of reactions from critics. Time magazine, for…

Alfred Hitchcock, born in 1899 in England, remains a prominent figure in the film industry. His passion for cinema began early on as he wrote title cards for silent films before transitioning to directing. Influenced by his Catholic upbringing, Hitchcock often explored themes of guilt and sin in his films (Kehoe N. P.). He was a leading director in the 1930s, establishing an international benchmark for suspense with his legendary thrillers.Alfred Hitchcock is renowned for his skill in creating tension…

Alfred Hitchcock uses many ways to explore the duality of human nature in his films, especially in the 1960 horror thriller Psycho. The duality of human nature represents our inner self, aspects that are mainly opposites, the light showing good, the dark showing evil, the natural and the unnatural, are just some examples of human nature. Hitchcock explored the duality of human nature using ways such as lighting, dialogue, camera angles, music, comparing and contrasting what different characters would do…

Hitchcock’s Rear Window is often remembered due to its stark display of voyeurism and the moral ambiguities it provides. The main character, Jeff, is immobilized for the summer and in order to pass the time begins to follow the lives of his neighbors by spying on them. The obvious response is that this is spying and is thus immoral, however through his voyeurism Jeff is able to catch a murderer who would have otherwise gone free. However, beyond the voyeur…