Hitchcock - A Pioneer of Horror
Born in London in 1899, Alfred Hitchcock is today known as a legendary figure for his contribution to the horror genre. His techniques are still repeated and interpreted by directors today and his films remain classic additions to the psychological thriller. After already being successful in his silent films, he moved to Hollywood and began to develop his style further and through experimenting, he discovered techniques that changed the cinematic experience for all.
It was Alfred Hitchcock who first started to use a camera as a point-of-view shot, so that the audience were forced to see from a character’s eye. This technique enabled Hitchcock to engage his audience in a type of voyeurism in which they experience the private nature of a character – resulting in anxiety and discomfort. This is something which had not yet been done in cinema. A tool Hitchcock used that shape and influence modern cinema was twist endings. By withholding information from characters and the audience in his feature films, he was able to design thrilling plots that would shock audiences. He also stole ideas from psychoanalysis.
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It can be argued that Hitchcock was made more iconic through his collaboration with George Tomasini, who was and still is known for his innovative film editing which also shaped cinematic language. His unique and experimental use of cutting pursued the audience’s focus, as if forcing them to experience the terror of the story or character. An example of this then unique jump-cut technique is the infamous shower scene in ‘Psycho’ where Marion is murdered in Bates motel.
hitchcock's 'macguffins'
This is a device in fiction that meant the protagonist (or in horror, often the antagonist) had a goal or aim and is determined to reach it at any cost. Commonly the MacGuffin is either open to audience’s interpretation, ambiguous or forgotten by the end of the film. Hitchock made this term and technique popular and it is evident in his film, ‘The 39 Steps’. It is still used in thrillers today.
Hitchcock's heroines
A signature and recognisable style of Hitchcock’s is to use bleach blonde females as his victims, or a main focus of the antagonist. Although vulnerable and seemingly innocent as many would deem these individuals to be typically, Hitchcock attaches them to sinister qualities or crime. These characters are seen in ‘Psycho’, ‘The Lodgers’ and ‘Topaz’ to name a few.
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Interestingly, a repeated psychological motif in his thrillers is that there is some importance in an antagonist’s relationship with their mother. For example, Norman Bates struggles with his relationship with his mother. In addition, the film ‘Frenzy’ demonstrates a killer who detests women but loves his mother.
a few works that were influenced by hitchcock -
The 1998 remake of ‘Psycho’ by Gus Van Sant is often criticised as a pointless play-by-play remake. Interestingly, another film by Van Sant, ‘To Die For’, is also suggested to demonstrate some ‘Hitchockian’ aspects.
‘Silence of the Lambs’ and ‘Texas Chainsaw Massacre’ both play on Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ as while all films are based on the psychotic case of serial killer Ed Gein, they all portray it differently and Hitchcock was the first to use ideas from real life cases and Normal Bates was created before Leatherface and Jame Gumb.
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