Biography
Alfred Hitchcock holds the title of “master of suspense” because he had the talent to attract the audience’s attention to his works based on the presentation of ideas, their uniqueness, boldness, and the ability to combine techniques in movies to create a single interesting picture. Alfred Hitchcock was born in London on August 13, 1899. Alfred Hitchcock’s passion for filmmaking came to Alfred Hitchcock from childhood and throughout his life remained the main thing of his life. Throughout his career, he has accumulated more than 50 films that have gained widespread popularity. In 1980, Queen Elizabeth II knighted him, and from that moment, he was addressed as Sir Alfred Hitchcock.
Career
Alfred Hitchcock came into the career of Alfred Hitchcock, starting from the lowest positions. In the beginning, it was a job as an electrician, and gradually, he progressed, rapidly going up the career ladder. The development of Alfred Hitchcock’s career was rapid and multifaceted. He studied the mastery of light control, dynamic work, learned the principles of incorporating music into movies, and strived to improve on the techniques already in place in movie making. His work earned him numerous awards and nominations, as well as worldwide recognition and popularity in completely different circles.
Criticism
Criticism of Alfred Hitchcock’s movies is mainly related to his chosen methods of working in movies. On the one hand, the films seem simple enough due to their basis on suspense and the presence of thrills due to the combination of music/lighting/dynamics of the shots. On the other hand, the films are recognized as mysterious with deep psychological and philosophical underpinnings.
Films
Alfred Hitchcock made many films in his career, but as part of understanding the characteristics of his films, it is recommended to consider the two main ones that best reflect his mastery of cinematography. These should include Vertigo and Psycho.
Vertigo: Optical Zoom & Colors
The movie Vertigo tells the story of the policeman Scotty, who has experienced a psychological trauma and cannot recover from its effects. Due to this, a story unfolds in which the policeman is stalking girls. The movie is filled with unique special effects montage and thus makes the detective sharper.
One of the important details of the movie is the shooting through a filter. The use of the filter creates a unique haze, allowing the viewer to feel completely immersed in the relationships between the characters. Another detail is the use of a special effect to create the reality of vertigo, reflecting the main character’s fear of heights. The special effect was created using optical zoom, a first in the history of cinema, which was then widely recognized in cinematography.
Psycho: Psychological Horror
The movie “Psycho” is Alfred Hitchcock’s major work, which combines psychological pressure and the increase of the audience’s fear due to the events in the movie. The plot is based on the personality of a psychopath who suffers from a split personality and his crimes are numerous and multifaceted. The main merit of the film is the shooting on black and white film with the use of piercing sounds with stringed instruments.
Another peculiarity of the film can be recognized as a combination of close-ups and super close-ups that allow us to follow the development of the story from different angles, gradually bringing the viewer closer to the central idea of the film. It can be assumed that the camera movements describe the changing figure of the protagonist and reflect his condition.
The sound component is piercing and sharp, composed of stringed instruments. The sound of the strings are used so as to relate the action to the sounds presented. In addition, the soundtrack was recorded using and improvised means, thus creating more realism.
Annotated Bibliography
White, E. (2021). The twelve lives of Alfred Hitchcock: An anatomy of the master of suspense.
This source makes it possible to trace Alfred Hitchcock’s biography and compare how his vision of the movie world changed as his personality grew. A biographical history provides basic information and will allow you to understand how the image was formed.
Mazey, L. V. (2020). The danger of obsession: Questions of power and freedom in Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo.
This source allows us to trace exactly how the effects created by Vertigo reflect the tension and reveal a growing oppressive feeling. Mazey (2020) also provides a reference point for how Hitchcock’s very personality is revealed through the immersive process of filming effects.
Bradshaw, P. (2018). Vertigo review – still spinning its dizzying magic. Web.
The source allows us to trace the interconnectedness of the themes raised in Vertigo and to infer which of the sensations presented are created through special effects.
McCann, B. (2020). Psycho turns 60 – Hitchcock’s famous fright film broke all the rules. Web.
The source helps evaluate the different perspectives on “Psycho” and establish what general trends have followed the movie’s popularity.
Wang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2020). A neurocinematic study of the suspense Effects in Hitchcock’s Psycho.
The source allows to evaluate and trace what features in the making of the movie led to the effect of the suspense and what impact it has on society. The evaluation of suspense provides an opportunity to trace how suspense was formed in Alfred Hitchcock’s stories and what created the effect of suspense.