The Master of Suspense
Those of you who have read some of my previous articles know that I consider Alfred Hitchcock to have been the greatest purveyor of pure cinema in the twentieth century. He directed over 50 films, many of them considered masterpieces in the genre of suspense; hence, his nickname, “The Master of Suspense.”
Just rattling off a few film titles will immediately conjure up powerful images in the minds of serious film buffs: Vertigo, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, Psycho, The Birds, Strangers on a Train, Rear Window, The 39 Steps, The Lady Vanishes, Notorious, Shadow of a Doubt, Dial M for Murder, Frenzy, and Notorious — just to name a quarter of his oeuvre that quickly comes to mind.
Hitchcock and Symbolism
In this brief article I want to address a question that has popped up from time to time among film students, since the study of Hitchcock’s films is generally required for those seriously pursuing a career in film. The question is: what symbolism did Hitchcock employ in his pursuit of pure cinema? What can we learn about the man and his worldview by means of the symbols he employed in his films?
For those of you looking for the quick answer, here it is — very little, next to nothing, nada, zip, bupkis. I know you’re looking…
