Alfred Hitchcock :: Film Movie Movies Directors Essays

Alfred Hitchcock is among the few directors to combine a strongreputation for high-art film- reservation with nifty audience popularity. Throughouthis c beer he gave his audiences more pleasure than could be asked for. Theconsistency of quality plot-lines and technical ingenuity earned him therecognition of being virtuoso of the greatest filmmakers of all time. His filmsearned him the reputation of being the master of suspense, and after viewingtwo of his more popular films, Psycho and The Birds, it is evident why. thereis a distinction between surprise, which lasts only a few seconds, and suspensewhich captivates ones attention the entire length of a film. This is somethingthat Hitchcock realized early on, and applied into his movies. He is one of thefew directors whose name on a marquee is as important, if not more so, than anyactor who appears in the film itself. Both his bolt of directing, and that ofthe movies that he has directed are rattling unique, making him stand o ut in thefilm industry. He pioneered the art of cinematography and special effects,which along with his cameos, are what he is most often associated with.Hitchcock led a long and prosperous life in the movie industry, starting as ateenager and making movies up until his death in 1980, while working on the 54thof his career (Sterrit 3). Alfred Joseph Hitchcock was born on August 13, 1889 in London, England.As a child his parents were very strict with him and they imposed severe andunusual punishments upon him, as what they considered to be discipline. One ofthese incidents scarred him for life. As punishment for arriving home late onenight, young Alfreds drive had a policeman friend lock the boy up in a cellfor five minutes, in order to teach him where naughty bittie boys who come homeafter 9 oclock would eventually end up. (Phillips 27). Throughout his careerhe used the innocent man being arrested and imprisoned in his films, and claimedthat forever after he had a fear of the police (Spoto 16). Fear was also a bigpart of his childhood, which later was evident in many a(prenominal) of his movies. Fear? Ithas influenced my life and my career. (18) explains Hitchcock, he also had afear of being alone and of darkness which once again appeared in many of hismovies. ...fear you see is an sensation that people like to feel when they knowthey are safe. (39).