Alfred Hitchcock’s early life and career

The Pleasure Garden 1925 - a woman holds a piece of hair smiling at a man holding his hands up and looking uncomfortableThe Pleasure Garden 1925 - a woman holds a piece of hair smiling at a man holding his hands up and looking uncomfortable
The Pleasure Garden 1925 – via IMDB

Hitchcock was born just before a brand new century, 1899, and grew up in a fairly stern household, with punishments like being locked in a police cell—he subsequently said this influenced his work quite a bit! Initially, Hitchcock pursued a career in engineering and later worked in an advertising department for a cable company.

Eventually, in 1920 he joined the London branch of the Famous Players-Lasky studio as a part time title-card designer and while he was there started to learn about directing, editing, and scriptwriting. The next year he started to work for them full time.

It was 1925 (the film was shown the following year) when he directed his first feature film, The Pleasure Garden, and by 1929 he’d directed Britain’s first film with synchronised sound (a “talkie”), Blackmail although this was only through partially reshooting and then dubbing the first, silent, version. 

Hitchcock’s signature style(s)

Most directors have a thing or things that make a film feel very them, and Hitchcock is no different. Here are some of the techniques that he’s famous for:

1. The Hitchcock zoom


You might have heard this called the “Vertigo effect” because it was, unsurprisingly, used in Vertigo (1958). It’s also known as a dolly zoom and by a number of other names too” This involves simultaneous zooming in and tracking backwards (or vice versa) which gives a really disorientating feeling usually illustrating fear, shock, or confusion.

2. Subjective camera

Psycho shower scene perspective shot, a silhouetted character is scene holding a knifePsycho shower scene perspective shot, a silhouetted character is scene holding a knifePsycho shower scene perspective shot, a silhouetted character is scene holding a knife
Psycho shower scene subjective camera shot via IMDV

This is designed to bring the audience into the position of the character, so you’re seeing what they see and experiencing what they’re experiencing. He does this in Pyscho (1960) to show the perspective of the killer and the victim.

3. MacGuffins


No, not a sneeze but a plot device, the idea of a MacGuffin was around before the name but it was coined by a chap called Angus MacPhail and Hitchcock popularised it. Essentially, a MacGuffin moves the story forward but actually ends up not being all that relevant to the audience. In North by Northwest (1959) the MacGuffin is a mysterious government secret that spies are after. The details of that secret don’t matter to us as the audience, but the presence of it helps move the story forward.

4. Building suspense through knowledge

a package on the knee of a small childa package on the knee of a small childa package on the knee of a small child
A scene from Sabotage via IMDB

Hitchcock believed that suspense was more effective when audiences know more about the characters. In Sabotage (1936) there’s a scene where a kid carries a bomb onto the bus. We, the audience, know this and so tension builds waiting to see what will happen.

5. Use of silence/ambience/atmosphere


He started his career before sound was being used in films so it’s no surprise that Hitchcock is great at using silence effectively. He’s big on stopping musical scores as something reaches a climax. In The Birds (1953) there’s an absence of music during the bird attacks and only the sound of screeching and flapping wings.

Recurring themes in Hitchcock films

As well as having regular techniques he used, Hitchcock was also keen to explore similar themes in his films.

1. The wrongly accused

Protagonists who are wrongly accused or caught up in situations that aren’t really of their own making crop up quite a lot. In North by Northwest (1959) there’s an ordinary guy who’s mistaken for a government agent, meaning he has to try and avoid both the police and foreign spies! This is a reflection of Hitchcock’s belief in the vulnerability of an individual in a society that can be indifferent to them.

2. Voyeurism

James Stewart in Rear Window, looks out of a long camera lensJames Stewart in Rear Window, looks out of a long camera lensJames Stewart in Rear Window, looks out of a long camera lens
James Stewart in Rear Window, via IMDB

Hitchcock was fascinated with watching… which comes out most in Rear Window (1954) where the protagonist starts to watch his neighbours after becoming confined to a wheelchair. The film explores the ethics of voyeurism and the boundaries between observation, and invasion of privacy!

3. Psychological issues and mental illness

A lot of directors are quite taken with the darker bits of the human mind, and Hitchcock was actually one of the first mainstream directors to show a psychological disorder as central to character development, with Pyscho.

4. Fate

Hitchcock thought fate played a role in all our lives and so a sense of helplessness and impending doom is common in his films. In Strangers on a Train (1951) two people meet by chance and agree to “swap murders”.

Hitchcock classics

Many of Hitchcock’s films are considered classics now, and you’ve no doubt at least heard of, if not actually seen, many of them. Here are the ones you really shouldn’t miss!

1. Psycho (1960)


The shower scene is psycho appear in pretty much every early film lesson for those who study it – it’s iconic. Aside from the psychological stuff we mentioned above, Psycho was different in that it also killed off its main actress early in the film, which was a bit of a shocker in those days!

2. Vertigo (1958)


This is a great movie all about obsession, identity, and loss. Hitchcock’s use of colour in this is lovely, as are the unique camera angles and of course “Vertigo effect” we mentioned. Actually, maybe don’t watch this one if you get motion sickness!

3. Rear Window (1954)


A man confined to his apartment starts to suspect that his neighbour has committed a murder, this is about voyeurism and boundaries. The use of the one location adds to the tension as well which is a great example of how good Hitchcock is a creating suspense.

4. North by Northwest (1959)


Mistaken identity, espionage, romance… what’s not to like? There’s a cross-country chase including a very famous crop-dusting scene, and even a showdown on Mount Rushmore. We’re not even watching it and we need a lie down.

5. The Birds (1963)


Birds go nuts and attack humans for no real discernible reason. That’s about it! It’s quite a stressful watch really, with some great tension-building mostly by the clever user of sound effects and lack of music.

Did you know? Some facts about Hitchcock.

  • He loved a cameo. Probably one of the most well-known things about Hitchcock is his tendency to pop up in his own films, often in the first 10 minutes of it. Searching for him in films is a sort of proto Where’s Wally.
  • He was scared of eggs. Yup, apparently the master of tension was frightened of eggs. Clucking terrified.
  • He was a prankster. Hitchcock enjoyed playing jokes on the cast and crew. During filming for The 39 Steps (1935) he handcuffed two actors together for hours.
  • Planning was very important to him. Hitchcock would plan and storyboard meticulously for each film, down to the smallest detail, and things rarely changed while on set.
  • He loved Grace Kelly. Probably not a surprise, but she was one of his favourite leading ladies (though Hitchcock was unfortunately also known for treating women very badly) and she appeared in three films: Dial M for Murder, Rear Window, and To Catch a Thief.

Controversies and criticisms

Alfred Hitchcock is definitely considered a cinematic genius, but he’s also been the subject of significant controversy. It’s well documented that he was obsessively controlling over particular actresses, to the point of harassment. Tippi Hedren (The Birds and Marnie) described him as possessive and vengeful when she turned down his very persistent advances! Despite promising there’d be no real birds involved in The Birds, he forced Hedren to get through multiple takes of real birds being thrown at her, awful to the point that even he couldn’t watch, and leaving her traumatised physically and emotionally.

Grace Kelly in Rear Window, she’s wearing a black dress and a pearl necklaceGrace Kelly in Rear Window, she’s wearing a black dress and a pearl necklaceGrace Kelly in Rear Window, she’s wearing a black dress and a pearl necklace
Grace Kelly in Rear Window via IMDB

He was fixated on the idea of a “cool blonde” type for leading roles which obviously raises questions around his portrayal of women in general. Grace Kelly, Kim Novak, and Janet Leigh were his ideal “type” for films, stylish, elegant, and not overly emotional. Their characters would often be the victims of male obsession and aggression, again raising issues of misogyny and objectification. They were also very much placed for their sexuality and desirability. People will sometimes brush away these behaviours as “of the time” but it’s important to talk about it from a modern perspective because then we can understand why those choices were never really appropriate.

It wasn’t just women he was problematic with either, his fixation on being perfect meant he was very authoritarian on set and could make things uncomfortable for cast and crew, and took in little creative input from anyone else. Although earlier we mentioned the handcuff incident as a “prank,” with this context you could see how it might create real discomfort and fear. When we’re discussing “great” men and their legacy, it’s important to look at the ethical consequences that sometimes surround that success, and not separate the idea of the auteur from their behaviour.

Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about Alfred Hitchcock then check out these great resources.

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About this page

This page was written by Marie Gardiner. Marie is a writer, author, and photographer. It was edited by Andrew Blackman. Andrew is a freelance writer and editor, and is a copy editor for Envato Tuts+.



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