Comparative Analysis Of Vertigo, North By Northwest And Notorious By Alfred Hitchcock

In this essay I have chosen to analyse two key scenes, each from two of Hitchcock’s most critically acclaimed films, ‘The Birds’ (1963) and ‘Psycho’ (1960). Both of these scenes from both films display the female protagonists at their most vulnerable, facing the threat and fear of death.

How auteur theory can be applied to the study of Hitchcock’s North by Northwest and Vertigo

For this paper, I have decided to compare two Hitchcock films. Ever since I can remember, I have seen Alfred Hitchcock films; Psycho, The Birds, North by Northwest, I enjoy his work because I like the suspense, and visual effects that he was able to accomplish. Out of all of his films, I believe that my favorite Hitchcock films would have to be Rear Window (1954) and Vertigo (1958), because I think that the two incorporate everything that is “Alfred Hitchcock”. Hitchcock films are known for being mysterious, cynical, as well as suspenseful and they are all similar because of his use of symbolism, light, repetitive actors, and repetition of theme.

Alfred Hitchcock also used cinematography in a uniquely stylizing way. Hitchcock not only uses the camera to create dramatic irony, but he also uses the camera to lie to the audience and create anxious suspense. For example, in his film Psycho, when Marion is in the shower Hitchcock frames the scenes very tightly. Marion is in a confined and very personal space. This makes her incredibly vulnerable. Then Hitchcock heightens the suspense by creating dramatic irony with the reveal of a shadowy figure closing in on Marion, unbeknownst to her. This creates a lot of anxiety for the audience, knowing the protagonist is vulnerable and in danger with no way of altering the inevitable. Hitchcock then manipulates the audience by “revealing” a brief silhouette of an old lady as our shower killer. Hitchcock uses this “reveal” to lie to the audience, he makes the audience think they have more inside knowledge confirming their already growing suspicions, when in reality the audience is misled entirely and the murderer was Norman all along. The way Hitchcock uses the camera to reveal both inside information and misleading information truly keeps the viewer engaged and not knowing what to believe until the truth is finally revealed. By using this unique technique of controlling the audience by only showing what he wants you to see, Hitchcock masterfully defies expectations and creates suspense.

Alfred Hitchcock’s stance in the film business is something to be marveled. His prominent position as the “Master of Suspense” is due in part to the textbook blueprint he created in the thriller genre. His catalogue has many examples, but the two with the most similar psychological depth would be Vertigo and Rear Window. Not only do these two movies thrill on the surface level, but they also thrill from the character’s emotional and psychological stand point. This makes the suspense less abrupt and more of a gradual progression into the classic Hitchcock climax. Hitchcock puts his viewers on a psychological roller coaster due in part to his three useful components: fear, guilt, and redemption.

Alfred Hitchcock’s film Shadow of a Doubt is a true masterpiece. Hitchcock brings the perfect mix of horror, suspense, and drama to a small American town. One of the scenes that exemplifies his masterful style takes place in a bar between the two main characters, Charlie Newton and her uncle Charlie. Hitchcock was quoted as saying that Shadow of a Doubt, “brought murder and violence back in the home, where it rightly belongs.” This quote, although humorous, reaffirms the main theme of the film: we find evil in the places we least expect it. Through careful analysis of the bar scene, we see how Hitchcock underlies and reinforces this theme through the setting, camera angles,

The Alfred Hitchcock film; Vertigo is a narrative film that is a perfect example of a Hollywood Classical Film. I will be examining the following characteristics of the film Vertigo: 1)individual characters who act as casual agents, the main characters in Vertigo, 2)desire to reach to goals, 3)conflicts, 4)appointments, 5)deadlines, 6)James Stewart’s focus shifts and 7)Kim Novak’s characters drives the action in the film. Most of the film is viewed in the 3rd person, except for the reaction shots (point of view shot) which are seen through the eyes of the main character.(1st person) The film has a strong closure and uses continuity editing(180 degree rule). The stylistic (technical) film form of Vertigo makes the film much more

Throughout the history of film, many viewers have been drawn to a very interesting genre of film known as horror. What is interesting about this is the fact that viewers are allured by the idea of being frightened while watching the film when fear itself is known seen as a negative emotion in day to day life. Since the emergence of this genre in pop culture, filmmakers have been searching for elements to make their movies more and more horrifying although, this can be difficult since what is portrayed in the film is not real and therefore should not cause the audience to feel any sort of logical fear. Instead, the horror is bestowed upon the audience through psychoanalysis, a process which engages the unconscious mind in order to create fear emotions through elements such as memories, and inner conflict (Pramaggiore, Maria). In order to implement

Throughout cinema, there has always been space in our hearts for the gore and intrigue that come from horror films. Though they come with different plots, there remains “the monster”, the character that brings along disgust, horror, suspense, and even sympathy. In Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), our monster is Norman Bates, the boy next door. This was one of the first times in American cinema that the killer was brought home, paving the way for the future of horror movies. According to Robin Wood in “An Introduction to the America Horror Film” (183-208), Bates follows the formula of the Monster being a human psychotic. This is conveyed through his normal façade portrayed with his introduction, the audience’s ambivalence, the use of

Abstract The film North by Northwest is a Hitchcock classic. One of the most noticeable aspects in North by Northwest is the incredible camera work and techniques used to create a feeling of suspense and danger. The varied use of shot types are essential in creating these moods and emotions. Establishing shots, including aerial and POV (point-of-view), medium shots and close-ups, and shot-reverse-shots all play an important part in conveying the suspense to the audience while also creating continuity and adding elements of isolation or urgency.

Famously known as “The Master of Suspense”, Alfred Hitchcock knew how to keep an audience on the edge of their chair, just waiting to see what happens next. Hitchcock’s career started in the silent era of films, gained increased success through talking pictures, and soared into infamy when color film became common. Hitchcock’s famous cinematography, editing, directing of his thoughtfully selected actors, and extraordinary attention to detail, are obvious reasons why there is no denying that he is one of the greatest directors the film industry has ever seen. OSU Media student, Joseph Ford, confirms why Hitchcock is his favorite directors, “Hitchcock’s lighting and shot sequences are unmatched, he was the ultimate perfectionist and, in my opinion, there is hardly a flaw in any of his films” (Ford). There are endless lists and debates about which Alfred Hitchcock film is the greatest, and each one of his movies deserves serious consideration. It could be contested that with the unique story, intriguing characters portrayed by great actors, and the extraordinary cinematography, that Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope is potentially his greatest film.

Citizen Kane, directed by Orson Welles, was an exemplary and ground-breaking work. In narrative structure and film style, Welles challenged classical Hollywood conventions and opened a path for experimentation in the later 1940s. Gregg Toland’s deep-focus cinematography and Welles’ use of low-key lighting are often discussed aspects of the movie. True, these were areas of innovation, but when watching the movie in class I was particularly struck by the use of camera movement, or “mobile framing” as described in Film Art. In this historical analysis, I will take a detailed look at how Welles and Toland use camera movement to develop and challenge the Hollywood style. By referring

In Vertigo, Hitchcock begins with building credibility and composure in Scottie’s character. The film starts off with a chasing scene in

Before the Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock made its way into theaters across the world, film was produced in a completely different way. Some of the elements that were in Psycho were things that nobody saw in movies before. According to Entertainment Weekly’s Owen Gleiberman, when the movie came out, it took place in “an atmosphere of dark and stifling ‘50s conformity” and that the elements of the film “tore through the repressive ‘50s blandness just a potently as Elvis had.” (Hudson). Alfred Hitchcock changed the way that cinema was made by breaking away from the old, “safe” way of creating a movie and decided to throw all of the unwritten rules of film making out the window. The main ways he accomplished this task was by adding graphic violence, sexuality, and different ways to view the film differently than any other movie before its time.

Alfred Hitchcock is widely considered one of the most essential directors of all time and has undeniably revolutionized the cinematic art form and horror genre movement. A key ingredient to his productions is the psychoanalysis of the movie’s villains and the deceivery at comes with deep psychosis. These elements are what have taken Hitchcock from a good director to a legend. Hitchcock layers his movies in ways in which every time one watches his films they can pick up on a new detail that deepens the meaning and effects of the storyline. This is exactly what he does in his 1960 film, Psycho. By layering Freudian psychoanalysis, creating a twist ending and suspense, and giving the villain of the story, Norman Bates, a deeply rich background story, Hitchcock creates phenomenon in the audience arguably scarier, then Norman’s murders. Through this use the psychoanalysis and backstory, the audience also feels sympathy for Norman. This duality is what makes Hitchcock a wonderful artist and Psycho, a piece of art.