Alfred Hitchcock's silent films / Marc Raymond Strauss.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Strauss, Marc.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Hitchcock, Alfred, 1899-1980--Criticism and interpretation.

Hitchcock, Alfred.

Hitchcock, Alfred, 1899-1980.

Silent films--History and criticism.

Silent films.

Criticism and interpretation.

Physical Description:

vii, 215 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Place of Publication:

Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, [2004]

Summary:

Alfred Hitchcock called the silent film "the purest form of cinema," and the ten silents he directed between 1925 and 1929 reveal the young director's mature artistry. Hitchcock's silents are often said to be the work of a talented amateur in an era of antiquated instruments and poor technique-the director experimented with myriad points of view, unique camera angles and movements, and special effects such as dissolves, blurriness, and violent cuts. These films contain, however, the first appearances of some of his greatest techniques: the vertigo-inducing crowd scene, the symbolic use of objects, the manipulation of the audience's emotions, and the self-conscious, often macabre wit. This work discovers Hitchcock's early skill through close readings of the films from The Pleasure Garden to the silent version of Blackmail, using shot-by-shot descriptions and interpretations. Each film's chapter includes technical information, a summary of the critical response to the present, and detailed analyses of techniques and themes.

Contents:

1 The Pleasure Garden 11

2 The Mountain Eagle 26

3 The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog 27

4 Downhill 44

5 Easy Virtue 57

6 The Ring 87

7 The Farmer's Wife 123

8 Champagne 181

9 The Manxman 195

10 Blackmail (Silent Version) 201.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 211-212) and index.

ISBN:

0786419016

OCLC:

56404881