Alfred Hitchcock’s Rope (1948) is a psychological crime thriller about two villainous queer men. This film focuses on Brandon and Phillip “relationship” and a secret they are keeping from their guest. The film opens with the murder of the man through strangulation, which can be seen as a subliminal homosexual act. Rope, like many other films of the time, had to follow the guidelines of the Production Code Administration, therefore Brandon and Phillips homosexuality has suggested and not stated clearly. Because different sexuality was not accepted, and still is not, due to the strong heteronormative beliefs of the era, most films needed to follow the guidelines of the Production Code Administration. Throughout the film, we see many references of sexual perversion and homosexuality, by the connotations in the script and visual elements. Homosexuality is one the subjects that created a lot of uneasiness during the time, although not visually displayed (with a kiss) or verbally disclosed. In addition, Hitchcock was able to make it a central theme to incorporate queerness in most of …show more content…
After all, there are cuts in the film, and if you are only watching the film for the story, you will miss it. As soon as you noticed a break, as a viewer, you want to know why that is there, and that is exactly Hitchcock’s style in directing. When Rupert, former headmaster, finds out that they have committed a crime, he is enraged. “Did you think you were God, Brandon” (Rope). In this conversation, Rupert is trying to emphasize that they are not superior from anyone else. On the other hand, Hitchcock also wanted to be noticed in his era, similar to Brandon, he considered the director as God. He wanted to be known for his nontraditional storytelling and filmmaking, which is what made him so famous during his
Hitchcock has characteristics as an auteur that is apparent in most of his films, as well as this one.
...ormation of novel to film, sees Hitchcock’s responsibility as auteur. Suggesting Hitchcock as ‘creator’, attributes to Vertigo’s “perfection” (Wood, p.129) as Wood argues. Stylistic features known classically to Alfred Hitchcock movies is also what defines Hitchcock as a classic auteur, his style generates a cinematic effect which mixes effectively with his use of suspense. In returning to Cook’s discussion, she references Andrew Sarris, who argues that the “history of American cinema could be written in terms of its great directors,” (Cook, p. 411) showing the legitimacy of authorship in popular American cinema. Ultimately Cook goes on to address the changes in authorship from the 1950’s until today, featuring developments in authorship within Cinema. Overall, both Cook and Wood presented a balanced discussion on the legitimacy of Alfred Hitchcock’s auteur status.
Alfred Hitchcock’s films not only permanently scar the brains of his viewers but also addict them to his suspense. Hitchcock’s films lure you in like a trap, he tells the audience what the characters don’t know and tortures them with the anticipation of what’s going to happen.
All directors of major motion pictures have specific styles or signatures that they add in their work. Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest directors of all time, has a particularly unique style in the way he creates his films. Film analyzers classify his distinctive style as the “Alfred Hitchcock signature”. Hitchcock’s signatures vary from his cameo appearances to his portrayal of a specific character. Two perfect examples of how Hitchcock implements his infamous “signatures” are in the movies, A Shadow of a Doubt and Vertigo. In these movies, numerous examples show how Hitchcock exclusively develops his imagination in his films.
Alfred Hitchcock’s unique sense of filmmaking and directing has allowed him to become a very famous and well known film maker of his time. He uses similar recurring themes, elements, and techniques in many of his films to engage the viewers in more than just the film, but the meaning and focus behind the story.
Alfred Hitchcock developed his signature style from his earlier works The Lodger and Blackmail. These films were the framework for his signature films later on. His themes of “an innocent man who is accused of a crime” and “the guilty woman” were first seen in these two films and are repeated throughout Hitchcock’s cinematic history
Strangers on a Train is one of Hitchcock’s most well-known films. It is typically analyzed in terms of the ways that the two main male characters interact. According to many film critics, homosexual attraction between Bruno and Guy is one of the premises of the film. This may be the case, however, many of these film critics fail to consider the minor characters of the film: the women. Specifically, they fail to analyze the influence of these women on the development of the male characters and to interpret the message Hitchcock is trying to portray about women, especially those with qualities typically not associated with women.
Post World War II America was a society full of anxiety. In the late 1950s Americans were deeply troubled by so many social shifts. Major changes were occurring both internally and externally. They were in the midst of the Cold War, and were vastly approaching the atomic age. There was a communist scare and fear of Russian expansion. Joseph McCarthy was hunting down major celebrities for their communist involvement and the 'Red Influence' seemed to be everywhere. The move toward suburbia and the growth of multinational corporations were flourishing. People seemed to be pulled in every direction. Another change that would have a major impact on society for years to come was the re-identification of gender roles. In Robert Kolker's book, Film, Form and Culture, he states that, "During the time of the Cold War, the political and the personal, the power of the state, the workplace, the family and the sexual all became confused and self contradictory" (Kolker, 83). The gender confusion of the time would cause major conflicts and can be seen in many forms of popular culture from the mid-to-late fifties, from magazines to movies. By the time Alfred Hitchcock was starting production on his forty-fifth film Vertigo, gender had become a major issue. This is obvious through watching the film and looking at the main characters, both male and female. In Hitchcock's Vertigo, the struggle for socially recognized gender roles is acted out, mostly through a battle for sexual domination between Scottie and Madeline/Judy. The film also supports the idea of the submissive domestic female, through the character of Midge. This film is definitely a marker of its time.
Poe and Hitchcock are both masters in literature and always will be. Although, Hitchcock would may never have been famous if it were not for Poe 's incredible eerie writing and craftsmanship. Overall, "The Raven" and "The Tell Tale Heart" both have an array of themes interwoven throughout them with an abundance of spookiness. Psycho has been dubbed an American horror classic, and will always be known not only for its themes and spookiness, but for being the first movie to flush a toilet. In a last word, Poe 's greatness should influence more people then just Hitchcock because without either of them, where would we be in Literature or Film
This was no news to Hitchcock's fans. In a 1947 press conference the great director laid out his philosophy of the mystery-horror genre: "I am to provide the public with beneficial shocks. Civilization has become so protective that we're no longer able to get our goose bumps instinctively. The only way to remove the numbness and revive our moral equilibrium is to use artificial means to bring about the shock. The best way to achieve that, it seems to me, is through a movie."
Because Alfred Hitchcock implied a great deal in his films, his films may have implied a great deal about himself. If this is true, Alfred Hitchcock had a cryptic way of expressing who he
...and changed the horror genre forever. Alfred Hitchcock's use of actor, lighting, sound, scripting and mise-en-scène kept the audience on the edge of their seats and second guessing themselves. Hitchcock's idea of Norman cconnected with the audience and, even today, his character continues to deceive many. From Norman's nervous ticks to his murderous side 'Mother', it was planned flawlessly. Norman Bates was a combination of an author, director and actor, perfectly adapted to screen and perfectly portrayed.
In the French film 8 Femmes, François Ozon, the director, guides a play from the 1950’s that focuses on a lively family that have deep secrets that all intertwine. In this musical mystery, comedy film, a murder has happened and each woman has their own motives for wanting to kill the man in the home. Yet, Ozon’s storyline is not the main focus of the film. The film follows each of the women which show the themes of betrayal, secrets, and most importantly sexuality. Sexuality is a main theme in many of François Ozon films that he directs. Sexuality in the cinema can be seen in many of his films because it affects Ozon personally.
To this day Rope, Alfred Hitchcock’s first color film, remains one of the most original motion picture dramas. With the exception of the opening credits, Rope was shot on one individual set located within a soundstage, similar to as if a play was being performed on stage. Despite the confined space the film occupied, the atmospheric anxiety carried on up until the very end. Furthermore, Hitchcock successfully created a deception, of the same repetitive shot. Nonetheless, during the one hundred and eight minute film, it’s hard not to notice the closeness Phillip and Brandon shared sexually together, making them homosexuals.
Nevertheless, how is the 20s related to the homosexuality in the 50s? And why was the director decided to set the film in the 20s? The 1950s was conservative in today’s frame of reference. First, in 50’s, US appear the generation gap between adults and teens, like Rock’ n’ Roll, are dangerous in parent’s eyes.