ALFRED HITCHCOCK. THE MASTER OF SUSPENSE.

Whenever you hear Alfred Hitchcock´s name, one word comes into your mind: Suspense. And it´s logical since he made more than fifty films and even one popular television series, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, where he pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres.

You may have seen the 2012 film Hitchcock, where Anthony Hopkins plays the role of the British film director. The film centers on the relationship between Hitchcock and his wife during the making of Psycho, the controversial horror movie he filmed in 1959 that became one of the most acclaimed and influential works not only in his career but also in the history of films.



Regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, the magazine Moviemaker has described him as the most influential film director af all time. Each new generation takes the same pleasure in rediscovering his films, which are now treasures of our artistic heritage.

Hitchcock was always very fond of black humour

If you haven´t been lucky enough yet to see some of his best films, we give you some details of our favourite ones (in chronological order). They could be a good starting point for you to discover one of the most brilliant filmmakers in history.



Hitchcock used to appear at some moment of his films.

Here you have a video with his "cameos".

REBECCA (1940)

This film was an adaptation of Daphne Du Maurier´s novel of the same novel. Starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, it was Hitchcock´s first Hollywood movie and his only one to receive a "best picture" Oscar.

Mrs. Danvers will try to break up
Mrs. De Winter´s marriage

The film is a gothic tale about the persisting memories of the title character, Maxim De Winter´s dead first wife, which continues to hunt Maxim, his new bride and the housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers. All in all, the film is a blending of detective story, gothic romance and psychological drama.

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again",
 the film begins with this female voiceover



VERTIGO (1958)

This psychological thillers stars James Stewart as a former police detective who was forced into early retirement due to vertigo and clinical depression. he is hired as a private investigator to follow a woman, Kim Novak, who is behaving strangely.

The protagonist will have to fight against his fear of heights

The film has been considered by the 2012 Sights an Sound magazine as the best film of all time. It marked the peak of Hitchcock as a director. It even popularized the so-called dolly zoom, a camera effect that distorts perspective to create disorientation, to show Scottie´s (J. Stewart) acrophobia. This effect has been called since then the "Vertigo effect".



NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)

This movie was translated into Spanish with the improbable title of "Con La Muerte En Los Talones". Starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. Cary Grant is truly superb as the advertising executive Roger Thornhill, whose identity is mistaken for a spy and who is then pursued across the United States by agents of a mysterious organization.

One of the most famous scenes of the film takes place at Mt. Rushmore

It is one of those films with multiple readings; conspiracy paranoia, Freudian nightmare or parable on modern America in which the protagonist finally escapes down the face of Mt. Rushmore. This scene is really unforgettable as it is also difficult to forget the desert biplane encounter. All in all, This movie is a real classic.



PSYCHO (1960)

One of the most famous suspense/horror films of all time,  starring Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, John Gavin and Janet Leigh. It was based on Robert Bloch´s novel Psycho, loosely inspired by the crimes of the murderee and grave robber Ed Gein. It is considered to be "the mother" of all modern horror/suspense films.



Janet Leigh screams when discovering that
there was someone else behind the shower curtain

The film´s plot centers on the encounter between  a secretary, Marion Crane (Janet leigh), and an isolated motel´s disturbed owner-manager, Norman Bates (A. Perkins). She had robbed money from her employer and takes refuge in the wrong place. Everything seems to be calm and quiet at the small motel and in the nearby house where Norman Bates lives with his mother, but things are not what they seem.



THE BIRDS (1963)

This horror/suspense film was also based on a Daphne Du Maurier´s novel. The film, starring Tippi Hedren and Rod Taylor, depicts Bodega Bay, California, where violent birds start to attack people suddenly and for unexplained reasons. In fact, the reason for the attacks will never be discovered.

A poster of the film



There are many other fantastic films made by Alfred Hitchcock. It is possible that you prefer films like The Man Who Knew Too Much, Jamaica Inn, Shadow of A Doubt, Rope, Rear Window or Suspicion. If you know some of them, don´t hesitate to tell us! If you haven´t seen any Hitchcock films yet and you really love movies,  don´t lose more time. You´ll never regret!