The Films of Alfred Hitchcock (Cambridge Film Classics) [Paperback]

David Sterritt (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521398142 | ISBN-13: 978-0521398145 | Publication Date: February 26, 1993

The introduction gives an overview of Hitchcock's long career, with special attention to the varied influences on his work; themes that run through many of his films, from the "transference of guilt," to the connection between knowledge and danger; the overlooked importance of his presence within his films, including his famous cameo appearances and characters who represent him within the story; his fascination with performance and the ambiguities of illusion and reality; the question of viewing him and his work through the auteur theory; and other issues. Also discussed is the relationship between Hitchcock as a serious, even tormented artist and Hitchcock as a magician with a weakness for cinematic practical jokes. Six chapters then provide in-depth examinations of key films: Blackmail, his first talkie; Shadow of a Doubt, one of his personal favorites; The Wrong Man, which questions the nature of guilt and innocence; Vertigo, arguably his most profound work; Psycho, his most savage look at the nature of evil; and The Birds, his last masterpiece and one of his most widely misunderstood works. David Sterritt is film critic at The Christian Science Monitor and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Graduate Film Division of Columbia University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Of the more critical film-by-film analyses this volume by the astute Christian Science Monitor critic Sterritt is the most complete and thoughtful and doesn't get bogged down in film-school folderol." Knight Ridder News Service

Book Description

This survey of Hitchcock's long career pays special attention to varied influences on his work and includes in-depth thematic examinations of the following key films: Blackmail, Shadow of a Doubt, The Wrong Man, Vertigo, Psycho, and the Birds.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (February 26, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521398142
• ISBN-13: 978-0521398145
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #840,607 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a MUST for Hitchcock fans, March 30, 2000

By 

Joseph W. Smith III - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Films of Alfred Hitchcock (Cambridge Film Classics) (Paperback)

Sterritt's book is somewhat modest compared to the many other tomes on cinema's Grand Wizard; he tackles only a dozen or so of the films in a few unassuming essays -- but he does a brilliant job, adding to the wealth of insights on such classics as "Shadow of a Doubt." His piece on "Psycho" is outrageous, claiming that it's actually a film about MONEY, and that money is equated with human excrement -- and he proves his case! (Marion flushes her calculations down the toilet; Cassidy says, "She sat there while I dumped it out"!) The introductory essay is also very insightful, esp. about Hitch's oversight of his own films. (Sterritt claims that H's cameos are signs that he is ever-present and always monitoring his creation.) I love Hitch, I have practically every book written about him and his work, and I can recommend this book unreservedly.