Sir Alfred Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980) was an English film director and producer, sometimes referred to as "The Master of Suspense". He pioneered many elements of the suspense and psychological thriller genres. He had a successful career in British cinema with both silent films and early talkies and became renowned as England's best director.

Hitchcock made himself an easily recognisable directorial style. His trademarks include:

• the use of camera movement that mimics a person's gaze - forces viewers to take part in some form of voyeurism (spying on people in private situations)

• framed shots to maximise anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative forms of film editing

• features fugitives on the run alongside "icy blonde" female characters - Hitchcock was well known for his favoured use of blonde actresses

• Many of his films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of murder and other violence

• Many of the mysteries in the films are decoys or “MacGuffins” that allow for psychological insight of the characters - pointless for the audience but crucial for the onscreen characters

• Often uses psychoanalysis themes and strong sexual overtones

• Hitchcock also liked to make a brief cameo in nearly all of his films and some only went to see his films for the split second look at the director

Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades and is often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker. Some of his most well known films are:

• Psycho (1960)

• Vertigo (1960)

• Rear Window (1954)

• North by Northwest (1959)

• Dial M for Murder (1954)

When asked how he came up with his ideas for such violent and suspenseful films in 1963; as he was such a pleasant and innocuous (harmless/safe). He replied with:

I'm English. The English use a lot of imagination with their crimes. I don't get such a kick out of anything as much as out of imagining a crime. When I'm writing a story and I come to a crime, I think happily: now wouldn't it be nice to have him die like this? And then, even more happily, I think: at this point people will start yelling. It must be because I spent three years studying with the Jesuits. They used to terrify me to death, with everything, and now I'm getting my own back by terrifying other people.