Hitchcock on Hitchcock - Softcover

Gottlieb, Sidney

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0571191363 ISBN 13: 9780571191369

Publisher: Faber and Faber, 1997

Synopsis

Reputations come and go, but Alfred Hitchcock's has remained solidly in place in the pantheon of the masters of the cinema. Although he is well-known for his interviews, what is less-known is that he wrote extensively about the cinema during the course of his life.

These writings are gathered together for the first time in this book. His essays are thoughtful meditations on film art in general, as well as attempts to define his own art in particular, expressed in a manner that is entertaining and full of the evident delight he took in film-making. The writings focus directly on his life, his films and his film practice. The book is essential to anyone interested in Hitchcock's work.

About this title

Review:

No one knew more about manipulating a movie audience than Alfred Hitchcock, the legendary master of suspense. But while many film directors have written books about their ideas and techniques, Hitchcock discussed his personal theories almost exclusively in the short articles he wrote throughout his long life. Here, for the first time, most of these hard-to-find pieces have been collected. Sidney Gottlieb's well-edited volume features Hitchcock's thoughts on actors ("they should be treated like cattle"), effective film editing, the power of the thriller, proper uses of a director's talents, and the keys to any good suspense film: sex and murder. Gottlieb's introduction and running commentary is illuminating and helpful.

Synopsis:

Although Alfred Hitchcock is well-known for his interviews, he also wrote extensively about the cinema during the course of his life. The writings gathered together in this book are meditations on film art in general, as well as attempts to define his own art in particular, expressed in a manner that reflects the delight that he took in film-making. The essays focus directly on Hitchcock's life, his films and his film practice. He deals with fear, the mechanics of suspense, and the position of women in his films and in the audience - and in the process he reveals a great deal about the complex creation and manipulation of his public persona. The pieces also include a description of how he proposed to his wife.

About this edition

• Publisher: Faber and Faber
• Publication date: 1997
• ISBN 10: 0571191363
• ISBN 13: 9780571191369
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 364