Christian Science Monitor (1999) - Hitchcock: mere showman, philosopher-poet -- or both
Details
- book review: Hitchcock: mere showman, philosopher-poet -- or both
- author(s): David Sterritt
- journal: Christian Science Monitor (23/Apr/1999)
- issue: page 15
- publisher: The Christian Science Monitor
- keywords: A Perfect Murder (1998), Alfred Hitchcock, Blackmail (1929), Family Plot (1976), Gus Van Sant, Joseph Conrad, Psycho (1960), Sabotage (1936), Secret Agent (1936), The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog (1927), The Manxman (1929)
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Abstract
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg grab the headlines, and digitized epics like "Titanic" break the box-office records. But it's a master from bygone times who remains the most instantly recognizable director in motion-picture history.
Article
George Lucas and Steven Spielberg grab the headlines, and digitized epics like "Titanic" break the box‑office records. But it's a master from bygone times who remains the most instantly recognizable director in motion‑picture history.
Almost two decades after his death, Alfred Hitchcock is still as legendary a figure as the movie world has ever known. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Hitch's birth, and that's an excellent reason to renew the perennial set of questions about his half‑ century‑long career. What were the secrets of his success? Why do his movies resonate with new generations of viewers, many of whom weren't even born when he capped his career with "Family Plot" in 1976? Was he the mere entertainer ‑ or was he a brilliant philosopher‑poet who couched his insights in a popular art form so the widest possible audience could engage with his ideas?
While nobody has provided a definitive set of answers to those queries, contemporary critics generally agree that Hitchcock's art probed far more deeply into the mysteries of the human condition than one might guess from his self‑selected "master of suspense" label.
This is why centennial tributes are taking place at art museums as well as movie theaters and video outlets. And academic conferences on Hitchcock's life and work are being organized at institutions like New York University and Baylor University in Waco, Texas.
New York's influential Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has just launche...
