Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Murmer99
I assume it would've been easier to appreciate Hitchcock during his time. I think he is one of the masters of cinema and deserves the respect he gets. He's one of the most impressive directors to use visual techniques to escalate the stories in his films. Visual irony and whatnot... simplistic techniques that weren't necessarily "flashy" compared to others. There's always something interesting about most of his shots to me... the classic shower scene for instance in Psycho. I've always felt there was a thematic quality to that scene... how it seems to show very little violence by using that cutting technique or whatever.. despite the fact that the main character is being stabbed to death and there's blood pouring in the shower. The majority of his violent scenes aren't merely there for the sake of it.. to entertain by showing someone dying and then moving along. He gives the audience the feeling that someone has just died, and even finds a way to add wit and dark humor to it. It has also been mentioned how the camera floats away from her corpse and moves gradually towards the money she stole. Perhaps not something everyone would notice initially, what it means...
The acting is always top notch in everything I've seen by him. Not enjoying his films is understandable, but I don't see how he is "overrated". The unsettling finish to "The Birds" is brilliant too. I guess to each his own, though...
|
I think what it is that pisses me off is that the story is moot. I always feel he's going "fuck the story, here's a new camera trick/overblown scene". Vertigo and North By Northwest for me was him at his absolute worst. Yes I realise I'm committing heresy by saying that, but they feel to me to be one big set piece after another with LOUD music to set tension another 10 more notches.
I guess it's fitting that the only two films of his I really enjoyed was Rope and Shadow Of A Doubt. Him at his most restrained (next to Lifeboat I suspect although I haven't seen that so can't say) and most enjoyable.
In my opinion anyway.