Hitchcockian films are those made by various filmmakers, with the styles and themes similar to those of Alfred Hitchcock.
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Characteristics
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Elements considered Hitchcockian include:
- Climactic plot twist.
- The cool platinum blonde.[1]
- The presence of a domineering mother in someone's life.[2]
- An innocent man accused.
- Restricting the action to a single setting to increase tension (e.g. Lifeboat, Rope, Rear Window).
- Characters who switch sides and/or who cannot be trusted.
- Tension building through suspense to the point where the audience enjoys seeing the character in a life-threatening situation (e.g. Vertigo).
- Average people thrust into strange or dangerous situations (e.g., Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much).
- Bumbling or incompetent authority figures, particularly police officers.
- Use of darkness to symbolize impending doom (dark clothing, shadows, smoke, etc.)
- Strong visual use of famous landmarks (Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, Forth Rail Bridge, Golden Gate Bridge, Albert Hall, British Museum, Piccadilly Circus, etc.)
- Mistaken identity (e.g. North by Northwest, Frenzy).
- The use of a staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense.[3]
- Use of a MacGuffin plot device.[4][5]
- Referring to crime for mystery rather than presenting it explicitly (e.g. Dial M for Murder).
- Train scenes (e.g. North by Northwest, The Lady Vanishes, Strangers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt).
- The color red provoking a fearful, and potentially self-destructive, reaction.
- A beautiful woman needlessly embezzling her employer's money.
- Voyeurism and surveillance.[6]
Notable examples
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Some films, or films with scenes, considered Hitchcockian include:
- Gaslight (1944)[7]
- Sorry, Wrong Number (1948)[8]
- Niagara (1953)[9]
- 23 Paces to Baker Street (1956)[10]
- Witness for the Prosecution (1957)[11][12]
- Midnight Lace (1960)[13]
- Cape Fear (1962)[14]
- Charade (1963)[15]
- From Russia with Love (1963)[16]
- The Prize (1963)[17]
- Mirage (1965)[18]
- Arabesque (1966)[19]
- Blowup (1966)[20]
- Wait Until Dark (1967)[21][22]
- Duel (1971)[23]
- Play Misty for Me (1971)[24]
- Sisters (1972)[25]
- The Last of Sheila (1973)[26]
- Phantom of the Paradise (1974)[27]
- Jaws (1975)[28]
- Obsession (1976)[29]
- Halloween (1978)[30]
- Last Embrace (1979)[31]
- Dressed to Kill (1980)[32]
- Blow Out (1981)[33]
- Body Double (1984)[34]
- Blue Velvet (1986)[35]
- Fatal Attraction (1987)[36]
- Frantic (1988)[37]
- Arachnophobia (1990)[38]
- Misery (1990)[39]
- Cape Fear (1991)[14]
- Basic Instinct (1992)[40]
- Shallow Grave (1994) [41][42]
- 12 Monkeys (1995)[43][44]
- Bound (1996)[45][46]
- The Cable Guy (1996)[47]
- Double Jeopardy (1999)[48]
- What Lies Beneath (2000)[49]
- Mulholland Drive (2001)[50]
- Panic Room (2002)[51]
- Femme Fatale (2002)[52]
- Phone Booth (2002)[53]
- Disturbia (2007)[54]
- Bad Education (2004)[55]
- Funny Games (2007)[56]
- Passion (2012)[52]
- Side Effects (2013)[57][58][59]
- Stoker (2013)[60]
- Not Safe for Work (2014)[61]
- Crimson Peak (2015)[62]
- The Gift (2015)[63]
- Don't Breathe (2016)[64][22]
- Nocturnal Animals (2016)[65]
- A Kind of Murder (2016)[66]
- Split (2016)[67]
- Thoroughbreds (2017)[68]
- Gerald's Game (2017)[69]
- A Simple Favor (2018)[70]
- Eileen (2023)
Filmmakers
The following is a list of filmmakers who have directed multiple Hitchcockian films:
Films by country
Australia
France
- Les Diaboliques (1955)[81]
- Plein Soleil (1960)[82]
- The Bride Wore Black (1968)[83]
- La Piscine (1969)
- Mississippi Mermaid (1969)[83]
- Le Boucher (1970)[84]
- The Vanishing (1988)[85][86]
- Love Crime (2010)[87]
- Elle (2016)[88]
- Personal Shopper (2016)[89]
- L'Amant double (2017)[90]
Germany
India
- Andhadhun (2018)
- Sookshmadarshini (2024)
Italy
South Korea
- Mother (2009)[97]
- The Handmaiden (2016)[98]
- Decision to Leave (2022)[99]
Spain
United Kingdom
- Peeping Tom (1960)[101]
See also
References
External links
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