A Filmmaker's Guide to: 10 Films by Alfred Hitchcock

Alfred Hitchcock is possibly remembered as the greatest director of the suspense film to ever live. The reason being is not because he was the first director of modern and visual horror/thriller, but rather that he was the most innovative with his storylines, adaptations and filmmaking techniques. For those of you who know his films well, you can see some great cinematography in films like "Rear Window" (1954) where we get POV shots when James Stewart is looking through the telescope. Some great shadowing comes into play in "Vertigo" (1958) to symbolise duality and yes, the amazing tension building of the film "Psycho" (1960) is accentuated by what we today would call 'shock horror'.

Each of these films contains something that progressed our route to horror and thriller film today and with this, I would like to suggest to you my top ten films directed by Alfred Hitchcock that do just that:

10 Films by Alfred Hitchcock

1. Strangers on a Train (1951)

Personally, this is my favourite Hitchcock film because of the style of filming. The cinematography is not just brilliant, but it is also very clever. With the Tennis Court scene and the Carousel scene standing high above the rest, this film has given suspense and thriller films a massive push in the right direction.

2. Psycho (1960)

Admittedly, when I was a young child I was absolutely terrified of the ending to this film - it really just repulsed me in every way but I endured. Obviously, there have been many films dedicated to the incredible characterisation that we see in this film. Everything from "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) in the murdering of young woman, through to "The Conjuring Universe" in its use of shadow and darkness, has taken inspiration from this classic in some way, shape or form.

3. Vertigo (1958)

Possibly one of the most incredible films ever made, "Vertigo" (1958) has inspired suspense and identity thrillers everywhere since its release. Uses of shadowing, light and dark, and obviously the use of heights has made quite a few things possible for films such as "The Fly" (1986) and "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991) especially through its use of tone contrasting.

4. The Birds (1963)

A film that inspired the scene of "The Conjuring" (2015) where the birds circulate the house at great speed, this film is an icon of horror through its use of visuals. From the key scene where Tippi Hedren finds the man with his eyes pecked out which probably had something on the opening scene to "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre" (1974) through to the tempo of the film that would make a massive impact on all horror films to come. It was no longer about just slow tension building, this is fast and this is violent.

5. To Catch a Thief (1955)

It was the thriller to end all thrillers, a robber in the midst and a man accused of something he supposedly did not do. He enlists to not only help find the thief but also tries to avoid false imprisonment by the police who think it was him all along. This suspense and chase film would come to be relative to the later "Catch Me If You Can" (2002) and has had since, a huge impact on the way criminals are viewed on screen.

6. Rebecca (1940)

An adaptation of the novel by Daphne Du Maurier - it was not only a book that changed thriller and suspense but when Alfred Hitchcock made it into a film starring Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine, it would change thriller cinema as well. One thing I always found interesting was the use of wind in this film, the blowing wind to symbolise tension and ghostly activity would be imitated by a lot of horror/thriller films to come.

7. Dial M for Murder (1954)

Through the use of atmosphere in this film, especially considering the music, it would come to not only influence the way in which we hear a film but also the way in which we understand the motives behind certain characters. The character of Grace Kelly nearly always has an unnerving vibe around her. The sense of dramatic irony rises in the fact that the audience knows what may happen to her. An influence played out in many thriller films through the 2000s especially.

8. Rear Window (1954)

Now, we all love the way the telescope scenes are filmed in POV shots, but what about what we see instead of the way we see it. The back and forth nature of the film that is repetitive as hell but is built up through speed, music and character. This influence can be found in nearly every modern crime film to date. The back and forth nature being most prominent in films such as: "The Silence of the Lambs" (1991).

9. Stage Fright (1950)

A natural classic crime film set in the theatrical stages of America comes to work into its midst a natural usage of shadow, distance and space/levelling techniques which are promoted by using the space around the stages. Coming to put its influence over many films set in natural large indoor locations such as universities etc. The spatial awareness of this film transcends the genre entirely.

10. The Man Who Knew too Much (1934)

Yes, I'm going with the first version and not the second and here's why: the first version I found, is far more natural and because it is the first version, the remake obviously takes inspiration from it and therefore, is not the first of its kind by any degree. The various techniques considering claustrophobia are different to those used in "Stage Fright" (1950) but make way for our understanding of cramped indoor spaces. If you take the scene in which the child runs away to the roof of the house, you will be pleasantly surprised.