HitchcockAny book-length interview with Alfred Hitchcock is valuable, but considering that this volume's interlocutor is fellow director François Truffaut, the conversation is remarkable indeed. Here is a rare opportunity to eavesdrop on two cinematic masters from very different backgrounds as they cover each of Hitch's films in succession. Though this book was initially published in 1967 when Hitchcock was still active, Truffaut later prepared a revised edition that covered the final stages of his career. The book is a storehouse of insight and witticism, including the master's impressions of a classic like Rear Window ("I was feeling very creative at the time, the batteries were well charged"), his technical insight into Psycho's shower scene ("the knife never touched the body; it was all done in the [editing]"), and his ruminations on flops such as Under Capricorn ("If I were to make another picture in Australia today, I'd have a policeman hop into the pocket of a kangaroo and yell 'Follow that car!'"). |
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actors Alfred Hitchcock Alma Reville American Anyway asked audience birds British camera cameraman Capricorn Cary Grant characters cinema Claude Rains close-up colour Confess crime dialogue director dist distributed dramatic emotion fact feel fiancée film film-maker FRANÇOIS TRUFFAUT German girl goes Grace Kelly happened hero Hollywood husband idea Ingrid Bergman instance interesting Jack James Stewart Janet Leigh John killer killing knife Lady Vanishes Lifeboat Lodger London look MacGuffin Marnie Melanie Michael Balcon mother movie murder never North by Northwest Notorious novel Number Paradine picture play police Psycho realise Rear Window Rebecca remember Robert scene screen screenplay script secret Selznick sequence shooting shot simply someone sound story studio suspense talking tell there's Thirty-nine Steps train turns Vertigo viewer villain wanted Warner who's whole thing wife woman young