Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection: Part 2

There are two Hitchcock films that I have seen which are not included in the collection of which I am writing about.  I have differing opinions on them that could easily change upon rewatch.  The first of the two is Dial M For Murder which I quite like.  It has a rather confined setting that keeps the tension compact.  This type of suspense can be just as meaningful as using different landscapes.  There are different ways to use different spaces to achieve a similar goal.  The other movie is Strangers on a Train.  This is a Hitchcock movie that really does not do a whole lot for me.  I appreciate what it is trying, and I like it, but the climax loses me.  I could like it more on a rewatch.  Who knows?  It could happen.

All other Hitchcock movies that I have seen are included in the Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece Collection.  The first that I saw was Psycho.  This was a great introduction to the man as it played into my liking of the horror genre, while also allowing me to get a feel for how Hitchcock played with suspense and psychology.  Since then, I’ve been a fan of Hitchcock’s.  He’s got a wide array of films, playing into many different genres.  Each movie that I watch within the collection, I see another side of Alfred Hitchcock.

Speaking of the collection, let’s get onto five more movies from the collection and what I think of each of them.  Once again, this is in no specific order, though there is an underlying commonality to some of the movies.

Psycho

Like I said already, this is the first Hitchcock movie that I saw.  I saw it because I like horror movies and it’s influential on the genre.  Starting out as a crime thriller, the movie takes an unexpected turn into a series of horrific events.  The most notable thing that wouldn’t spoil the film is that it is shot in black and white.  This creates a darker sort of mood that is slightly unsettling when in combination with the material.  It’s an interesting choice and helps make the film that much better.  The other thing that makes Psycho an unsettling film is how Hitchcock was able to tap into the psychology of it all.  From Janet Leigh’s character (the name is eluding me right now) to Norman Bates, this movie analyzes them in an interesting way.  I’d surely put this near the top of Hitchcock’s works.

Vertigo

This is perhaps the best Hitchcock film, Vertigo is also the best psychological examination of the entire Alfred Hitchcock Masterpiece collection.  Jimmy Stewart gives a brilliant performance as a man suffering from a severe fear of heights.  As a viewer, you feel this fear as well.  This is due to a great zoom effect that Hitchcock used to represent the feeling of vertigo.  Add into the mix that the character feels that his vertigo caused the death of someone else, and you get a great on screen representation of his internal strife.  There is much more to this movie, which is considered by many people to be one of the greatest films ever made, but you need to see it to fully understand.  Vertigo is a masterpiece.

Marnie

This movie also fits into the same psychological template as the other two in this post.  Marnie is about a female thief who fears the colour red and meets a man who wants to solve the questions of why she steals and why she is afraid of red.  It’s an interesting look at a woman’s psyche and psychology in general.  There are, of course, deeper intricacies within the plot, but on a surface level, that about describes it.  I’m still not sure what the chain of events in the movie is, exactly, or how one thing led to another.  However, in the end, I was left satisfied.  I’m going to need to rewatch this sometime.  I’m sure I will get more out of it upon a second viewing.

The Trouble With Harry

Something I hadn’t seen prior to owning this box set was a Hitchcock directed comedy.  This movie is just that.  And true to what you would expect of a Hitchcock comedy, it is a dark comedy.  By dark, I mean the comedy, not the landscape.  What you see in the film is beautifully colourful.  The movie is a comedy about what a bunch of people are going to do with a dead body.  You don’t tend to get much darker than a dead body comedy.  There is suspense, comedy, and some great style to a movie that could easily have been a dud.  The more I think about it, the more I like it.

Family Plot

I’m glad that this movie exists.  Hitchcock helped to share an enjoyable cat and mouse story with elements of dark humor, in much a different way than I’ve previously seen from him.  This final film from Hitchcock showed that he still had it in him to give great output, and leaves me sad that it is his final film.  Though not as famous or popular as his 50s and 60s work, Family Plot is still a strong movie that I will go back and watch many times.