Hitchcock's Motifs (Amsterdam University Press - Film Culture in Transition) PDF
Preview Hitchcock's Motifs (Amsterdam University Press - Film Culture in Transition)
* pb ‘Hitchcock’ 09-09-2005 13:17 Pagina 1 FFIILLMM FFIILLMM Among the abundant Alfred Hitchcock litera- ture, Hitchcock’s Motifshas found a fresh angle. Starting from recurring objects, settings, char- H acter-types and events, Michael Walker tracks I CCUULLTTUURREE T CCUULLTTUURREE some forty motifs, themes and clusters across C H the whole of Hitchcock’s work, including not C only all his 52 extant feature films but also IN TRANSITION O IN TRANSITION C representative episodes from his TV series. Con- K nections and deeper inflections that Hitchcock ’S HHiittcchhccoocckk’’ss fans may have long sensed or suspected can M now be seen for what they are: an intricately O T spun web of cross-references which gives this I F unique artist’s work the depth, consistency S MMoottiiffss and resonance that justifies Hitchcock’s place as probably the best known film M director ever. I C The book can be used as a mini-ency- H MMIICCHHAAEELL WWAALLKKEERR A clopaedia of Hitchcock’s motifs, but the in- E dividual entries give full attention also to L the wider social contexts, hidden sources W A and sometimes unconscious meanings L K present in the work and solidly linking it to E its time and place. R Michael Walker is an independent writer. On the editorial board of Moviemagazine, he has contributed to The Movie Book of Film Noir(1992) and The Movie Book of the Western(1996). ISBN90-5356-772-0 9 789053 567722 AAmmsstteerrddaamm UUnniivveerrssiittyy PPrreessss AAmmsstteerrddaamm UUnniivveerrssiittyy PPrreessss WWW.AUP.NL Hitchcock’sMotifs ’ Hitchcock s Motifs Michael Walker Cover illustration: (front) To Catch a Thief: Food motif. The picnic: Francie (Grace Kelly)andRobie(CaryGrantshareachicken.(back)posterforToCatchaThief Coverdesign:KokKorpershoek,Amsterdam Layout:japes,Amsterdam isbn(paperback) isbn(hardcover) nur ©AmsterdamUniversityPress,Amsterdam Allrightsreserved.Withoutlimitingtherightsundercopyrightreservedabove,nopart ofthisbookmaybereproduced,storedinorintroducedintoaretrievalsystem,ortrans- mitted,inanyformorbyanymeans(electronic,mechanical,photocopying,recordingor otherwise)withoutthewrittenpermissionofboththecopyrightownerandtheauthorof thebook. ForRobinWood,notonlyaseminalHitchcockcritic,butalsoafriend Contents Acknowledgements 13 Introduction 15 Part I Hitchcock, Motifs and Melodrama Introduction 25 Threemotifs 26 Homemovies Cigarettecase/lighter Milk MelodramaandHitchcock’smotifs 30 Anelaboratedmotif:theBedSceneinRebeccaandMarnie 35 Amelodramaticmotif:hands 43 Diagrammaticrepresentations 46 Overviewofthekeymotifs 50 Part II The Key Motifs BEDSCENE 57 Couplesandbeds Bedsandthepolice BLONDESANDBRUNETTES 69 Blondesversusbrunettes Blondallure/blondiconography Blondes,brunettesandviolence Blondes,brunettesandthepolice 8 Hitchcock’sMotifs CAMEOAPPEARANCES 87 Cameosandthepolice CHILDREN 98 Children’scameos Familymembers Childrenandviolence Childrenandthepolice CONFINEDSPACES 111 Bathroomsandwashrooms Confinementandconcealment Cagesandbars:fearsofimprisonment Washroomsandthepolice THECORPSE 123 Theheroines Theheroes Thevillains Corpsesandthepolice DOGSANDCATS 142 Dogsandthepolice DOUBLES 146 Doublesandthepolice ENDINGSANDTHEPOLICE 154 ENTRYTHROUGHAWINDOW 158 Entrythroughawindowandthepolice EXHIBITIONISM/VOYEURISM/THELOOK 164 EXHIBITIONISM/VOYEURISM SPYFILMS/THELOOK Exhibitionism,voyeurismandthepolice FOODANDMEALS 179 Foodandmarriage Foodandsex Foodandmurder Contents 9 Foodandguilt Chickensandeggs Tabletalkandfascism Foodandthepolice GUILTANDCONFESSION 201 Catholicovertones GuiltandHitchcock’svillains Transferenceofguilt Guilt,confessionandthepolice HANDCUFFSANDBONDAGE 214 HANDS 220 Malehands/femalehands Heldwrists Damagedhands Holdinghands Handsandthepolice HEIGHTSANDFALLING 238 Heights,fallingandthepolice HOMOSEXUALITY 248 Criticalpositions Gayundercurrents Espionageandthelook IvorNovello Homosexualityandthepolice JEWELLERY 262 Greed Status Femaledesire Femalebeauty/malepower Malemurderousness Jewelleryandthepolice KEYSANDHANDBAGS 269 KEYS Keysandhandbags
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