Hitchcock's Motifs (Amsterdam University Press - Film Culture in Transition)

493 Pages·2006·4.68 MB·English

by  Michael Walker

* 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 