Oh this one had to come sooner or later -- a rant about the fact that one of the greatest ever Directors, the colourful Alfred Hitchcock, managed to finish his career with ZERO oscars, after five times of trying. What's even worse is that he wasn't nominated for Vertigo. Lunacy. - Rebecca (1940)
- Lifeboat (1944)
- Spellbound (1945)
- Rear Window (1954)
- Psycho (1960)
Now, of all of these performances (some of which I haven't seen), the one that illuminates brightest, is his masterful guidance
of the 1954 classic (and in my opinion the best of the Hitchcock collection thus far) Rear Window. The amount of sheer drama that AH manages to input into such an essentially static and confined narrative is awe-inspiring. I was with the characters at every moment. I felt involved.
I've mentioned Hitchock's nom snub for Vertigo being shameful, and indeed it is, as it contains some of the most haunting shots. The composition as a whole is incredible. I literally couldn't keep my eyes off the screen. Of course, another nom snub that is difficult to comprehend is 1958's North By Northwest, which is very much more focused on narrative than dramatic effect but still demonstrates the great man's ability highlighted in the plane scene in the middle of the film. Other brilliant directions include Psycho (1960) and Marnie (1965): So where's his Oscar?
Watch out for a poll asking for your favourite Hitchock flick. You've plenty of choice anyway.
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