FILM 43.04 Hitchcock
This course examines important Hitchcock films produced in both the UK and the US, from three perspectives:
Hitchcock as a cinematic pioneer, an innovator in film form and style;
Hitchcock as an auteur whose thematic and aesthetic concerns link his films in overt and covert ways; and
Hitchcock’s films as cultural documents that engage deeply with questions of democracy, individual rights versus communal concerns, mass culture, sexuality, and gender.
Critical and theoretical texts on Hitchcock (including historical, feminist, and theoretical interpretations of his work) will be read and discussed along with the films. Your work will be evaluated based on your application of concepts and interpretive strategies from the readings to Hitchcock’s work, your ability to develop productive research questions about his films, and your curiosity, scholarly energy, and creativity. Participation in daily discussions is mandatory.