The Best of Alfred Hitchcock (part 1)

For the last 5 weeks, I have been in London, studying the films of the British "master of suspense", Alfred Hitchcock. Hitchcock is one of the best filmmakers of of his time, making spy thrillers, horrors and psychological dramas. What makes him even better than his colleagues is his ability to add bits of humor into his pictures--in fact, the more times you see one of his movies, the funnier they become. Hitchcock was and is today the filmgoer's director--he gave us what we want (thrills, laughs, big stars) and gave it to us in the most unique way.

Having made 53 unique films, Hitchcock is not the kind of director who makes it easy to rank his films. Even his "bad" movies (both versions of The Man Who Knew Too Much, Marnie) are fun to watch and analyze. But, nonetheless, I have decided to rank his Top 10 as a way to help newcomers enter his world.

10 Strangers on a Train (1951)

*Farley Granger, Robert Walker and Ruth Roman

While this film certainly isn't a masterpiece, it's still a very thrilling drama. There's just something off about it. I think it's the performances which never seem to take the film to the level it wants to go to. But the film does have some beautifully executed sequences such as Miriam's death scene early in the film as well as a very tense tennis match later on. It's just that, unlike most Hitchcock films, this one doesn't reward those who view it multiple times. But it's still enjoyable that first time.

9. The Birds (1963)

*'Tippi' Hedren, Rod Taylor, Jessica Tandy and Suzanne Pleshette

While I am a fan of this movie and will defend it tirelessly, there is something that's stopping it from being a true horror classic: a proper leading man. Because this is a film about a horror that can't be stopped, there is nothing for Taylor to do besides try to protect his women from an unstoppable force. It doesn't help that Taylor is just not Cary Grant or James Stewart. In any case, the film offers a few legit scary scenes like both times the birds attack the children or when the birds are trying to literally claw their way into the Brenner home. I also love how you can take the bird attacks as a metaphor for almost anything.

8. North by Northwest (1959)

*Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason

This is the ultimate Hitchcock thriller-comedy. It's funny, suspensful, dangerous and full of classic lines and characters. This film was meant to be a lightweight, meaningless thrill-fest after the heavy Vertigo the year before. But in the last 51 years, it has become one of Hitchcock's most studied films. I think that is specifically because Hitchcock wanted it to be an easy film to shoot and watch. It's full of all the devices and imagery that Hitchcock used before--thus making the "Hitchcock picture to end all Hitchcock pictures".

7. Rebecca (1940)

*Joan Fontaine, Laurence Olivier and Judith Anderson

Trapped in a an opressive Gothic mansion, the 2nd Mrs. De Winter (whose name isn't given) must live under the shadow of Rebecca, the first Mrs. De Winter. Rebecca is the epitome of beauty, sophistication, class and wit--and the house's new bride is anything but. This film, a proper Gothic romance, is amazing because it makes us feel as claustrophobic as Fontaine's character, even though she's living in a gigantic palatial home. The ghost of Rebecca suffocates us and envelops us into her domestic drama right along with Joan Fontaine. This is definitely a must-see for those looking for a different Hitchcock.

6. Psycho (1960)

*Anthony Perkins, Vera Miles, Scott Gavin and Janet Leigh

Despite the fact that there are a ton of jokes hidden within the corners of this classic film, I find this movie to be more of a tragedy than a horror film. The two protagonists, Marion and Norman, are both people imprisoned by their lives. Any attempt to escape just ends in, well, murder. The genius of this film is that some scenes are still scary, even after seeing them many times. For instance, when Lila goes through Mother's room, it's a very tense and nervous atmosphere and that's what it makes it scary. You just don't know what's going to happen!

The Best of Alfred Hitchcock #5-1 coming up!