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Alfred Hitchcock has been considered the acknowledged auteur master of the thriller or suspense genre, manipulating his audience's fears and desires, and taking viewers into a state of association with the representation of reality facing the character. No list of suspense or thriller films can be complete without mention of the English film-maker/director. He helped to shape the modern-day thriller genre. Although nominated five times as Best Director (from 1940-1960), Hitchcock never won an Academy Award. Filmsite's listing of Hitchcock's films include links to either a shorter illustrated review, and/or a lengthier analytical review (with poster illustrations) Hitchcock's films often placed an innocent victim (an average, responsible person) into a strange, life-threatening or terrorizing situation, or in a case of mistaken identity, misidentification or wrongful accusation. He also utilized various cinematic techniques (i.e., extreme zoom shots or pull-back shots, prolonged cross-cutting, virtuoso set-pieces, visually-expressive motifs, and montages). He would often interweave a taboo or sexually-related theme into his films (i.e., repressed memories, latent homosexuality, voyeurism, obsession, or a twisted Oedipus complex). In many of his films, there was the inevitable life and death chase concluding with a showdown at a familiar landmark. Additional links are provided below for Hitchcock's MacGuffins, and for his signature cameo appearances in most of his feature films. See also > > Alfred Hitchcock: MacGuffins, Alfred Hitchcock: Cameo Appearances |
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