Alfred Bester

In Hitchcock’s films there were recurring themes like, suspense, the ordinary person and a staircase, that dominated in most of his films. These themes were able to better the overall storytelling of his films, because they added more depth to his films. One of the first themes that Hitchcock uses is one that he is known for and that is suspense. In his films Hitchcock uses suspense instead of just surprising the audience is because surprise will just assault the audience with some frightening…

Steven Spielberg as Inspired by Frank Capra Throughout the short history of film, many directors have arisen that stand out in history. These directors have defined generations and created lasting legacies. These legacies carry on to future directors of future generations; be it the techniques used by directors, or the ideas and themes in their films. One such director that has been credited as an influence for a modern director is, Frank Capra, who inspired the works of Steven Spielberg. Steven…

Anxiety, tension and uncertainty are words that directly relate to the ‘master of suspense’ himself. Alfred Hitchcock uses the elements of mise en scene and sound to build up tension and uncertainty, leaving the audience on the edge of their seats. Alfred Hitchcock has created many great thrillers, but Psycho is a prime example of a well-executed thriller. The lighting and sound are complemented with costuming and exquisite camera work. Two key scenes in the movie of Psycho that best portray…

Hitchcock had many other technical devices that he used in order to grab the viewers’ attention, such as having the audience as a voyeur and the MacGuffin. Hitchcock used voyeurism to blur the lines between the innocent and the guilty, as well to put the audience in a position in which they become personally engaged with the characters of the film. Having the audience as a voyeur, was able to put the viewers in the film as a sense just watching a movie. The viewers were in a way transplanted in…

Something the Lord Made The film "Something the Lord Made" directed by nominated and award winning director, Joseph Sargent tells the true story of Dr. Alfred Blalock (Alan Rickman), a cardiologist and Surgeon, and his young African American Surgical Technician Vivien Thomas (Mos Def), who cooperate as a team using medical research and experimentation to find a cure to cyanosis or in other words known as the blue baby syndrome. The impact on medicine that the two heart surgeon pioneers will…

of your seat until the very last moment, when the mystery is solved, and all is well in the world of the characters. Sadly, most suspense movies of today rely more on special effects than quality acting and dialogue. This is true when it comes to Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Rear Window and its 2007 remake Disturbia. While both movies are interesting and suspenseful, Disturbia failed to capture the charm of its predecessor. In Rear Window, James Steward plays L.B. Jefferies, a photographer who…

The only source of light within the parlour comes from a small table lamp. Marion positions herself and takes a seat to the left of the lamp allowing for her to be well lit (as seen in Figure 1). She looks to be glowing slightly due to the considered key lighting. Although she has stollen money from her employer, she isn’t depicted as a ‘bad’ person through the cinematography being executed. Marion being portrayed as if engulfed in high key lighting suggests redemption, as the audience discover…

How many movie directors have you heard of? Well, you simply must have heard the name Tim Burton in that mix. He is a famed director who is well known for his use of fantasy, innocence, and horror that is included in each movie he has creates. Tim Burton has been inspired by many people like Edgar Allen Poe, Dr. Seuss, Vincent Van Gogh, and many more. From all of these people he has been inspired by, he was influenced to create an unusual and unique style. Three movies I have chosen to analyze…

Lakeview Terrace, a thriller directed by Neil LaBute in 2008, features Abel Turner (Samuel L. Jackson), an LAPD officer who terrorizes the newlywed interracial couple in Chris Mattson (Patrick Wilson) and Lisa Mattson (Kerry Washington), who recently purchased their first home and are the newest neighbors of the local policeman. Abel Turner is highly uncomfortable with the relationship of his newest neighbors, disapproving of the courtship between a Caucasian male and an African American female.…

neighbors, Lars Thorwald, murdered his own wife. He sets out to solve the case with the help of his fiancee and nurse, and discovers the stories of the other tenants around him while procuring evidence in this unique mystery thriller directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Throughout the film, Hitchcock employed some fascinating techniques and utilized organic and new ideas to create a rich, suspenseful film. The three aspects of the film that stood out were his use of music and sound design, his point…