Greetings again from the darkness. It takes a cinephile and documentarian of Mark Cousins ability to pull off such a treat for other cinephiles, especially fans of “The Master of Suspense.” This felt like a two-hour geek-out that I wished would never end. Of course, the early title card that read “Written and Voiced by Alfred Hitchcock” tipped us that this would be no ordinary biopic. It’s been more than 40 years since Hitchcock died (1980 at age 80), and his career spanned 1925 through 1976. His oeuvre firmly established his place among the greatest filmmakers, featuring at least eight all-time classics.
Alistair McGowan provides the voice acting that so closely mimics that instantly recognizable Hitchcock oratory prowess, and Cousins infuses the necessary sly wit that we came to expect during Hitchcock’s TV work (unmentioned here). Perhaps no other filmmaker has had their film work so thoroughly analyzed over the year, and yet Cousins brilliantly adapts a new approach. He structures the analysis via 6 categories, and then proceeds to provide archival footage and film clips as ‘proof’ as ‘Hitch’ guides us through.
These categories include:
- Escape – the segment shows various characters in different stages of trying or needing to remove themselves from a particular situation, often danger. This is the longest segment and emphasizes Hitch’s use of ‘opening a door’ to welcome viewers inside the movie.
- Desire – pretty much the opposite of ‘escape’, this reinforces the power of lust, desire, and sex to motivate a character’s actions.
- Loneliness – this segment is a mashup of loneliness, solitude, and discomfort – kind of a catch-all category of those all alone in a moment.
- Time or Timing – the proverbial race against the clock is sometimes quite real for characters in suspense or mystery films. Cutting it a bit too close qualifies as well.
- Fulfillment – an unusual segment in that it mentions love and then focuses on the personal life of Alfred and his wife (and collaborator) Alma. Shown are their London townhouse, their country estate outside of London, and their U.S. home in Santa Cruz, California.
- Height – back to film analysis, we see the frequent use of going high with the camera and shooting down at the scene. It’s a useful lesson in how the camera is a tool for the director.
I have purposefully not included the film titles with clips utilized for each category so as not to spoil the surprises and dull the impact. You should know that the clips fit perfectly, making this a nice film technique education, as well as a different approach to viewing Hitchcock movies. I believe the only two other directors mentioned here are Bergman and Murnau, both of whom influenced Hitchcock – just as Hitchcock has influenced so many filmmakers since. Cousins does forego any mention of the questionable persona and actions that have been associated with Hitchcock over the years, and that’s likely because this documentary wants us zeroed in on techniques that make up Hitchcock films. It’s difficult to imagine any Hitchcock fan not finding this to be a hypnotic experience of learning and appreciation.
In select theaters in NYC and Los Angeles on October 25, 2024
Movie Reviews from the Dark 
An excellent documentary review. I’ve never heard of this movie before but your review has compelled me to see it. I’m a huge fan of Alfred Hitchcock and adore all the movies which the Master of Suspense has made throughout his bold career. I find his personal life to have been a mystery. I’m very interested in seeing this documentary to gain a greater understanding of one of my favourite artists in the world. Recently, I had a chance to make a list of my all time favourite Hitchcock films. Since he is the subject of this documentary, I thought I would share it here.
Here’s my favourite Hitchcock movies of all time:
I like your Hitchcock list and someday I plan to do a comprehensive reivew/rating of his entire canon. Even his films that some consider ‘lesser’, I tend to enjoy.