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Originally Posted by Graphiteta2s
hey Jet,
I did use a couple of silent films in my class. They were Blackmail and The Lodger. You probably know the background of the films even if you've never seen them. The Lodger is based on Jack the Ripper, a killer who only kills blonds Blackmail is about a woman who is raped and kills her attacker, but is blackmailed by another person.
I can tell you're a great fan of Hitchcock. One thing I'd like to add is that the violence towards women doesn't necessarily mean death or focused on the lead actress. It can be the overall feel of how he treats women in his films. As you rightly pointed out, for example, The Birds is filled with violence against women, with Annie Hayworth being killed and Melanie Daniels being tortured by the birds themselves. In Rear Window, Grace Kelley's character is abused by the killer when he roughs her up. She is also emotionally abused by James Stewart's character.
While it is true that possibly not all the lead actress are physically abused, they may be abused in other ways. Trauma can take on many forms. I will also agree that the trauma/abuse may not occur in every single Hitchcock film, but it is evident enough throughout a majority of his films to be considered a topic for study or discussion.
You must also consider how the film is shot and how he objectifies his female characters. The camera can cut as deep as a knife. These are just thoughts off the top of my head.
G
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You're right, I know other women were victims in his movies, and If women are meant to be objectified than they are because of the story. But I still don't see it as a separate facet, but suspense overall. Again, there's also males who are objectified, I think. And as far camera work, I thought it was really eventful most of the time, not just surrounding the scenes with women being murdered or victimized. I think it's interesting to note, for instance, the gun scene in Spellbound when Leo Carrol (Ithink its Leo Carrol, it's been awhile since I've seen it) points the gun at Ingrid Bergman, there's no rack focus as we look down the barrel, both the gun and Bergman are in focus, there was trick to it, but I forget how he did it. And putting a light in the glass of milk to make it look more menacing in Suspicion. The falling effects in Vertigo and so many other things. I think that's why call him the master of suspense,
all of what he did was suspense, including no music score or very litte the Birds and then using Bernard Herrman's eerie music in other films, And I have to say I Iove the music in Marnie and I added it to my collection. It's beautiful.