‘Vertigo’ (1960), and an Exploration into Alfred Hitchcock as an Auteur

Alfred Hitchcock is universally known as perhaps one of the greatest auteurs of all time. From his distinctive motifs both narratively and aesthetically, his work is not only instantly recognisable, but used as reference points for countless pieces of cinema since his time.

‘Vertigo’, possibly one of Hitchcock’s most famous films, is perhaps the greatest depiction of Hitchcock’s prowess as an auteur. Practically every aspect of what makes a film recognisable as his is present:

The somewhat domineering maternal character, teetering on the edge of some odd romantic tension (seen throughout his works, “Mother” in Psycho (1960), , etc) presents herself in the form of Midge, a headstrong woman who cares deeply for the main character of Scottie (portrayed by everyman James Stewart). Though the character isn’t technically a mother, she does go so far as to say, “” at one point when comforting the protagonist. So in short, Alfred Hitchcock had mommy issues.

The ‘Hitchcock blonde’ seen in the character of Madeleine/Judy, in a somewhat self-aware reflection on the auteur’s obsession with blondes. The letter written/narrated by Judy after battling with Scottie’s insatiable desire for her to appear more as the effigy of his dead lover perfectly sums up the contextual attitudes of Hollywood and its attitudes towards women within the star persona. A woman desperate to be seen for herself, not for what others want her to be.

The stairs! The pinnacle point of the plot, the area of Scottie’s downfall, and of course, Madeleine/Judy’s far more literal downfall. Stairs present themselves as an ongoing aesthetic quality in Hitchcock films, with the director having said, “Stairs are very photogenic.” when being asked about them by French filmmaker François Truffaut.

Finally, the motif of voyeurism as a thematic plot point. Hitchcock, both on and off set, was known for having certain voyeuristic tendencies, from including holes in the walls of hotel rooms in his films, (Psycho, 1960) to drilling real holes on the sets to peep on his leading ladies. Not to mention the fact that films like Rear Window (1954) revolve entirely around the concept of voyeurism and people watching.

Vertigo is a perfect example of a more self-aware and active spectatorship experience into the idea of voyeurism. The viewer is subconsciously called upon to go through a fraction of what they themselves, as well as Hollywood as a whole, make women go through in order to fit their ridiculous standards of beauty in order to be accepted, and indeed loved. The plot revolves around a man tracking a woman in the beginning, within the guise of his being hired to protect her. Yet, inevitably, he becomes deeply infatuated with her, to the point of obsession after her perceived death. The casting of Jimmy Stewart in this was a very deliberate and purposeful choice. His star persona of the ‘everyman’ made him relatable to audiences, forcing them to align themselves with him and therefore become slightly more aware of the possible criticism of their actions towards women in Hollywood.

Genre Analysis – Sci-Fi

Essay Version

Science Fiction. Outer space, aliens, the threat of the unknown: All familiar parts of a well-loved genre.

This idea of well-established tropes and ideologies fits with Colin McArthur’s theories on defining genre through certain iconic or easily recognisable aspects, usually visual, of the landscape the characters exist in within a group of films. For sci-fi, this could be the scrolling text seen in the Star Wars franchise, which has become such an easily recognisable feature of the genre that it’s been parodied and pastiched countless times. It could also be the ever-present nature of chrome and metallic tones (seen plentifully in films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, or Ex Machina) or any number of other tropes, such as:

Genre Tropes of Sci-Fi

• Outer space as a location
• Lasers
• Aliens
• Spaceships
• Space battles
• Robots
• AI
• The future as a setting
• Chrome/Silver
• RGB colour schemes
• Slime

Another method in which you could define sci-fi could be through Schatz’ theory of conflict vs. consensus. Whilst I personally think this theory has very little stead in the concept of genre (there are far too many variations in plot and sub-genre to validate the idea that there could be merely two types of genre.), it could be argued that most sci-fi films would fall under the ‘conflict’ category, as most sci-fi films tend to involve the overarching themes of a battle or confrontation of some sorts rather than the idea of consensus. For example, the plot of Alien revolving around the fight between the crew of the USCSS Nostromo and the Xenomorph. Conversely, it could be argued that many sci-fi narratives, such as the iconic War of the Worlds, hold the themes of consensus through the idea of humanity -or a community- coming together to defeat a hostile force. Even still, this contains both conflict and consensus as central thematic points within the plot, therefore I feel Scatz’ theory does not necessarily come into play much in defining sci-fi, or any, genre.

Tom Ryall’s theory of genre coming from the relationship between filmmakers intentions, audience behaviour & the industry, I think is particularly evident in science fiction. For years, sci-fi has been used as a metaphor and tool for sociopolitical issues in darkly satirical ways, such as George Orwell’s (and director Michael Radford’s) 1984. 

This concept of where genre comes from within the confines of science fiction could be argued that by viewing our own issues as a society from a more metaphorical and fictitious 3rd party perspective could provide almost a ‘wake-up call’, or a way to force the spectator to address and actively think about issues within the real world, the concept of AI within sci-fi being a perfect example of this (2001: A Space Odyssey, Ex Machina, Bladerunner, etc). Despite this theory’s use, it could also be argued that multiple pre-existing genres share many of the same intentions from the director, posing the question of the need for newly created genres and sub-genres, like social sci-fi or anthropological sci-fi (much of which explores the aforementioned concept of AI.). Could we instead view these as two separate ways of defining genre? Societal and historical factors as well as the filmmaker’s intentions and other external variables.

Speaking of the melding and creation of newer genres, we arrive at Steve Neal’s theory on ideology, identity and society and their effects on genre. Neal argues that genre is not so much about the categorisation of films, as opposed to the melding and flexibility of genres, as previously mentioned. This would heavily support the concept of sub-genres and genre merging, an aspect highly prevalent in sci-fi films (sci-fi horror, sci-fi thriller, etc).

As far as the concepts of how ideologies, identity and society fit into the definition and classification of genres, we must examine the applications the narrative can have not simply to individuals, but to be understood widely.

• A set of ideals applicable to a certain group of people, particularly for epistemic(knowledge related), or sociopolitical reasons.

Rick Altman’s analysis of genre calls upon postmodernism and its roles within genre. Postmodernism includes the use of a more playful tone, intertextuality and the referencing of inspirations or other source materials (e.g. films, novels, people, etc). There is often also an element of self-awareness and reflexivity within postmodernist cinema, as well as a deliberate blending of genre. Postmodernist film is seen by many as the artist’s film, requiring previous knowledge of films and media referenced to understand and appreciate the content.

Perhaps the most prevalent modern example of somewhat postmodernist sci-fi could be the hit Netflix series Stranger Things, which constantly references media particularly from the 1980s, as well as the tabletop RPG game Dungeons and Dragons (The ‘demogorgon’ from Stranger Things shares the name of a monster from D&D, but pretty much no physical resemblance). D&D had great rapport with nerds and geeks of the 80s, as well as finding its way slightly more into the mainstream of today’s media, with shows like Critical Role gaining traction and fame, undoubtedly partially to do with the intertextuality of Stranger Things.

The danger with such referencing, as seen in the most recent series of Stranger Things is the possibility of falling into the romanticisation of certain harmful tropes from those eras. An example of this could be in the character of Hopper’s alcoholism and treatment of women, which harks back to earlier tropes in masculinity within the sci-fi and action genres alike, seen in films like Bladerunner. This has since been criticised by audiences for its potentially dangerous implications.

Finally, the last element of genre I will be touching upon is that of parody and pastiche, parody being a more light-hearted, but sometimes critical take on a genre (examples within sci-fi being things like Futurama (1999-2013), Spaceballs (1987), and Paul (2011)), with pastiche being more paying homage to in a referential sense. Since sci-fi has so many distinct tropes and such a wide, yet often stereotyped and targeted audience, it’s often seen as an easily parody-able area of cinema.

Film on Film

A kino-eye experiment into the voyeurism of film

I chose to create my 1 minute short from the angle of a camera attempting to learn human functions through a sort of paranoia-inducing voyeurism. Inspiration was taken from practitioners like Tscherkassky (notably in the eyes and double exposures) and Buñuel, whilst also inserting my own preference on working with multiple aspect ratios  and the human form.

I wanted my film to disturb the spectator. If someone watched it and wanted to look away, but couldn’t, that would’ve been the perfect outcome for me. Much like the within famous eyeball slitting sequence from Buñuel and Dalí’s film, Un Chien Andalou. 

Often, I tend to find myself fascinated with filming in the strange witching hours of the morning, as I find that’s when my creative and subconscious brain is at its most active, leading me to what I think can be the most visually stimulation ideas that lend themselves to spectators questioning themselves and their viewing experience. For this piece, I think this element of thought process and production shows through particularly strongly.

Since the file size is too big to upload here, I’ll whack a link in to the film on YouTube:

(TW: mild gore, mild nudity)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y43O9yBv3Og

Have an unsettling time :b

Characterisation

Character building!

Ah, the creation of a brand new person, thing; creature; being, on a page. I chose to build my little person in the shape of Laila-Daisy, the protagonist of my 5 minute short film ‘good monster’. A feisty, headstrong, yet small for her age, 8-ish year old girl, who, after the monster under the bed does an unsuccessful job of scaring her, makes it her mission to befriend him instead.

good monster – page 1

^^ screenshot from the correctly formatted screenplay ^^

1. 1. INT. BEDROOM. NIGHTTIME.We opens with a montage of paraphernalia from a clearly very adventurous child’s room. A wooden sword, a ramshackle bow complete with a small quiver of colourful arrows, drawings of monsters and stick people don the walls, etc. We also see a patch-clad, blanket-fort-esque wigwam in the corner of the room, in which sits our protagonist, LAILA-DAISY(LD). She’s focused, tongue sticking out, surrounded by bright pens and stationery, scribbling onto various pieces of paper around her.All seems pretty normal right? Well you would think that, until we see an orange stripy tail flick out from under the bed; a menacing sort of otherworldly growl following suit.LD looks up, surprised, but sees nothing, and so carries on with her writing/drawing (suspiciously keeping half an eye on under the bed).Sure enough, a few moments later, another tail flick appears. This time, our brave little protagonist grabs a pen, brandishing it like a sword. She stares at where the tail was before scurrying over. Sits by the bed for a second. Assesses the underside of bed. Seems satisfactory. Assuming nothing was there, still with a hint of curiosity, she climbs into bed. Waits a few seconds. Nothing.

      Checks again. Nothing.

      Now, I said a hint of curiosity -I lied- LD is still choc full of suspicion. Not fear; suspicion. Assembling her arsenal for the night, she grabs a handful of her pens and drawings, and (after a second of consideration) her wooden sword, before scrambling into bed. Maybe it is safe for now.

Evaluation

I feel as though I did a good job of establishing Laila-Daisy’s character through the way she acts, as well as the general tone of the story itself. It reads as playful and storybook-like, fitting with the whimsical themes of monsters under the bed and childlike imagination. In the future, I’d like to try experimenting more with dialogue, even if character can certainly be established without. Other genres would also be a good thing to try out in my opinion, as at the moment I’ve only really written psychological horrors and dramas, and this sort of fantasy.

45 second short film

• Brief:
  • Realism, almost documentary, referential of old actualities
  • One shot
  • May tilt & pan but that’s it
  • Subject matter deliberately mundane

Evaluation

Okay so, I may have slightly gone beyond the brief, particularly in the fact that I used focus pulling in the form of my camera’s autofocus. Oops.

Regardless, I liked how I used the mirror in the short, in that it added a little more pizzazz and fancy to what was, and is, a mundane scenario: Someone dancing to themselves in their bedroom.

Whilst my original plan was slightly more artsy and actual, (simply my walking towards a camera, walking around it, and playing a video as if I was showing the camera.) I decided that I’d utilise my good mood and want for a little Beatles boogie into a small snippet of film. I loved how I could play with angles and framing without using multiple shots, whilst still making it interesting for the spectator.

I also like the rule of thirds framing I used; having my face in the opening and subsequent close ups, moving to the right third in the mirror mid-long-shots, ending up more centrally. I feel like it gave the spectator a good flow to follow, making it a more interesting viewing experience.

The visual effects of the sepia tones and noise were added to try and emulate the visuals of earlier actualities, as well as vinyl crackle underneath the song, which I felt added another, older element to the film to contrast with the more modern techniques of focus pulling, however you can still clearly see that it’s a digital film. Should I create another short in the same actuality early cinema style, I think I would probably use a slightly less modern camera, maybe my Canon IXUS 950 IS, so as to limit the polished and sharper aesthetic of the video.

Glossary Terms

Genre

• A set of certain conventions and tropes that are used to group films, e.g. action, horror, comedy

Mise en scene

• The little things in film
• Scenery, props, etc
• Adds meaning; often subconscious
  • e.g. blue meaning sad, or a crib suggesting the presence of a baby

Shot reverse shot

• Simple cut between two shots
• Usually between two character looking at each other
• Almost always uses 180 degree rule for continuity

Pan/Track/Zoom/Tilt

• Camera movements (illutstrate)
• Pan ← → 
• Track → o → o
• Zoom o → O
• Tilt ^^

Psychoanalysis

• Looking at the meaning of film in relation to the psyche and how it makes the characters and/or spectators feel & react and why
• Psychoanalytic Film Theory

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoanalytic_film_theory 

• https://web.archive.org/web/20110528044613/http://www.nettonet.org/Nettonet/Film%20Program/theory/psycho_theory.htm 

• Uses research of Freud & Jacques Lacan
• Closely related to critical theory, Marxist film theory & Appartus theory

Suture

• Allows the spectator to forget that it’s the camera doing the ‘looking’

The gaze https://medium.com/truly-social/yes-theres-such-a-thing-as-a-female-gaze-but-it-s-
Not-what-you-think-d27be6fc2fed

• Male Gaze – Laura Mulvey
• Rise of the female gaze in modern cinema

Audience

Representation

• How well and fairly different groups, people & issues are portrayed within film
• Also how well and fairly they are treated for their work, e.g. Oscars whitewashing issues

Montage

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtnTs90knro (Eisenstein’s 5 methods of montage)

Reception Theory & Spectatorship

• Active vs passive Spectatorship