Alfred Hitchcock
Topic/ directions: Write an essay in which you define and offer an analysis of specific examples from the film clips and full movies shown during the first weekend of the class.
In your essay offer a consideration of the following points. The order in which you discuss these topics is up to you. The following list is not an outline of your essay, create you own outline, but somewhere in your essay you should touch on these points, in addition, I want your personal reaction to the films, what you found most interesting, entertaining, etc.
AVOID plot summary. Instead of describing the plot, use examples from the films to back-up the specific points you want to make. Again, include in your broader discussion these three specific points, then, add others points you would like to make. You will need to demonstrate in your first essay a working knowledge of the films fully screened in class.
1. Hitchcock’s understanding of “Pure Cinema” in which the camera serves as
the narrator of the film. Provide examples from films we studied.
2. How does Hitchcock understand “suspense” vs. “surprise? Give examples
3. How does the “MacGuffin” operate to distinguish between a film’s plot and
theme (that is, what is the film is about — what is the film “up-to” beyond its plot)? Provide examples from films studied in class.