Alfred Hitchcock

who was he? what did he do? when did he do it?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock

Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE (13 August 1899 – 29 April 1980)[1] was an English filmmaker and producer.[2] He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in his native United Kingdom in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood. In 1956 he became an American citizen while remaining a British subject.
Over a career spanning more than half a century, Hitchcock fashioned for himself a distinctive and recognisable directorial style.[3] Viewers are made to identify with the camera which moves in a way meant to mimic a person's gaze, forcing viewers to engage in a form of voyeurism.[4] He framed shots to manipulate the feelings of the audience and maximise anxiety, fear, or empathy, and used innovative film editing to demonstrate the point of view of the characters.[4] His stories frequently feature fugitives on the run from the law alongside "icy blonde" female characters.[5] Many of Hitchcock's films have twist endings and thrilling plots featuring depictions of violence, murder, and crime, although many of the mysteries function as decoys or "MacGuffins" meant only to serve thematic elements in the film and the extremely complex psychological examinations of the characters. Hitchcock's films also borrow many themes from psychoanalysis and feature strong sexual undertones. Through his cameo appearances in his own films, interviews, film trailers, and the television program Alfred Hitchcock Presents, he became a cultural icon.
Hitchcock directed more than fifty feature films in a career spanning six decades. Often regarded as the greatest British filmmaker, he came first in a 2007 poll of film critics in Britain's Daily Telegraph, which said: "Unquestionably the greatest filmmaker to emerge from these islands, Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema, which would be utterly different without him. His flair was for narrative, cruelly withholding crucial information (from his characters and from us) and engaging the emotions of the audience like no one else."[6][7] MovieMaker has hailed him as the most influential filmmaker of all time,[8] and he is widely regarded as one of cinema's most significant artists.



References
^ "Alfred Hitchcock". Ken Mogg. Senses of Cinema. Sensesofcinema.com. Accessed 18 July 2010.
^ Obituary Variety, 7 May 1980.
^ a b "Alfred Hitchcock's America". David Lehman. American Heritage. April/May 2007. Accessed 21 July 2010.
^ a b "Film Techniques of Alfred Hitchcock". Jeff Bays. Borgus Productions. Borgus.com. December 2007. Accessed 13 July 2010.
^ "NOTORIOUS! (Hitchcock and his icy blondes)". Paul Whitington. Irish Independent. Independent.ie. 18 July 2009. Accessed 13 July 2010.
^ Avedon, Richard (14 April 2007). "The top 21 British directors of all time". London: The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 8 July 2009. "Unquestionably the greatest filmmaker to emerge from these islands, Hitchcock did more than any director to shape modern cinema, which would be utterly different without him. His flair was for narrative, cruelly withholding crucial information (from his characters and from us) and engaging the emotions of the audience like no one else."
^ "British Directors". RSS Film studies. Retrieved 11 June 2008.
^ "The 25 Most Influential Directors of All Time". MovieMaker. Moviemaker.com. 6 July 2002. Accessed 27 March 2010.