“The only way to get rid of my fears is to make films about them.”-Alfred Hitchcock
There are many recurring themes and motifs throughout Hitchcock’s films. Most of his films while suspenseful are mostly psychological in nature. Spellbound, for instance, is about a psychiatrist who aids a man in recovering from his amnesia in order to discover what happened to the new doctor that was coming into take over the mental asylum where she worked. The film focuses on the use of psychoanalysis as its basis for storytelling. Hitchcock utilizes psychology, both directly and indirectly, in his other films as well. The Birds focuses on hysteria; Rear Window deals with voyeurism and paranoia; and, Psycho discusses the deranged behavior of a man whose co-dependent relationship with his mother takes over his entire personality. By looking to the themes and motifs in Hitchcock’s films, the audience can see into Hitchcock’s psyche. We see what he wants us to see. We view the wold the way he wants us to view it through his films.
Post by: Alyssa Hockensmith
The Museum of Film History 