Elements of His FilmHis most recognized technique in capturing his audience was his suspense-building plots. In his films, he would usually lead the audience to believe the story line was focused around the wrong idea, or, as known by Hitchcock, ‘the McGuffin’ (qtd. in “Alfred Hitchcock Film Techniques”, par. 1). The McGuffin is defined as “‘ A device or plot element that catches the viewer’s attention or drives the plot. It is generally something that every character is concerned with.’ (qtd. in “Alfred Hitchcock Film Techniques”, par. 2).Most of Hitchcock’s films are about characters caught in a whirlpool of danger, confusion, and desperation. The protagonists seem to inhabit a world that seems to be working against them. One technique Hitchcock used for his filming was augmenting the degree of formal artificiality – which was always present in his films - by making rear-projections and painted backdrops clearly recognizable. This irritated spectator expectation that film has to create a perfect illusion Music seems to play a very important part in Hitchcock’s films. They help build up suspense.This made the viewer concentrate more on the body language and feel the character’s emotions. |