Conclusion
image source: O. Tvrbo
The popularity of Hitchcock's films, even in modern society, can be attributed to several factors, as discussed by critic Robin Wood. First, there is a unity to Hitchcock's works. Apparent especially in the later films, there is a consistent and deepening vision about the human predicament present in all of his films. Second, while there is a unity in his works, there is also a great variety among the tone, style, subject matter and methods used to create the films. For example, each of the five films constructed between 1958 and 1964 are strikingly different from each other in all of these areas. Next, the thematic content of Hitchcock's films is complex. The themes presented, and explored throughout this site, are of profound and universal significance. Lastly, Hitchcock's films disturb, leaving "a nasty taste in the mouth." The disturbing features of the director's films relate to a sense of precarious moral order, particularly apparent in Rear Window, Vertigo, and Marnie (1).
Wood stated that movies should appeal to the "sophisticated art-house patron who had become 'Europeanized' by recent events - World War II, the atom bomb, and the Cold War" (2). While this may have been true at the start of Hitchcock's career, it is by no means characteristic of Hitchcock's work now. Hitchcock's films, due in part to the universal themes, complexity of construction, and the ability to disturb, have found a larger audience - while still maintaining that "artsy" cult following.
End Notes:
1. Wood, Robin. Hitchcock's Films. New York: A.S. Barnes, 1965.
2. Wood. Hitchcock's Films. 1965.
4/21/03 by E. Wennerberg