Films/DVD Asylum

Hitchcock

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mvwine

(A)

OK- The responses to my Scorsese post below got me thinking about great American directors. The question is - is Hitchcock an American Director, even though he himself was British? Many of his great movies had American casts, and were backed by American studios.
So- American or British? Or does it matter?

I gave at the office!

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Re: Hitchcock - TA 10:28:37 11/21/02 (4)
My answer to the question, as you posed it, is that Hitch is a Hollywood director. ;-)
When you say "American Director" and "Hitch was British", you are using the nationality designations ("American" and "British") with different purpose.
So there's really two questions, and they're not difficult to answer:
1. Is Hitch American or British in the sense of citizenship?
2. Are Hitch's films Amerian or British in the sense of studio, actors, funding?
Maybe what you're asking is, Is Hitch's style of directing an American or British style?
- Good points! - mvwine 11:12:57 11/21/02 (3)
  It's possible that I should have stated the question "Is Hitchcock considered a director of American films, or British?" since he's done both. As per my reply to Patrick below, maybe he should have "dual citizenship".
  And in the end, it only matters if one is compiling one of those silly "best of" lists, anyway.
  
  I gave at the office!
  - I think that... - patrickU 12:11:27 11/21/02 (2)
    His sensibility as an english* man is very important to understand his work.
    
    * In this case.
    - Re: I think that... - gware 19:36:18 11/21/02 (1)
      Hitchcock had a great eye for a good story and a great ear for dialog, Tarantino has the latter, but not the former
      One thing Hitchcock did capture in a number of his films was actors using the "transatlantic accent" which was a 1940's/early 50's phenomenon which disappeared when travel by liner from the Old World to the New and back was replaced by airliners; I think he fully understood, and drew on, the best of influences from both camps
      Many of his films are careful snapshots of the speech and attitudes of their times, and can be looked at that way rather as Tarantinos "Yo Bro" film dialogs will define the mutha tongue of the 1990's
      Eric
      Tokyo
      - And even more.. - patrickU 00:18:37 11/22/02 (0)
        
        In Reply to: Re: I think that... posted by gware on November 21, 2002 at 19:36:18:
        
        I think he paint the fiction person in his films based on his intim feelings towards this particulare actor.
        As for himself, you can see his selfportrait.
        No one equal him for this unique mixe . He is the very best.
Yes but not to me. - patrickU 10:23:59 11/21/02 (2)
Hitch is definitively an englishman.
Even if he feels native in Hollywood, is whole humor and conception was made in England.
His english films have an certain charm that do not have is american period and vice versa...
I love both but I am particulary fond of the first one...Think of " Young And innocent ", his only optimistic film..Oh boy ! Do I love this picture.
- Re: Yes but not to me. - mvwine 11:16:46 11/21/02 (1)
  Yes, if Hitchcock had only directed American films, or if his only good ones were American, there would be no controversy.
  Possibly the solution is to give him dual status - He's one of the great English directors, and one of the great American directors.
  "The Young and the Innocent" - very hazy memories of that one, I'll have to see if it is available locally.
  
  I gave at the office!
  - Re: Yes but not to me. - patrickU 11:55:37 11/21/02 (0)
    Yes, I can live with your formula.
    He is one of the greatest , ever.
    I reread his Truffaud interview, he was not only a brillant artisan but a most intellectual one. Chapeau Mr. Hitch.

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