[Daily Dose #2: To-night Golden Curls (Opening Scene of The Lodger)]

1. Compare the opening of The Lodger to the opening of The Pleasure Garden - what similarities and differences do you see between the two films?

 

The main similarity is the story's reliance on the reactions of other people to communicate the tone. The main difference is that the one communicated in this film doesn't have the sense of humor previously present in The Pleasure Garden, but is instead replaced with a dismal tone.

 

2. Identify elements of the "Hitchcock style" in this sequence? Please provide specific examples. Even if you are not sure if it is the "Hitchcock style," what images or techniques stand out in your mind as powerful storytelling? Or images that provide an excess of emotion?

 

Alfred Hitchcock's use of title cards stood out as unique, perhaps because of his earlier work designing them. They gave me a sense of the film being ahead of its time. The film's focus on the citizens surrounding the situation could be compared to Alfred Hitchcock's later films including North By Northwest or To Catch A Thief, where Cary Grant portrays characters that are caught up in different scenarios and have to navigate their way through the general public on multiple occasions. Another aspect I noticed elements of was the influence of German expressionism. This was present in the use of different colored filters on the film, along with the focus on technology driving humanity; which in this case is communicated through imagery such as the mechanics of the newspaper press and the scrolling banner.

 

3. Even though this is a "silent" film, the opening image is one of a woman screaming. What do you notice in how Hitchcock frames that particular shot that makes it work in a silent film even though no audible scream that can be heard. And what other screams like that come to mind from Hitchcock's later work?

 

A close-up camera shot was used, along with the subject's line of sight being angled away from the camera, indicating that there is something beyond the camera causing fear. This is an effective way to create fear for the viewer, because it allows them to imagine the source of the danger since they cannot see it. As a result, it has already set up the tone and the scream can be "heard" even more naturally. Additionally, the score during this scene reminds me of the musical stabs used at the moment the scream in Psycho occurs.

[Daily Dose #1: Spiralling into View: The Pleasure Garden (1925)]

1. Do you see the beginnings of the "Hitchcock touch" in this sequence? Please provide specific examples.

 

Yes, I do; particularly in the camera shots. The offstage view of the performance struck me as a unique shot for that time period, because it presents the main action from a removed perspective. Silent films usually tend to focus on the explicit action, whereas here, it shows viewers what is going on behind the scenes. The next distinct example of Alfred Hitchcock's style was the tracking shot of the audience. I can't pinpoint any specific moments in his later films where this is used, but I'm sure I've seen variations of it. Either way, the way it was utilized in this instance stood out as unique. There was also an overall sense of humor surrounding the personalities of some of the characters, which seems like another one of Alfred Hitchcock's general staples in his approach to film-making. Additionally, when the view through the monocle was presented, it instantly reminded me of the usage of the telescope in Rear Window.

 

2. Do you agree or disagree with Strauss, Yacowar, and Spoto assessments that this sequence contains elements, themes, or approaches that we will see throughout Hitchcock's 50-year career?

 

I do agree, because after reading their analysis beforehand I was more aware of their points while watching the scene. It made it easier to catch the techniques I've described above.

 

3. Since this is a silent film, do you feel there were any limitations on these opening scenes due to the lack of synchronous spoken dialogue?

 

There are always limitations of dialogue in silent films, and as a result, sometimes title cards are limited to crucial information. However, in this film, Alfred Hitchcock successfully creates compelling action even outside of the titles.