These are much more my gut reactions than answers to the given questions, but here are some reflections: 1) I had always thought of Hitchcock as a British and American director, but learning about his background in German and Russian film makes so much sense. It also gives me another level of understanding him as someone who simultaneously belongs to everyone and no one- we can all appreciate his vision and his works, but his perspective comes from a very specific and complicated place. 2) I haven't watched many silent films, and I am obviously limited to the POV of someone who was not raised with intertitles, so I tend to ascribe certain characteristics to them. That being said, the urgency with which they are designed and used in the To-Night Golden Hair excerpt is incredible and very unsettling. 3) There is nothing intellectual about this observation, but when I look at the elements of German film (industrialism, nihilism, etc.), I can't help but think of 80's punk and new wave, and I wonder how much of a role Hitchcock played in instilling those images in artists of that time.
