[Daily Dose #3: Fighting For Her (Scene from The Ring)]

1. How does Hitchcock use montage or expressive editing to add vitality and rhythm to this scene? The quick shots of dancing, the pianist, the wife, and the protagonist all show the the speed at which both the party's intensity and the protagonist's fervor are growing quickly.

 

2. Please note the various techniques Hitchcock uses to create that feeling of subjectivity. Two things quickly come to mind; the fact that he sees his wife and the other boxer in what looks like a reflection in the mirror and also the blending of the dancers into the shot of the elongated keyboards. He is seeing through the eyes of jealousy and and not able to see things as they really are.

 

3. How does Hitchcock stage the action, use set design, and editing techniques to increase the stakes in the rivalry between the two gentlemen? The two gentlemen are in two entirely different rooms and even though they are side by side, the "champion's" room is where the party is at and where his wife is whereas he is more or less alone in the other room. The poster of their fight cannot go unnoticed either.

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

I am not as well versed in Hitchcock films as I would like to be although I am familiar with the more mainstream movies.  That being said, I cannot really comment on the questions posed for Daily Dose #1, but I will give my two cents.  Of course, this being a silent film, much of the storytelling relied on body language, facial expression and music.  I can see how he used that in the films I am familiar with; several close ups and using the actors' facial expressions to add to the suspense and/or engage the audience in those same feelings as the characters of the film.  The one thing that did stand out for me in this clip from, 'The Pleasure Garden' was how the character, Patsy Brand, responded to the man's pick up line by pulling out her curl and telling him, "have a nice time".  I don't know if that's a comment by AH on the objectification of women and how superficial it really is.  Clearly, I need to watch more Hitchcock!