1. Do you see the beginnings of the "Hitchcock touch" in this sequence?
The way which Hitchcock used the shadows and the use of perspective were indicators of what we were going to see with his films in the future.
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 agree simply because many of those elements are present. These could be elements of the cinematography or the storytelling...l of those things are there in some way.
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?
No, there are times in all films that the lack of dialogue helps with the "feel" of the film. What is shown here does not need dialogue. The feelings or at least the motivations of the characters are represented in a way where there should be little to no doubt about their motivations.
-CK
