Department of English

This course focuses upon Alfred Hitchcock, one of the greatest filmmakers of the 20 th century. We will explore his films and authorship, from his early British works to his late Hollywood films, and how he helped to develop, refine, and expand the repertoire of cinema technologically as well as dramatically. Spanning over half a century, Hitchcock's films participate in social and political history--bridging two world wars--as well as in the development of cinema, from silent film to sound, from black and white to color, from expressionism to classical Hollywood cinema; from the challenges of censorship and the introduction of the studio system to the concept of the director as auteur. With these formal and historical considerations, we will examine how Hitchcock realizes the artistic and commercial possibilities of film, attracting critical as well as popular audiences. We will also explore how Hitchcock similarly engages with scholarly film critics, particularly in the development of formalist, psychoanalytic, and feminist film theory and criticism. Screenings will include: The Lodger, Blackmail, 39 Steps, Rebecca, Strangers on a Train, Notorious, Vertigo, Rear Window, North by Northwest, Marnie,Psycho, The Birds.