Even if you're not a big movie enthusiast, you've probably heard of Alfred Hitchcock.
Known as one of the greatest minds in cinematic history, he is the big name behind classics such as “Psycho”, “Vertigo”, “Rear Window”, “Dial M for Murder”, “The Birds”, “Royalty”, “North by Northwest”.
And what is so special about your films that earned you the title of Master of Suspense? What is your secret to creating suspense?
A spoiler from Hitchcock himself: “It is essential that the audience be made aware of all the facts involved. Otherwise there is no suspense.”
Let's look at his top 5 techniques for creating suspense in cinema.
1. Female protagonists
One of the most interesting techniques that Hitchcock belgium phone number data used to create suspense was with his female protagonists. Although most of them were blonde, they all went against the main stereotypes of women between the 1940s and 1960s.
Although the most famous blondes of that era never appeared in his films, there is no denying that his female protagonists were sexy. They were sensual, but in a subtle way. These women mesmerized their male counterparts, who were most often physically or psychologically disabled, but they were far from being just decorative pieces on the arms of the male protagonists; they were truly main characters.
This dynamic nature of its female leads adds to the suspense, as you never know what to expect. One minute you're being seduced by a blonde on screen, and the next second she's jumping off a tower (like Madeline in 1958's Vertigo).
A Falling Body
2. Subjectivity
Although not his original creation, Hitchcock often used subjectivity for many voyeuristic purposes. Hitchcock’s characters had the uncanny ability to mimic the audience’s basic instinct to lust after an unassuming subject. This technique was inspired by Lev Kuleshov and is known as “The Kuleshov Effect.”
By rhythmically repeating this technique, Hitchcock was able to build suspense in many of his films. He would periodically switch from “coveter” to coveted, which builds the action. The result is a feeling and anticipation of utter helplessness as the character watches a dangerous situation unfold and sees that he or she is powerless to stop the spectacle. In the film “Rear Window,” Hitchcock is able to build the suspense that the audience feels by creating that sense of the character. In this way, the audience feels that they are like the character or are sharing something personal and intimate.
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