Despite being a great director, Alfred Hitchcock has never gotten the biographical film he deserves.
I was about 20 minutes into 2012’s “Hitchcock” when I realized I’d already seen it. But so little of the film had imprinted itself on my neurons that it felt like I was watching something new.
The film is centered around the filming of 1960’s “Psycho,” what many will consider HItch’s masterpiece. (Not me, and the dialogue that commented on the poor performance of my favorite film ever, “Vertigo,” wounded me.) In the story, Hitch feels at a low point, has marriage troubles, and is dealing with money men at the studio who want to mess with his mojo. Of course, if you know film history, you know it all works out.
It’s a fun little movie with some charm, but it just doesn’t seem to have the gravitas it should have.
The acting is great. Anthony Hopkins is spot on in the titular role. Helen Mirror shines as his wife, a woman capable of throwing a casual glance that could neuter an elephant. The tragically underrated Michael Winncott oozes menace as the version of Ed Gein (the serial killer Psycho was based on) that lives in Hitchcock’s head.
Also, Ralph Macchio—pre-Cobra Kai—has a brief appearance. He looks about 25, though he must have been in his forties by then.
The film is more of a relationship drama than anything else.
“Hitchcock” does hone in on how shocking and transgressive that famous shower scene in “Psycho” really was, due in no small part to Bernard Herrmann’s screeching violin stabs. (That might be the most memorable musical motif ever featured in a film. Well, the “duh-dunt!” theme from “Jaws” is a close contender.)
There’s another Hitchcock film from the same year, “The Girl,” that got into Hitch’s creepy treatment of women, particularly actress Tippi Hedren. (This is acknowledged in “Hitchcock” but breezed over.) “The Girl” is probably a better film, but also, I feel, take the short route in really wrestling with Hitch’s legacy and genius.
If anything, both films just make me want to rewatch Hitchcock movies.
