Alfred Hitchcock's Use Of Suspense In Film

For Britain, the early 1920’s and 1930’s was a time for cinema. After not reaching the level of success that was desired, Alfred Hitchcock returned to Gaumont British, a picture corporation and distribution company. Upon his arrival, Hitchcock set out to create a feeling of paranoia, fear, and even guilt in his films; creating hits for Germany in the years of 1925-1939. His return to British cinema was well sought after, as he returned as one of the highest paid directors at that time. While the war did influence Britain, high budget cinema and international fame, such as works of Hitchcock and Herbert Wilcox, were revered and of interest. British films, especially Hitchcock’s, had influence stemming from German Expressionism and the Soviet
Many Hitchcock films incorporate his own stylistic approach towards suspense, but one of the most common seen in The 39 Steps, is the use of lighting, which is also an important use in German Expressionism. The scene where Richard Hannay, the protagonist, is standing and listening to the police in the room next door highlights the use of shadows by Hitchcock. The lighting and shadows on the wall created vertical bars and horizontal bars, which symbolically can represent Hannay’s momentarily feeling of being confined. The film noir, in this scene, shows how German Expressionism had influence on this work and how powerfully it can be done. As he stands there listening, these shadows create an effect that captures a relevant and on-going theme in the film — entrapment. While this subtle stylistic element may not be noticeable to all viewers, the symbolism behind it adds on to the audiences paranoia. Another scene where lighting unveils a hidden nuance is when Pamela is making the decision to leave Hannay, while he’s asleep. Her face is cast with shades of darkness that reflect from light to dark. While she has the thought of escaping, her face is shown with dark shadows. Her intent was impure, which can show how Hitchcock not only uses lighting as a way to portray suspense and fear, but also intent. Another scene that portrays the use of gestures is
While lighting can reveal a character’s internal reaction, camera angles also play a role into the development of a theme. When Mr. Rath terminated from his job, he is seen staring at his desk. As he is expected to clear his belongings, the camera pauses for a few seconds, showing the distorted emotions Mr. Rath had. After the short pause, the camera angles asymmetrically and moves at a distance, creating tension and a feeling of isolation. As the camera fades away, Mr. Rath is seen sitting at an approaching distance, in a abandoned manner. The camera, in this scene, highlights the emotions that are at forefront by keeping the frame on his face for a few seconds and than moving away. This element gives the audience a good understanding of the weight this had on Mr. Rath and trickled as the beginning of his loneliness. Another prime example of this is at the ending scene of the film when Mr. Rath returns back to his classroom and sits back on his desk. As he opens the door, the image of him is dark, even as he is found at the desk; however, the camera angle maintains its asymmetrical stance. Again, we see light now cast on Mr. Rath, as the rest of the classroom is lit in a dark manner. The intent behind both the camera angle and the lighting is to reaffirm the feeling of loneliness that Mr. Rath has been experiencing from the moment his professional career ended to the very end of the film, where he is again