78/52: Hitchcock’s Shower Scene
Directed by Alexandre O. Philippe
US/2017
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] Psycho (1960) gave me very wrinkled skin. I was in that shower for seven days – 70 setups. At least, he [Alfred Hitchcock] made sure the water was warm. — Janet Leigh[/box]
The shower scene in Psycho (1960) brought graphic violence in film to a whole new level. The scene took 78 camera setups and seven days to shoot. It occupies only a three minutes on screen but provides plenty of material for a 91 minute documentary. We meet participants such as Leigh’s body double and contemporary directors talking about the influence of the scene on later works. Really interesting.
Hitchcock/Truffaut
Directed by Kent Jones
US/2015
First viewing/Amazon Instant
[box] It’s only a movie, and, after all, we’re all grossly overpaid. — Alfred Hitchcock[/box]
A host of filmmakers and other talking heads discuss the impact of the 1966 book I have always known as “Hitchcock/Truffaut” but is apparently actually called “Cinema According to Hitchcock”. And what a wonderful book it is! Over the course of many hours, Hitchcock opens up in great detail about all the films to an adoring Truffaut who must be credited for asking some excellent questions. It’s a fine documentary but even better would be to pull the book out again for another read.
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