Videoage International October 2021

12 Book Review V I D E O A G E October 2021 H itchcock. The name summons several images and associations. Of course, the eponymous di- rector comes to mind, but also types of characters, certain themes, and scenarios. Like por- nography, you know what it refers to when you see it. Frosty platinum blondes like Grace Kelly or Tippi Hedren are classicallyHitchcockian figures. Men falsely accused or mistaken for murderers are another. The word may also be used to describe a style or technique, such as fast cuts fromdifferent perspectives that heighten tension, as in the notorious shower scene in Psycho. In addition to its noirish elements, Hitchcockian style is also distinguished by its sense of humor, which has been described as ironic, uncanny, and having moments of physical comedy. More than 40 years after his death, Hitchcock continues to entice viewerswith the psychological suspense and dark comedy of his films. Now, a new biography about Hitchcock encompasses all the nuance and contradiction behind the man and his name. Edward White’s The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock: An Anatomy of the Master of Suspense (400 pgs., W. W. Norton & Company, 2021, U.S. $28.95) explores all that is meant by Hitchcock for a new generation of enthusiasts and fanatics. A frequent contributor to The Paris Review, White previously wrote The Tastemaker: Carl Van Vechten and the Bird of Modern America, a biography of the controversial figure in New York City arts and culture in the early twentieth century. White’s latest book delves into an even bigger trailblazer infamous for his artistic vision and his ability to mythologize himself. Hitchcock remains an intriguing figure for a variety of reasons. His life and his oeuvre traverse a majority of the twentieth century, corresponding with much of the historical and social shifts that took place. As White remarks in his introduction, “A story of Hitchcock is also a story of the emergence of the United States as a cultural behemoth; the insistent rise of feminism; the changing roles of sex, violence, and religion in popular culture; the pervasive influence of psychoanalysis; the growth of advertising and promotion as a cultural force; and the vanishing gap between art and entertainment.” Not to mention, Hitchcock’s career spans the development of cinema, from the silent era to the talkies, as well as its genres, from screwball comedies to espionage adventures to psychological thrillers. The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock presents a kaleidoscopic view of Hitchcock. The book is divided into 12 chapters that explore different aspects of the captivating figure: Hitchcock as child, Hitchcock as auteur, Hitchcock as womanizer, Hitchcock as voyeur, Hitchcock as dandy, and so on. The book’s organizing principle is fitting, especially considering that Hitchcock took on various roles in his lifetime as a performer might in the theater. A trademark detail of his films were his cameos, in which he would inconspicuously appear as a dog walker, train car passenger, party attendee, and often as an ordinary passerby in his exquisite suit and tie. One of the book’s more interesting threads tracks how Hitchcock created and controlled the narrative that surrounded him. He was amused by his image among critics and audiences. White notes that Hitchcock used his childhood memories and anecdotes to further certainmyths about his work. “The best known of these stories is what we might call Hitchcock’s genesis myth,” writes White, “the moment he supposedly acquired his fears of guilt and arbitrary injustice — all the unruly emotions that surge through his most famous work.” The myth stems from an anecdote Hitchcock often told. He said that as a young boy he was sent by his father to the police station with a note, and when he shared this note with the police chief, he was locked up in a cell. This unexplained reversal of fortune, or as White put it “arbitrary injustice,” provides a motivating theme for many of his films. Hitchcock’s control over his image and films plays out quite controversially in his relationship to the women in his life. In a similar fashion to how he channeled his inner child to depict scenes of guilt and paranoia, “[t]he bewilderment, fascination, and longing women caused in him were all diverted into his films,” comments White. From Ingrid Bergman and Grace Kelly to Eva Marie Saint and Kim Novak, blonde women took center stage in Hitchcock’s films. Hitchcock was known to have a strong female presence on his filmmaking team, and his wife, Alma, stepped into differing roles on his films, from assistant director to unofficial co-producer. But, as White points out, “it was through women that he revealed the darkest, most discomfiting parts of himself.” The controlling aspect of his personality played out poorly in his relationship to Tippi Hedren, who was put through traumatic scenes during filming of The Birds and who later alleged that Hitchcock sexually harassed her. White uses the insights of the #MeToo movement to unpack their professional relationship. “Such is the strange, contradictory nature of Hitchcock’s relationship with women — redolent of Hollywood’s bifurcated treatment of women over the last century,” he writes. Like any entertainer, Hitchcock often used his humor to influence people and social situations. In person, he was known to throw around jokes and gags, often at the expense of his employees. White relates other stories about Hitchcock working with actors who disagreed with his vision or tried to improvise their characters’ lines. Hitchcock apparently would joke by signaling scissors with his hands, as if to cut them out in the editing process. “As is the case with his complex relationship with women,” White says, “his teasing, cruel humor wasn’t an aspect of his personality that was obscured from the public, but was taken in hand and marketed as part of the Hitchcock legend.” The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock presents a multi-faceted portrait of a beguiling figure of the twentieth century. Edward White has synthesized much of the work done by previous biographies and critics, and he has offered a comprehensive book that shows Hitchcock in a more revealing light. “He loved to scare, disturb, and discomfort, and he based his entire career on knowing that, deep down, we yearn for these things, too,” writes White. “As a born entertainer, his mantra was to give the audience what they want — whether they like it or not.” Biographer Edward White portrays a complex and complicated artist whose films expressed a fear and discomfort sought out by his audience. Hitchcock: Biography Explores The Many Disguises Of The Iconic Filmmaker By Luis Polanco