Thursday, May 9, 2013

Alfred Hitchcock & Rope, Part One

During period one, please begin brainstorming an idea and begin writing a treatment/script for your final film project. You film should be between 3-10 minutes in length, include a script (that you will hand in), and a treatment (a 1-2 page synopsis with a list of characters, proposed title, and description of the plot--due next class, May 13.) You may work with up to five people on this project.

During period 2, we will begin to screen the film Rope (1948). You will be watching up to three Hitchcock films and writing an academic paper on the director and his influence in film. Please read the articles: "Directors Are Dead" and "My Most Exciting Picture" (about the film Rope) for next class as well.

Alfred Hitchcock is considered the "master of suspense" and his career in film was a long and influential one:

His first full length film was The Lodger and appeared in 1926. This was followed by Downhill (1927), The Ring (1927), Champagne (1928), The Farmer's Wife (1928), and Easy Virtue (1928), The Manxman (1929), and Blackmail (1929). These were British silent films (Blackmail was not, as you can hear). You are free to watch any of these films as extra credit.

In the1930's, Hitchcock made even more films, mostly suspense films for which he became famous. These included: Rich and Strange (1931), The Skin Game (1931), Number 17 (1932), The Man Who Knew Too Much (1934) with Peter Lorre, The 39 Steps (1935), Sabotage (1936), Secret Agent (1936), Young and Innocent (1937), The Lady Vanishes (1938), Jamaica Inn (1939), then Foreign Correspondent (1940).

At this point in his career, Alfred Hitchcock moves to Hollywood to work with producer David O. Selznick. He makes a variety of films for Selznick, although the two approached film from a very different perspective. Hitchcock often felt trapped or restricted by Selznick's contract. The films include: Rebecca (1940) Laurence Olivier, Shadow of a Doubt (1943) Joseph Cotten, Life Boat (1944) Talula Bankhead, Spellbound (1945) with Gregory Peck, Notorious Cary Grant & Ingrid Bergman (1946), The Paradine Case (1947), Rope (1948) with Farley Granger & Jimmy Stewart, and Under Capricorn (1949) Ingrid Bergman.

HOMEWORK: Create a 1-2 page treatment for your film project. Your treatment should include a working title, a cast of potential characters, a list of who is working on what parts of the film, and a synopsis or summary of the plot, film style, and theme. This treatment is due by end of next class. Please also read the articles "Directors Are Dead" and "My Most Exciting Picture" by Alfred Hitchcock.

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