MY SITE
Body Language
The use of body language is a pillar in every cinema, and Alfred Hitchcock was well aware of that. He used this nonverbal communication to portray motives, challenge stereotypes, and to convey a deeper meaning of the narrative.
Hitchcock utilized body language by giving the audience insight on a character's true motives, without explicitly stating them. To accomplish this, he expected the audience to be thoughtful and pick up on his subtle hints. However, the great thing about Hitchcock's films is that he made them so that even if the clue was not discovered, the film would still make sense. In fact, Hitchcock’s allusions are normally rather difficult to detect.
Take the cigarette scene in North by Northwest, for example. In this scene, Roger and Eve are seated in the dining car of a train discussing their plans for the upcoming evening, and how they can combine their plans. As the conversation carries on, Eve gets out a package of cigarettes and Roger reveals a pack of matches. He lights her cigarette, their hands touch for a moment too long, and then she blows out his match. From this, Hitchcock wanted the audience to infer that Eve was using Roger. She encouraged him to ignite his passion, the match, and then she used it for her own benefit, the lighting of her cigarette, only to blow it out, just as she would eventually put out his passion for her. Eve seduced Roger for her benefit and foreshadowed her intentions.
|
Hitchcock’s films also use body language to challenge the taboos of their times, including gender role stereotypes and homosexuality.
An example of the former can be seen in the kitchen scene excerpted from The 39 Steps. Hannay and Annabella both enter the kitchen and Annabella immediately collapses into a chair at the table. She proceeds to ask Hannay to fix her something to eat. Hannay complies and begins to prepare some haddock for her. From this scene, and Hannay's willingness to obey Annabella's request, the audience can infer that Annabella is the dominant character in the relationship, and that the stereotypical household gender roles have been reversed.
|
An example of the latter occurs in North by Northwest. It is never explicitly stated the Leonard, Phillip Vandamm's assistant, is gay, but analysis of the scene where he pretends to shoot Vandamm implies otherwise. Before their scheduled departure time, Vandamm and Eve are accompanied by Leonard at Phillip's house near Mount Rushmore. Earlier, Eve fooled both Vandamm and Leonard into believing that she shot Hannay, and that he was dead. Leonard explains to Vandamm that due to his "woman's intuition," he doesn't think Eve is to be trusted and that Vandamm should not escort her on his trip. When Phillip does not believe him, Leonard points the gun that Eve used to shoot Hannay at Phillip, which prompts Phillip to attempt to reason with Leonard. Vandamm says, "You know what I think? I think you're jealous. I mean it, and I'm very touched." Between Leonards proclamation of his woman's intuition and Vandamm's accusation of Leonard's jealousy of his affection for Eve, the audience is offered substantial evidence to support the theory of Leonard's homosexuality.
|
In conclusion, they way someone stands, shifts their eyes, or how they react to a situation can say a lot about them as a character. Alfred Hitchcock capitalized on this and masterfully executed many complex scenes in each and every one of his films, but that’s not all. He also challenged gender stereotypes, communicated a villainous character’s motives subtly, and foreshadowed genuine intentions.