Alfred Hitchcock Is One of the Most

Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most well-known and respected names in British and American cinema. From his initial foray into cinema during the silent era and transitioning to sound cinema before heading to the United States to work in Hollywood, Hitchcock's influences can be traced to three distinct cinema and film styles and periods: German Expressionism, Soviet Constructivism, and Griersonian Documentary Realism. The combination of these three styles and periods are present in The 39 Steps (1935) and The Lady Vanishes (1938), two thriller films from Hitchcock's British Sound Period. Through The 39 Steps's and The Lady Vanishes's editing, mise-en-scene, and narrative, Hitchcock exploits the fundamental elements of German Expressionism, Soviet Constructionism, and Grierson Documentary Realism to create a unified film that draws in a willing and captive audience.

Hitchcock was first introduced to German Expressionism in 1924 when he was sent to work at the UFA studios and collaborated directly with German Expressionist directors such as F.W. Murnau on Der Letze Mann (The Last Man) (1924). One of the most important contributions German Expressionism made to cinema was a focus on mise-en-scene, or how a scene is framed. This contention highly influenced how people, situations, and objects were represented onscreen; symbolism was injected into each scene through techniques that highlight the duality of characters and of society. Additionally, German Expressionist techniques helped to heighten suspense in each film. In Hitchcock, Francois Truffaut contends, "The art of creating suspense is also the art of involving the audience, so that the viewer is actually a participant of the film" (Truffaut 16). This involvement can only be achieved through what is presented on the screen through mise-en-scene and editing. Hitchcock claimed, "Our primary function is to create an emotion and our second job is to sustain that emotion. When a film is properly staged, it isn't necessary to rely upon the player's virtuosity or personality for tension and dramatic effects" (Truffaut 111). Moreover, Hitchcock depends on what is depicted on screen sans dialogue. Hitchcock contends, "When we tell a story in cinema, we should resort to dialogue only when it's impossible to do so otherwise" (61). In The 39 Steps, one of the most memorable and outstanding uses of German Expressionist techniques can be seen in the film sequence in which Hannay eludes the police by jumping off a train. The angles created by the bridge where the train stops -- thus allowing Hannay to jump off and continue his escape -- is reminiscent of the painted scenes found in the German Expressionist films of Murnau and Lang. Furthermore, the angles created by the bridge add to the suspense of the film and the confusion that Hannay experiences by creating a dizzying effect. In The Lady Vanishes, the narrative of the film is dependent on what is portrayed on screen as the majority of the action takes place within a contained space, a moving train. Because of this, every shot has to contribute to the creation of a contained atmosphere where no one can be trusted.

While German Expressionism utilized mise-en-scene to further the narrative in film, Soviet Constructivism sought to propel a film's narrative through editing. Sergei Eisenstein, one of the pioneers of Soviet Constructivism, believed "that editing or montage was the foundation of film form" (Gazetas 65). Soviet Constructivism often made use of dialectical montage to explore the hidden agendas of image. "When Eisenstein applied dialectical montage to editing his films, he strove to capture a visual counterpoint of opposing images that would mentally combine in the spectator's mind into a new abstract ideas" (65). This creation of abstract ideas by the spectator supports Truffaut's claim that the creation of suspense requires spectator or audience involvement. Furthermore, it can be argued that the creation of a new abstract idea is comparable to the creation of emotion as a psychological attachment and thus, Soviet Constructivism seeks to propagate and sustain this newly created psychological attachment. Eisenstein theorized that other cinematic and editing techniques could be used to create conflict including the juxtaposition of shots that showed contrasting shapes, sizes, volumes, directions, and lighting (65). These techniques are an adaptation of techniques established through German Expressionism that utilize angles, lighting, and distorted reality to create an atmosphere of uncertainty. In Hitchcock, Truffaut writes, "In real life, the things people say to each other do not necessarily reflect what they actually think and feel" (Truffaut 17). Through mise-en-scene and dialogue, Hitchcock is able to demonstrate how social formalities work to obfuscate the truth; this counterpoint between image and dialogue further emphasizes Soviet Constructivist techniques. For example, in The 39 Steps when Hannay inadvertently arrives at Professor Jordan's home in Scotland, not only does the maid inform the police that she has not seen Hannay, but the interactions between Hannay and Professor Jordan clash. The two men appear to abide by the social formalities of dialogue whereas their actions and body language contradict what they say or who they say they are; what is seen on screen is not what is heard by the audience.

Moreover, Hitchcock is able to create a connection with his audience through the Griersonian Documentary realism. In The 39 Steps and The Lady Vanishes, realistic situations and interactions add to the credibility of the narrative and help to propel the suspense that is created through German Expressionist and Soviet Constructivist techniques. This sort of realism can be seen in The 39 Steps through Hitchcock's portrayal of the religious Crofters whom Hannay seeks refuge from while in Scotland. The Crofters are not aligned with anyone in particular in the film, but rather are simply Scottish farmers; additionally, the Crofter's suspicions of his wife and Hannay are based upon his observations and are not motivated by ulterior or political motives. The Crofters are completely unaware of Hannay's unwarranted persecution and become involved with Hannay merely by chance.

Dialogue also plays a major role in The Lady Vanishes. In The Lady Vanishes, language functions on two levels: "from meaningless noise at one extreme, through the usual devices of verbal and non-verbal communication, to the highest form, music" (Yacowar 239). Hitchcock adds realism to the conflict that Iris encounters through the introduction of individuals of different nationalities who do not speak English; thus, language and dialogue are transformed into obstacles, which Hitchcock further manipulates into a narrative device. Language, as verbal and non-verbal communication, is used to separate the English -- Iris, Gilbert, and Miss Froy -- from the conspirators that aim to convince Iris that she is hallucinating Miss Froy's existence.