A fascinating exclusive conversation with director MARK COUSINS discussing his mesmerizing analysis of the films of Hitchcock told in this very unique documentary, MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK.
SYNOPSIS: A century after the debut of Alfred Hitchcock’s first feature, he remains one of the most influential filmmakers in the history of cinema. But how does his vast body of work and legacy hold up in today’s world? Mark Cousins, the award-winning filmmaker behind “Women Make Film”, “The Storms of Jeremy Thomas”, “The Story of Film: A New Generation”, and “The Eyes of Orson Welles”, tackles this question and looks at the auteur with a new and radical approach: through the use of his own voice. As Hitchcock rewatches his films, we are taken on an odyssey through his vast career – his vivid silent films, the legendary films of the 1950s and 60s and his later works – in playful and revealing ways.
Written and directed by MARK COUSINS, MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK features Alistair McGowan as the voice of Alfred Hitchcock.
Analyzing all 53 of Alfred Hitchcock’s films, in MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK, Mark Cousins breaks down the films into six categories: escape, desire, loneliness, solitude, time, and fulfillment. Emphasizing the importance of fresh perspectives and detailed analysis, Mark highlights Hitchcock’s control over every film element. Working quickly on this documentary, Mark completed the project in three months and utilized the fair use doctrine for all of the film clips included. Featuring a compelling narration by Alistair McGowan mimicking Hitchcock’s voice as if Hitchcock has “come back from the dead” and is speaking directly to the audience is not only spellbinding but adds elements of playfulness for a deliciously entertaining and insightful result.
During this interview, Mark discussed some of his main challenges in bringing MY NAME IS ALFRED HITCHCOCK to life, among them:
- avoiding clichés and saying something new about Hitchcock, despite the extensive existing literature on the director; deliberately trying to look at Hitchcock’s films with “fresh eyes” and find new perspectives, rather than rehashing common interpretations. He approached this by focusing on less well-discussed themes like loneliness and fulfillment, and by breaking down the films into specific categories like escape, desire, and solitude. This allowed him to provide a more nuanced and insightful analysis of Hitchcock’s work.
- starting with a list of themes he wanted to explore, Mark then watched all 53 of Hitchcock’s films in order, focusing specifically on those themes. This allowed him to see how the themes evolved and were portrayed throughout Hitchcock’s career, taking detailed notes and identifying specific cinematic techniques and visual examples from the films that supported his analysis of each theme
- working with editor Timo Langer, he crafted an “extremely precise blueprint” for the structure and flow of the documentary, ensuring each theme was explored thoroughly with relevant film clips; the blueprint and the film’s structure were laid out before starting the editing process so the editing went quickly once they got into the edit suite
- working with composer Donna McKevitt to score the film; wanting the music to be “serious” and “spiritual”, rather than ironic or campy, to match the tone of the film, believing that McKevitt’s style was a good fit for a deeper exploration of Hitchcock’s work
- the thoughtful and intentional approach to both the editing and musical composition, ensuring they supported the overall vision and themes of the documentary
- incorporating the ideas of how Hitchcock’s own life was reflected in the films he was making at certain periods, in terms of themes like loneliness and solitude; Hitchcock’s home life and sense of fulfillment also came through in his films, as he was able to fulfill himself through his filmmaking and the audience’s acceptance of his work; how Hitchcock’s personal experiences and emotional state influenced the themes and tone of the films he created, blending his inner world with his cinematic vision
- and more!
TAKE A LISTEN. . .
by debbie elias, exclusive interview 10/17/2024
In select theatres in NY and LA
