Alfred Hitchcock is one of Hollywood’s legendary directors, and François Truffaut led the reinvention of French cinema. “Hitchcock/Truffaut,” which documents their groundbreaking 1962 conversation, is playing at the Martha’s Vineyard Film Center this week. Anyone interested in film history should not miss it.
Many current filmgoers may not be familiar with either Hitchcock’s or Truffaut’s films, since their best work dates from the ’50s and ’60s. In “Hitchcock/Truffaut,” director Kent Jones, nominated for a Golden Eye at Cannes in 2015, mixes clips from Hitchcock’s and Truffaut’s films with commentary by such modern directors as Martin Scorsese, Peter Bogdanovich, Paul Schrader, and David Fincher.
The documentary employs a set of interviews of Hitchcock by Truffaut, published in book form in 1966. During those early years, Hollywood was considered the mere conveyor of escapist entertainment, while French and other European films represented high-caliber artistic work. Until the interviews on which “Hitchcock/Truffaut” is based, Hitchcock was not taken seriously in the U.S., but Truffaut and other members of New Wave cinema knew better.
Influenced by silent movies, where he started his career, Hitchcock storyboarded every shot ahead of filming. He thought too many films of the time consisted merely of people talking, while pure cinema depended on images and shot sequences. Clips in “Hitchcock/Truffaut” of “Psycho,” “The Birds,” and “Vertigo” illustrate his mastery of film technique long before the advent of today’s sophisticated technology. “Psycho” remains one of the most terrifying movies ever made, with “The Birds” a close second. “Vertigo” continues to be one of the most disturbing and psychologically complex of films. In “Suspicion,” the director placed a light bulb in a glass of milk to make it glow with importance. He built “Rope” around one continuous shot, and confined all the actors in “Lifeboat” to a single vessel at sea. His thrillers were marvels of composition, light, and space.
Truffaut called Hitchcock the world’s greatest director. Before making such hallmark films as “The 400 Blows” and “Jules and Jim,” Truffaut began his career as a critic for the highly respected French journal Cahiers du Cinéma. He also helped found the New Wave, when French film was primarily producing literary period pieces. New Wave directors instead focused on contemporary social issues and experimented with narrative, visuals, and editing. They also developed auteur theory, which examined the important role of film directors.
Fascinating in its own right, “Hitchcock/Truffaut” should also inspire visits to Hitchcock’s and Truffaut’s films. They are well worth the trip.
For screening times and tickets, visit mvfilmsociety.com or go to the MVTimes event listings.