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OverviewIn a radical new interpretation of the works of Alfred Hitchcock, Christopher Morris argues that suspense—the fundamental component of Hitchcock's cinema—is best understood through deconstruction of the very meaning of the word, which relates to dependence or hanging. He analyzes its portrayal first in painting and sculpture and then in Hitchcock's body of work. In this iconographic tradition, hanging figures challenge the significance of human identity and rationality, and further imply that closure, or an end to suspense, is all but illusory. This work represents the first deconstructive approach to suspense, and the first-ever survey of the iconography of the hanging figure. Hitchcock's films provide ample opportunity for such discussion, with their constant use of the tool of suspense, and Morris argues that, essentially, all of human existence is in this very state, a state embodied particularly well by the films he discusses. Drawing on the work of Jacques Derrida, Paul de Man, and J. Hillis Miller, this cross-disciplinary study of an important cinematic oeuvre establishes the advantage of a deconstructive and figurative approach to an often-studied directorial style, one that nearly embodies a genre unto itself. Full Product DetailsAuthor: Christopher MorrisPublisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc Imprint: Praeger Publishers Inc Dimensions: Width: 15.60cm , Height: 1.90cm , Length: 23.50cm Weight: 0.595kg ISBN: 9780275971366ISBN 10: 0275971368 Pages: 330 Publication Date: 30 July 2002 Recommended Age: From 7 to 17 years Audience: College/higher education , Professional and scholarly , Undergraduate , Postgraduate, Research & Scholarly Format: Hardback Publisher's Status: Active Availability: Manufactured on demand  We will order this item for you from a manufactured on demand supplier. Table of ContentsIntroduction Theories of Suspense Current Theories of Suspense Hitchcock on Suspense The Iconography of the Hanging Figure The Hanging Figure in Non-Cinematic Visual Art The Hanging Figure in Hitchcock's Films Suspense in Hitchcock The Lodger: Deferred Identity in the Crucified Figured Easy Virtue: Framed Nothing The Ring: The Circularity of Reading Spellbound: The Suspense of Black Marks on White Notorious: Thresholds in the Glamorously Dangerous Charade Rope: Suspense as the Absent Referent Vertigo: The Futile Search for Something Tenable North by Northwest: Groundless Figuration Psycho: Empty Interiors The Birds: Signs of a World without Cause or Meaning Torn Curtain: The Hanging Figure Afterword: Figures of SuspenseReviews'Morris's mastery of Hitchcock scholarship and contemporary deconstructionism alike make this one of those rare books on Hitchcock that will be welcomed by critics on both sides of the aisle. Even readers who resist his provocative readings of Rope, Vertigo, and The Birds will find themselves illuminated and challenged by a rethinking of Hitchcockian suspense that is certain to make this one the most influential studies of the world's most studied filmmaker.' Thomas Leitch, Professor of English, University of Delaware; 'I have read this book with great intellectual exhilaration. It is a wonderfully original book, the best comprehensive study so far on Hitchcock....a major work of scholarship, criticism, and theory.' J. Hillis Miller, University of California; 'One's first impression is how well informed this book is-by the history of criticism and theory in its myriad forms, by philosophy, by linguistics, by art history, and, of course, by film studies. This intellectual breadth yields stunningly original readings of less celebrated Hitchcock films (The Lodger, Rope) along with the canonical texts (Spellbound, Vertigo, Psycho). Like Morris' working definition of suspense, the insights put forth by his study never end.' Lloyd Michaels, Editor, Film Criticism Author InformationCHRISTOPHER D. MORRIS is the Charles A. Dana Professor of English at Norwich University in Northfield, Vermont. He is the author of Models of Misrepresentation: On the Fiction of E. L. Doctorow, as well as many articles on English and American literature. Tab Content 6Author Website:Countries AvailableAll regions |
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