Reputations come and go, but Alfred Hitchcock's has remained solidly in place in the pantheon of the masters of the cinema. Although he is well-known for his interviews - especially his celebrated one with Francois Truffaut - what is less known is that he wrote extensively about the cinema during the course of his life. These writings are gathered together for the first time in this book. His essays are thoughtful meditations of film art in general, as well as attempts to define his own art in particular, expressed in a manner that is entertaining and full of the evident delight he took in film-making. These writings focus directly on his life, his films and his film practice. He deals with fear, the mechanics of suspense, the position of women in his films - and in the audience - and in the process reveals a great deal about the complex creation and manipulation of his public persona. This book is essential to anyone interested in Hitchcock's work.
