The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock, Edward White

Twelve close-up portraits of Hitchcock, each from a different angle, each revealing something fundamentally about the man, the public entity he crafted, and the mythological creature he has become; the life he lived, various roles he performed, versions of himself he projected and incarnations. His complex personality – an enormous ego, fragile self-esteem, capacity for self-disgust equaled by his self-regard, a constant need for affirmation even while possessing great surety in his abilities and opinions. I am fond of the symbolic meaning within his pictures, secrets and unspoken truths permeate throughout his works… some of which are considered (me included) the best ever to be made….’Rear Window’ being an easy top 5 of all time for its cinematic genius throughout. His constant reinvention, a carapace of cutting-edge filmmaking (Psycho, The Birds, Vertigo)… his use of advanced special effects and sound design.. constant reinvention, innovation – a drive to realize a creative ambition through the exploitation of technology and technique. If you haven’t seen any of his films the suggestions and references I mentioned above are a good dive into the shallow pool.