Characteristics of Hitchcock Heroes - Essay Example

Hitchcock Heroes Alfred Hitchcock is one of the best producers of film. This essay discusses through argument, contrast and comparison of the characters in Alfred Hitchcock’s films. This essay also analyzes the characters’ personalities and portraysthem with proper arguments supporting their listed personalities. While the heroes “though subjected into concealing the crime at first” they strive to overcome their oppressors and prove their morality.The heroes in the films viewed in class have double identities which they try unmask therefore highlighting their heroism as they grapple with concealing the negative identities. The heroes in A. Hitchcock works have double traits. These dualities of traits affect them to the extent that their heroism is concealed. They thus have to prove their morality and innocence. HitchcockHeroes and their Characteristics In the movie ‘Stranger on a Train’ the hero, Guy Haines is an innocent man but he is in a predicament since he has a vulgar and a money grabbing wife (Miriam). It is not any easier on him because she is not willing to grant him a divorce and yet he is in love with Ann Norton but he is still patient with her. Miriam is murdered and he is implicated since he has motive.“You black conniving liar!” He utters these words to Miriam as they argue and it shows his anger. This is further complicated by him meeting Bruno. He is aware of Miriam stubbornness and he also reveals to Guy that he has a rich father, Mr. Anthony who is a strict disciplinarian and always scolds Bruno for his playboy lifestyle. Bruno has been kicked out of three colleges which confirmhis extravagance. He goes ahead to suggest to Guy that they should commit murderto eliminate the ones vexing the others life. He then is seen explaining how difficult it will be for them to be traced since they would be total strangers therefore will be no implication of motive(Yanal, 228). Guy does not agree to any of these and calls Bruno crazy but he continues to stalk Guy insisting that Guy had agreed to that plan and that he could not bail out. He calls Guy one day and gives him the address to his house, the room of where he will find his father and how to commit the murder. Guy takes down the details and it seems like he has agreed to the plan. He goes to Bruno’s house“Mr. Anthony! Mr. Antony! Don't be alarmed -- but I must talk to you about your son, about Bruno. Mr. Antony!”(Pomerance, 129) This shows that he is humane.He informs Guy that this was all a set up because he sensed that he had a change of heart and that he was still going ahead with the plans of killing Miriam so that Guy could settle his end of the bargain. Bruno kills Miriam and he now pesters Guy to meet his end of the bargain. In the movie, we can deduce that Guy is our true hero in the film as we can see him further going to the murder scene to confront Bruno and as they struggle on the merry go round. It gets out of control and the merry go round accelerates itself. He is concerned of the small child who is scared of what happening and he dives with the child as the machine falls apart while crushing Bruno. This shows us that he is caring. The police arrive and Bruno is found with the lighter and it frees Guy. In ‘Shadows of a Doubt’ Charlotte Newton is the hero. She is seen to be unhappy with her life and is whining about her father’slife and throughout the film he is always seen to be discussing about murderswith his friend. She is also unhappy because she feels that her mother is overworked. She is seeking for that person who would bring them happiness and thinks of her uncle Charlie. She is caring and seeks to see her family happy. Uncle Charlie coincidentally is also thinking of visiting Santa Rose. Charlotte is very happy when she hearsthis news. She goes to the extent of giving Uncle Charlie her bedroom so that he would be comfortable. Trouble starts when UncleCharlie gives everyone a present in the Dining room except Charlotte, he follows her to the kitchen and gives her an emerald ring with the initials “TS from BM” She is skeptical on noticing the initials. Later that evening as Charlottes’ father and his friend are discussing on the best way to commit a murder, we see Charlie with a newspaper that he pretends to be playing a game with. Charlotte is keen and notices the missing pages as she is trying to rearrange the paper for her father. She later goes to the library to read what was torn off and sees “WHERE IS THE MERRY WIDOW MURDERER”, “Nationwide search for the murderer of three rich women”( Cunningham, 224). This leads her to discover that there were two suspects and their latest victim was Mrs. Bruce Mathewson also known as Thelma Schenley. She discovers that her uncle is the murderer and she asks him to leave them alone and go elsewhere. She is secretive about it.One evening at a gathering where he was invited by Charlottes’ mum, he announces that he is leaving for a while. One of the widows’offers to accompany him as she is going to San Franciscoand Charlottes pities her because she knows that her uncle will end up killing her. Though she knows of her uncle’s intention and doesn’t warn the widow, it shows her as being malicious. On the day that Uncle Charlie is leaving, he persuades Charlotte to accompany her to the train but he has an intention of killing her because she knows the truth about him. He waits for the train to start moving and as Charlotte wants to alight, he holds her hand so that he can push her over. Charlotte flips and upsets his balance causing him to get hit by an oncoming train. In Mr. and Mrs. Smith, the movie, the protagonist is Mrs.Smith. Following the screw ball movie comedy elements, Ann is the leading lady with the movie exhibiting backdrops of comic misunderstanding like the two couples spying on each other in the hotel with each trying to outdo the other over the happiest couple. She is secretive due to the fact that she knows her marriage to Davidis not legally binding andwhen David learns about this through Deever she ends their relationship. She goes on to date Jeff who is David’s business partner and friend. The comic aspect of the movie is old fashioned; an example of the comic aspect is where David shows up at Jeff’s and Ann’s holiday feigning sickness and pretending not to be aware that they were there for holiday. The movie takes a different direction when David’s showing up causes the disagreement of Jeff and Ann. He even makes Jeff and his family leavestheir holiday. David capitalizes on the scene and makes move to try and get her back which he does very smoothly. The movie ends with David kissing Ann. Conclusion All the protagonists in these films have been forced into lies and deceit by circumstances that have been brought upon them majorly by the antagonists. In two of the films, we see that the heroes go to an extent of even concealing murders while in Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Ann Smith conceals the fact that their marriage is not legal. They however have had to strife to straighten out their predicaments and regain normalcy. The heroes eventually prove their morality. In ‘Shadows of a Doubt’ and ‘Strangers on a Train’they prove their innocence. Works cited Cunningham, Douglas A. The San Francisco of Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo: Place, Pilgrimage, and Commemoration. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2012. Print. Pomerance, Murray. An Eye for Hitchcock. New Brunswick: N.J, 2004. Print. Yanal, Robert J. Hitchcock As Philosopher. Jefferson, NC [u.a.: McFarland, 2005. Print. Read More