Top 5 Films?
North by Northwest
Psycho
Vertigo
Rear Window
Shadow of a Doubt
Psycho
Vertigo
Rear Window
The Birds
Rope
MovieChat Forums > Alfred Hitchcock Discussion > Top 5 Films?
vertigo
dial m for murder
strangers on a train
shadow of a doubt
the birds
Psycho
North by Northwest
Rear Window
Vertigo
The Birds
....I don't actually believe that, but its what critical and public opinion show. The American film institute has twice voted Psycho, NXNW, Rear Window, and Vertigo to be the ONLY four great Hitchcock films(on their main list; 9 Hitchcock movies made their "Greatest Thrillers" list, with Psycho at Number One for the entire list, followed by North by Northwest at Number Four, with The Exorcist and Jaws in between at 2 and 3.)
I believe that The Birds is the most famous Hitchcock movie other than Psycho, so that's why it made the list.
A special DVD package was made that had those five titles -- so I'm not alone.
As to my "real" list, I say:
Psycho (one)
North by Northwest(two)
and pretty much 70% of the rest of his films in the rest of the slots, all shared.
I agree with you. Those are his five most famous ones. The sixth slot, by popular opinion, I think would be Notorious.
The Birds is a special case. Although it's a good film, it is more famous for being representative of the Hitchock style than for being great. It must be one of the most famous films ever.
My top 5:
Rear Window (Ask me on a good day and I would call this the best film ever made)
Rope (I think Hitch would be amazed to know the stature that Rope has risen to. Going from being considered a failed experiment by its maker when released, to being proclaimed a classic today. It truly is a great film).
Psycho
Vertigo
North by Northwest
1. Psycho
2. Rope
3. Rear Window
4. Strangers on a Train
5. North By Northwest
THE BIRDS.
PSYCHO.
VERTIGO.
NORTH BY NORTHWEST.
ROPE.
Rope (I think Hitch would be amazed to know the stature that Rope has risen to. Going from being considered a failed experiment by its maker when released, to being proclaimed a classic today. It truly is a great film).
---
The love for "Rope" expressed in several posts certainly reflects its rise to prominence.
You know "back in the day"(the 60's and 70's) Rope never got the TV exposure of Psycho, North by Northwest and The Birds. Rear Window and Vertigo(and three other Hitchcocks) were "pulled" by Hitchcock in the 70's, but available to watch on TV in the 60's and early 70's. But "Rope" simply wasn't shown anywhere.
"Rope" get released to theaters, video and TV in 1984 along with the "missing" Hitchcocks: Rear Window, Vertigo, The Trouble With Harry, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. Finally -- Rope could be seen -- and I think it billed a fan base quickly and steadily.
The "single take stunt" IS impressive and has been copied by DePalma(The Untouchables), Scorsese(Good Fellas) and Sam Mendes, the director last year of "1917." But DePalma and Scorsese only used it for individual scenes.
CONT
CONT
But I think that Rope also sounds in a very suspenseful and painful plot: Two young men strangle a third "just for kicks" and put him in a cedar chest and proceed to have a party with food served on the chest. And the young man's FATHER is there, worried as to why he is late. The suspense is excruciating, and our rage at the killers builds and builds -- not to mention our rage at Smart Aleck James Stewart for supporting the theory of "superior beings should kill their lessers."(This just three years after the defeat of Nazi Germany.) Its powerful stuff.
And finally, this: You can find an article or two on the internet from 1948 about how Rope got banned in a few places(including US military bases) and pulled from a few cities. The articles don't spell out WHY. Oh, the violence of the murder scene was suggested, but Hitch had done other violent killing scenes by then(Lifeboat for one.) I think WHY is because...the film pretty clearly identifies the two young killers as gay men. The censors didn't catch that, and passed the film for exhibition(after all, Jimmy Stewart was the star.) But I think others in the military and other government agencies figured it out soon enough. After all, why ELSE in 1948 would Rope be banned?
[deleted]
Vertigo
Psycho
Notorious
Rear Window
The Man Who Knew Too Much 1934
Vertigo
Rebecca
To Catch a Thief
Marnie
Lady Vanishes
Psycho is the masterpiece
Psycho
North by Northwest
Rear Window
The Lady Vanishes
The 39 Steps