Topic AnalysisAlfred Hitchcock is one of those filmmakers so good that he has his own style and to be part of an Alfred Hitchcock film you would have to be: a platinum blonde bombshell, a captivating twist or an innocent man accused of a crime. Although these are superficial attributes of the Hitchcockian style, they constitute several of his best-known works from the 1940s to 1965.Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get an Original EssayIn films like Vertigo, Rope, and Psycho, Hitchcock was able to establish the foundations of what would later become his signature, Hitchcockian style. Hitchcock acquired his distinctive style and aesthetic through his understanding of German Expressionism, which resulted in visual and narrative elements, added to suspense created through editing. The effects of World War I on the global film industry were profound and intoxicating. Not only did the war have political consequences, but it also had a psychological influence on emerging filmmakers of the time. Many European film industries were corrupted by the war, but German filmmakers resorted to a stranger, darker attempt to disorient their audiences. Place the audience in the state of mind of the main characters; became an aspect of the psychological depth of the era of German Expressionism. These films became more narrative-driven with complex stories rooted in specific experiences their characters had. This common trope is used by Hitchcock in his 1958 film Vertigo, telling the story of retired detective John "Scottie" Ferguson (James Stewart). Scottie takes a case to help an old friend with this possibly crazy wife. Hitchcock manipulates the audience's idea of ​​upcoming events by using the protagonist's perception of the world in a visually remarkable way, exposing the facade of the story world. Continuing Hitchcock's distinct narratives and perspective, the textbook A Short History of the Movies by Gerald Mast and Bruce Kawin explores his unique blend of the two. Mast and Kawin write: “Hitchcock takes the time to focus on a subtle or ironic physical detail. The plots revolve around the wildest possibilities…every Hitchcock film is the structure of the chase, the crash course toward a climate solution.” Although Vertigo may seem like a love story through Scottie's eyes, in true Hitchcockian style, nothing is what it seems. The perceptions formed by the audience see this world represented subjectively through the echoes of the characters' eyes. From the male protagonist's perspective, the audience feels emotions of love, obsession, and madness in Vertigo. Character perspective was not the only aspect of German Expressionism used by Hitchcock. In his most beloved work, Psycho (1960), Hitchcock uses light, shadow, and unusual imagery to convey a strange tone throughout the film and create moods for his characters. These visual facets are evident when Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) talk in his office. The conversation turns dark as they start talking about Bates' mother. The audience feels a sense of darkness in Bates not because of his dialogue but through the set design and lighting. This film noir atmosphere foreshadows the premeditation that is alive in the Hitchcockian style. Rope also uses this visual detail by being shot entirely in one location, time passes naturally and the characters interact.