Creation of suspense in "The Man Who Knew Too Much": directed by Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock is one of the most famous filmmakers of all times. His work and name will always remain know throughout all generation. Alfred Hitchcock is synonymous to fear, terror and mostly suspense. His outstanding cinematographic techniques and unique story telling ways are the main creators of this phenomenon, who is able to keep an audience in suspense throughout a lengthy period of time craving for the outcome of the story. In this paper we will be looking particularly at "The Man Who Knew Too Much," that earned Hitchcock the title "the master of suspense".
Suspense in "The Man Who Knew Too Much" is in a sort of crescendo. The beginning of the story seems to be any old ordinary story about an American family on holiday. But as the story progresses the audience is forced to ask themselves questions about certain events.
English: Studio publicity photo of Alfred Hitchcoc...
English: Alfred Hitchcock
Dermot O'Leary and Pixie McKenna at the BAFTA'sBy this clever method of not giving out any secrets straight away but keeping the audience eager for information, Hitchcock is able to keep the audiences' attention at all time because if they miss a small fraction of the film this mite just be that crucial moment where all was being revealed. Hitchcock is also clever in not to reveal information to early. Important facts are kept unknown till the end.
The crescendo starts off with the meeting of Louis Bernard on the bus to Marrakech and progresses by the murder of Louis Bernard and the mysterious information given to Ben McKenna and finally its is topped off by the kidnapping of Hank McKenna. But it doesn't finish here as more unusual events add to the suspense. One can think that the crash of the cymbals is...