His influence on modern movies is unmistakable, but he is too often relegated to being a mere master visual stylist and nothing more.
Of course, the shots and cinematography in his movies are iconic but I have grown to appreciate the psychological subtext of his films more than anything else. Some may find his movies dated or too melodramatic, but I think they were actually ahead of their time and offer a lot to modern audiences.
The overwhelming majority of his work was produced during a time where a rigid form of censorship, known as the production code, kept Hollywood films from being too edgy. And yet, time after time, Hitchcock infused his thrillers with sexual idiosyncrasies, gender politics and much more.
I would be lying if I said I've seen most of his movies, in fact there are several which some consider classics that I still haven't seen or probably need to revisit, so please don't kill me if your favorites did not make the cut. These are just my top 10 right now.
10) Notorious - A film powered by the charm of its gorgeous and charismatic leads: Cary Grant and Ingrid Bergman. Grant's role should be incredibly unlikable, he plays a spy who persuades a woman he's falling for to seduce the film's villain in order to score secrets, and then hates her for it. Yet Hitchcock pulls it off. Not a lot of big thrills here, just a sophisticated story told with terrific elegance and restraint.
9) Shadow of a Doubt - Just recently discovered this daring and creepy film. Joseph Cotton, who normally plays all-American good guys, is dynamite as the mysterious and dark "Uncle Charlie" who returns home to stay with his extended family but appears to be filled with secrets. This one goes to dark places you wouldn't expect for early Hitchcock, and he considered it his personal favorite.
8) Strangers on a Train - An indelible premise, a deranged man suggests to a stranger that they each kill the biggest antagonist in the other's life. The sane man thinks it's a joke, while the crazy one actually plans to go through with it. Some of the early Hitchcock trademarks are cemented here: oddball mom fixations, homo-eroticism and almost unbearable suspense.
7) Frenzy - There is much debate among Hitchcock fans about what was the director's last masterpiece. Purists claim Psycho, others say The Birds, and a growing chorus Marnie. Although I've yet to see his last film, Family Plot, I feel like I can safely say this surprisingly graphic film is a classic. Freed from constraints, Hitchcock pushes the envelope with sex and violence, but he never forgets to keep the scariest bits implied in this tightly-constructed mistaken identity thriller.
6) The Birds - Ostensibly a creature feature, this talky film is actually a complex rumination on women as hunter and prey. 'Tippi' Hedren was never a favorite of the critics, but I have come to view her as one of the very best "Hitchcock blondes". She was more modern and icy and so her performances don't date quite as much. And this genuinely creepy film gets more fascinating with each viewing.
5) Rear Window - One of the most crowd-pleasing Hitchcock hits, this movie has the perfect premise. Jimmy Stewart plays a photojournalist (who is inexplicably immune to the charms of Grace Kelly) with an injured leg. He can only seem to amuse himself by spying on his neighbors. The murder mystery that follows gives Hitchcock an ideal outlet for his theme of voyeurism, which will only deepen in his last pairing with Stewart. (See #1).
4) Psycho - Every modern horror film owes a debt to this psychological thriller, which features a legendary performance from Anthony Perkins as the seemingly sheepish Norman Bates. Groundbreaking for its brutality back in 1960, it still packs a punch all these years later. A master class in editing and a screenplay which has a lot of depth.
3) Marnie - This may be my one and only controversial choice, but after multiple recent viewings I have really fallen in love with this film. It's not a traditional Hitchcock suspense movie, which is probably why it turns off a lot of people. It's really a multi-layered character study of two very screwed up people: one who knows they are screwed up (the lead character played by Hedren) and another who doesn't have a clue (Sean Connery in what is essentially the villain role). A misunderstood work of genius.
2) North By Northwest - A precursor to the Bond films, this is one of Hitchcock's most enjoyable adventures, featuring Cary Grant at his most debonair and witty. It's another mistaken identity thriller but the scale is much bigger. So many astonishing set pieces in this one, with the standouts being the crop duster chasing after Grant and a perilous escape across the faces on Mount Rushmore. This was the first Hitchcock movie that sucked me in and blew me away.
1) Vertigo - But that was before I saw this film, which is undoubtedly Hitchcock's best and won of his most personal. The complicated narrative involves a retired police detective who gets lured into tailing a woman who appears to be haunted by a dead ancestor. Sounds ridiculous, and yet this dream-like film makes this conceit, as well as many others, compelling and moving. Jimmy Stewart gives his greatest, most compelling performance in this brilliant, haunting movie.
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