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Alfred Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much
Part of James Atlas’ Icons series, a filmic and biographical assessment of the twentieth century’s greatest filmmaker, by one of our most versatile critics.
Alfred Hitchcock presides over the history of film with a magisterial authority expressed in the silhouette that has made him recognizable around the world. No director has produced a more familiar body of work. From North by Northwest to Rear Window, The Birds to Psycho, his films are classics of the genre. In 2012, Vertigo was named the greatest film of all time by the British Film Institute.
Michael Wood, one of our most versatile critics, has given us a compact study of Hitchcock that deftly melds biography and criticism. He gives us the life, from a provincial suburb of London to the most posh precincts of Los Angeles, and a fabled career that began as a designer of title cards in the silent film era. He reads the films as visual texts, studying their plots to tease out their sometimes elusive meaning. And he reminds us that what we see is a Hitchcock film isn’t always what we think we see, that menace and murder lurk just beneath the surface. Alfred Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much is a virtuoso performance by a critic who knows everything.
Alfred Hitchcock presides over the history of film with a magisterial authority expressed in the silhouette that has made him recognizable around the world. No director has produced a more familiar body of work. From North by Northwest to Rear Window, The Birds to Psycho, his films are classics of the genre. In 2012, Vertigo was named the greatest film of all time by the British Film Institute.
Michael Wood, one of our most versatile critics, has given us a compact study of Hitchcock that deftly melds biography and criticism. He gives us the life, from a provincial suburb of London to the most posh precincts of Los Angeles, and a fabled career that began as a designer of title cards in the silent film era. He reads the films as visual texts, studying their plots to tease out their sometimes elusive meaning. And he reminds us that what we see is a Hitchcock film isn’t always what we think we see, that menace and murder lurk just beneath the surface. Alfred Hitchcock: The Man Who Knew Too Much is a virtuoso performance by a critic who knows everything.
129 pages, Hardcover
First published March 24, 2015
About the author
Michael Wood
34 books41 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
Michael Wood born in Lincoln, England, is the Charles Barnwell Straut Class of 1923 Professor of English and Professor of comparative literature at Princeton University. He is an alumnus of St John's College, Cambridge.
Prior to teaching to Princeton, he taught at Columbia University, and at the University of Exeter in Devon, England.
He was Director of the Gauss Seminars in Criticism at Princeton from 1995-2001, and chaired Princeton's English department from 1998 to 2004. He writes regularly for The New York Review of Books and on film for the London Review of Books.
Michael Wood born in Lincoln, England, is the Charles Barnwell Straut Class of 1923 Professor of English and Professor of comparative literature at Princeton University. He is an alumnus of St John's College, Cambridge.
Prior to teaching to Princeton, he taught at Columbia University, and at the University of Exeter in Devon, England.
He was Director of the Gauss Seminars in Criticism at Princeton from 1995-2001, and chaired Princeton's English department from 1998 to 2004. He writes regularly for The New York Review of Books and on film for the London Review of Books.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
November 11, 2017
I thoroughly enjoyed this comparatively brief overview of Alfred Hitchcock and his films, but with the warning that anyone wanting to get a more comprehensive view of individual films might find this a little disappointing. In a sense, this extended monograph seems to be more intended for those who are already pretty familiar with the subject already — an irony, in that the latter may well be in the van of those who might be disappointed.
A great deal has been written about Hitchcock’s films, and the areas covered are quite extensive, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and just about everything in between — such is the interest, esteem and influence of the man and his work. Wood’s selective bibliography in the book will provide more than enough as an introduction for the interested person to explore further; and Wood also provides a complete chronological listing of all of Hitchcock’s cinematic films (the main subject of interest) which can be of help.
I suspect that one of Wood’s concerns might be to calm down some of the more excitable conclusions of commentators and biographers, especially those who might want to psychoanalyse (and perhaps find fault with) Hitchcock the man based on their interpretations of his films.
Wood gently argues more for an understanding of what Hitchcock the director is doing in his films, and how this affects his audiences in the inimitable way that he does, to both enthral, terrify, and entertain, all at the same time.
It is the impact of the completed art form on the viewer that is the important thing — and with his best films, Hitchcock not only provides that, but also sets off complications and repercussions for those who think on these things, which in turn can stimulate sometimes unwanted or disturbing thoughts in the mind of the viewer.
All this means, however, is that whatever emotions and feelings we might entertain as a result of this are more a reflection of what is in our minds and in our hearts rather that what we think we might have seen on the screen. To believe that such emotions, etc. are indicative of the personality and character of the director himself is the same as saying that they are indicative of us ourselves (and maybe, just maybe, we just don’t want to deal with that at all!) — a nice conundrum. And typically “Hitchcockian”.
A great deal has been written about Hitchcock’s films, and the areas covered are quite extensive, from the sublime to the ridiculous, and just about everything in between — such is the interest, esteem and influence of the man and his work. Wood’s selective bibliography in the book will provide more than enough as an introduction for the interested person to explore further; and Wood also provides a complete chronological listing of all of Hitchcock’s cinematic films (the main subject of interest) which can be of help.
I suspect that one of Wood’s concerns might be to calm down some of the more excitable conclusions of commentators and biographers, especially those who might want to psychoanalyse (and perhaps find fault with) Hitchcock the man based on their interpretations of his films.
Wood gently argues more for an understanding of what Hitchcock the director is doing in his films, and how this affects his audiences in the inimitable way that he does, to both enthral, terrify, and entertain, all at the same time.
It is the impact of the completed art form on the viewer that is the important thing — and with his best films, Hitchcock not only provides that, but also sets off complications and repercussions for those who think on these things, which in turn can stimulate sometimes unwanted or disturbing thoughts in the mind of the viewer.
All this means, however, is that whatever emotions and feelings we might entertain as a result of this are more a reflection of what is in our minds and in our hearts rather that what we think we might have seen on the screen. To believe that such emotions, etc. are indicative of the personality and character of the director himself is the same as saying that they are indicative of us ourselves (and maybe, just maybe, we just don’t want to deal with that at all!) — a nice conundrum. And typically “Hitchcockian”.
November 14, 2024
Mostly an exegeses of the many Hitchcock movies. A short summary, and does a good job if that is what you are looking for. I was disappointed that it really skimped on his personal life, especially a discussion of this relationship with Tippi Hendren, and accusations of his sexual assault of her and later destroying her career by blackballing her in Hollywood.
March 2, 2015
I received this book from New Harvest and NetGalley for an honest review. The official release date is March 25th
In my opinion, Alfred Hitchcock is the single greatest movie director of all time. His body of work speaks for itself; constantly reinventing his style, Hitchcock's films span a half a century and even his "weakest" films, usually exceeds other directors best works. Having never read a book about Hitchcock, I jumped at the chance to review this book.
Being a very short book at a mere 146 pages, I didn't expect this to be a thorough examination of Hitch's vast catalog, but many of his films are so skimmed over or out right skipped, that this book felt unfinished. It felt like a first draft, a rough take of what the author wanted to really put out. The majority of the first half of the book is examining how World War 2 shaped the things Hitch had to say in his movies during that time period. Blackmail, Saboteur and Lifeboat, amongst others are examined here, but Shadow of a Doubt takes up the majority of the dissection.
During the second half of the book, we hear tales of how Hitch had an obsession with blondes, namely actresses Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren, his struggle with the changing Hollywood system and the second half of his filmmaking career, but like the films themselves, everything is too briefly discussed to really make an impact with the reader. Not only that, but often times, the examinations of the films is primarily a recap of what is already shown on the screen, with very little in the way of an essay into the thoughts the author has on the movie he is discussing. Case in point, Vertigo; the author spends several pages telling you what you already know happens. Scene after scene is described and granted, there is talk about the themes and meanings behind what Hitch was going for with certain scenes, but way too much of the time it is nothing more than a description of the movie itself.
The biggest flaw with this book is the length; it's simply far too short to try and cram an entire body of work of the greatest director of all time into 146 pages. It would have been better suited as a look at five films that the author liked best or he should have held off until he could have really done films the justice they deserve. I give this one 2/5
In my opinion, Alfred Hitchcock is the single greatest movie director of all time. His body of work speaks for itself; constantly reinventing his style, Hitchcock's films span a half a century and even his "weakest" films, usually exceeds other directors best works. Having never read a book about Hitchcock, I jumped at the chance to review this book.
Being a very short book at a mere 146 pages, I didn't expect this to be a thorough examination of Hitch's vast catalog, but many of his films are so skimmed over or out right skipped, that this book felt unfinished. It felt like a first draft, a rough take of what the author wanted to really put out. The majority of the first half of the book is examining how World War 2 shaped the things Hitch had to say in his movies during that time period. Blackmail, Saboteur and Lifeboat, amongst others are examined here, but Shadow of a Doubt takes up the majority of the dissection.
During the second half of the book, we hear tales of how Hitch had an obsession with blondes, namely actresses Grace Kelly and Tippi Hedren, his struggle with the changing Hollywood system and the second half of his filmmaking career, but like the films themselves, everything is too briefly discussed to really make an impact with the reader. Not only that, but often times, the examinations of the films is primarily a recap of what is already shown on the screen, with very little in the way of an essay into the thoughts the author has on the movie he is discussing. Case in point, Vertigo; the author spends several pages telling you what you already know happens. Scene after scene is described and granted, there is talk about the themes and meanings behind what Hitch was going for with certain scenes, but way too much of the time it is nothing more than a description of the movie itself.
The biggest flaw with this book is the length; it's simply far too short to try and cram an entire body of work of the greatest director of all time into 146 pages. It would have been better suited as a look at five films that the author liked best or he should have held off until he could have really done films the justice they deserve. I give this one 2/5
March 24, 2015
I did not finish this book. I got about 20% through and put it down. I just couldn't get back to it. I thought there would be more stories, more personal stuff. In actuary it was more like an outline with the order having no rhyme or reason. I read to be entertained and this felt like a teacher standing at the head of the class giving out facts and information on Alfred Hitchcock. Disappointing for sure.
Thank you New Harvest and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you New Harvest and Net Galley for providing me with this free e-galley in exchange for an honest review.
January 9, 2018
DNF
I am not sure what the author was trying to do with this biography. I gave up as it was dry and seemed to have the author's thoughts too much into the writing.
I am not sure what the author was trying to do with this biography. I gave up as it was dry and seemed to have the author's thoughts too much into the writing.
May 6, 2015
I love Alfred Hitchcock and I was excited to review this book. All I can say is how disappointed I was. The writer seemed to have a grudge against Hitchcock and focused entirely on Hitchcock's personal life rather than the film innovator he was.
More critical than enjoyable.
More critical than enjoyable.
July 21, 2024
Well, this book is a pretty unnecessary addition of the trove of books on Hitchcock. I picked it up in the library bookshop for a song; I'm glad I didn't spend the $20 list price on this slender volume. It consists mostly of fairly complete plot descriptions of his films, so if you haven't seen them all, there's some spoilers here. But I didn't think Wood had any particularly insightful comments to make, and the most interesting ones are quotes from Hitchcock scholars. Wood writes mostly about fiction, not film, and it shows. His approach to reviewing is like one you'd do for literature, so it's absent any analysis of Hitch's cinema (except for a few mentions of camera angles). I suspect he was commissioned to write this book as part of Houghton's Icon series; as such, its audience must be those with short attention spans and low expectations. The "Wood" you want to read on Hitch is Robin Wood.
April 26, 2022
It was okay, but not a biography of the person. More a pretentious analysis of his movies. It kind of jumps around.
*Yawn*
But it's short, and it WAS kind of interesting to read about some of the stuff, so I got through it.
I recommend this book if you are doing a scholarly research paper on Hitchcock or movies or Hollywood, but if you are looking for a bio of Hitchcock, this is not it.
*Yawn*
But it's short, and it WAS kind of interesting to read about some of the stuff, so I got through it.
I recommend this book if you are doing a scholarly research paper on Hitchcock or movies or Hollywood, but if you are looking for a bio of Hitchcock, this is not it.
November 19, 2017
Ok
This definitely got me interested in Hitchcock’s films and I love film but I’m not sure why it was so highly recommended.
This definitely got me interested in Hitchcock’s films and I love film but I’m not sure why it was so highly recommended.
December 31, 2017
A great recollection of the life and films of Alfred Hitchcock. Has giving me a last minute New Year's resolution of catching up with his filmography.
May 14, 2019
Whilst the Lynch book from this collection I finished in a single sitting, I found this one on Hitchcock boring. I got about 20% in and realised life is simply too short to read books I don’t enjoy.
April 27, 2015
Mostly a breakdown and insight into the films of AH
Michael Wood obviously did a substantial amount of research before putting pen to paper. He explains in some detail his -- and others' -- views of Hitchcock's films. He gives the reader a good synopsis of each film and then goes on to explain some of the reasoning and symbolism inherent in many scenes.
He doesn't just write about the well-known films but also includes insight into many of Hitchcock's earlier British productions.
However, I found it somewhat disconcerting that the information is presented in a rather disjointed fashion. The author seems to jump around from one film to another for no apparent reason.
I was also somewhat confused at times as to whether an opinion is the author's personal view or generally accepted knowledge of others. For example, he writes of the actor Claude Rains being thought of as French because he played a French character in Casablanca. He used the plural "we" in his statement. I believe most serious film buffs -- and anyone bothering to read a book about such a famous director -- know Claude Rains as being born and reared in England -- and even if someone did not know that, would not assume just because he played a French policeman that he would necessarily be French.
Regardless, there is a lot of interesting information about Hitchcock's films here, and some information about the man himself.
I have given this book three stars because I do think it is okay and worth reading. It just doesn't seem to be extraordinary.
Michael Wood obviously did a substantial amount of research before putting pen to paper. He explains in some detail his -- and others' -- views of Hitchcock's films. He gives the reader a good synopsis of each film and then goes on to explain some of the reasoning and symbolism inherent in many scenes.
He doesn't just write about the well-known films but also includes insight into many of Hitchcock's earlier British productions.
However, I found it somewhat disconcerting that the information is presented in a rather disjointed fashion. The author seems to jump around from one film to another for no apparent reason.
I was also somewhat confused at times as to whether an opinion is the author's personal view or generally accepted knowledge of others. For example, he writes of the actor Claude Rains being thought of as French because he played a French character in Casablanca. He used the plural "we" in his statement. I believe most serious film buffs -- and anyone bothering to read a book about such a famous director -- know Claude Rains as being born and reared in England -- and even if someone did not know that, would not assume just because he played a French policeman that he would necessarily be French.
Regardless, there is a lot of interesting information about Hitchcock's films here, and some information about the man himself.
I have given this book three stars because I do think it is okay and worth reading. It just doesn't seem to be extraordinary.
January 31, 2016
Clocking in at 116 pages, this book gives only the briefest glimpse into the life and career of Alfred Hitchcock. It is written in what I would call an "informal essay" style, with author Michael Wood jumping from film to film and idea to idea with no real cohesive structure. He lingers on very minor films like "Lifeboat," but skips both versions of "The Man Who Knew Too Much" almost completely (an odd choice when that's the title of your book).
The book's major flaw is Michael Wood's overblown "critic-speak," which is SO overblown here that it borders on parody. An example: "Let me suggest that a good narrative plot is not just a causal arrangement of events but a scheme pointing to its own scheming, a matter both of conspiracy and organization. Not every plot is a double plot, but every plot has a hint of duality about it." This is the worst form of meaningless pseudo-analysis, and the author doesn't even try to make his case for such absurd statements. He just makes them and moves on.
Too brief to be comprehensive and too esoteric to be a primer, only the most ardent students of Hitchcock will even want to give this a second glance (and most will have heard almost every idea in it explored much more skillfully elsewhere). Instead, try "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock" by Donald Spoto, an amazing book that I've returned to again and again.
The book's major flaw is Michael Wood's overblown "critic-speak," which is SO overblown here that it borders on parody. An example: "Let me suggest that a good narrative plot is not just a causal arrangement of events but a scheme pointing to its own scheming, a matter both of conspiracy and organization. Not every plot is a double plot, but every plot has a hint of duality about it." This is the worst form of meaningless pseudo-analysis, and the author doesn't even try to make his case for such absurd statements. He just makes them and moves on.
Too brief to be comprehensive and too esoteric to be a primer, only the most ardent students of Hitchcock will even want to give this a second glance (and most will have heard almost every idea in it explored much more skillfully elsewhere). Instead, try "The Art of Alfred Hitchcock" by Donald Spoto, an amazing book that I've returned to again and again.
October 1, 2023
Reads like a story. Not just a collection of facts.
I have other books on Alfred. However mostly I know it is from the DVD extras.
This book, however, is simple on the surface. The thing that I like most is that you do not have to keep looking in the back for footnotes and references as they are built right on the page in the place you are reading.
The author, Michael Wood, is not afraid to mention other authors’ works and quotes. We also get a good overview of the many works of Alfred Hitchcock.
There is depth but not too much and you come away feeling that you know all that you want to know about Alfred and his world.
Thanks, Michael for a good time spent reading about the movie Icon.
I have other books on Alfred. However mostly I know it is from the DVD extras.
This book, however, is simple on the surface. The thing that I like most is that you do not have to keep looking in the back for footnotes and references as they are built right on the page in the place you are reading.
The author, Michael Wood, is not afraid to mention other authors’ works and quotes. We also get a good overview of the many works of Alfred Hitchcock.
There is depth but not too much and you come away feeling that you know all that you want to know about Alfred and his world.
Thanks, Michael for a good time spent reading about the movie Icon.
July 16, 2015
This was an interesting book but more about Hitchcock's movies than about the man himself. I was expecting a biography but got a filmography! Still, the author did say that Hitchcock was a very private man so I guess it is hard to get too much information about him. A short and easy to read book. Pleasant.
March 27, 2016
A good description of Hitch's films more than Hitch. I got the Kindle version and listened to it as text-to-speech in the British voice, which made for pleasant listening. Hitchcock is my favorite film director of all time, and I love his films. I enjoyed hearing the details of behind the scenes and how he related to the actors while filming.
October 11, 2015
OK... But no new insights about the Master of Suspense. If this is the first biography of Hitchcock you read, you owe to yourself to read McGilligan's "A Life in Darkness and Light" to fully appreciate the man and his craft.
August 17, 2016
I'm sure there are better Alfred Hitchcock bios out there if you are interested. This one is about 50 % bio and 50% telling about the movies. It is mostly what the movies are about and not that much behind the scenes secrets. It is a short read.
May 16, 2015
Very smart, but not comprehensive. I lost interest a little over halfway through. There are better analyses of Hitchcock's oeuvre out there.
July 18, 2015
If you're looking for a series of essays about Hitchcock's movies, this is your book. But this book holds no insights into the man himself. On the upside it's a quick read.
July 25, 2015
A good short read for fans of Alfred Hitchcock
January 12, 2016
Not so much a biopic on Hitchcock, but a synopsis of his films.
January 30, 2016
Lacking. And far too short of a piece to encompass what it was attempting to encompass: a very well-known, very well-documented artist & his works.
December 29, 2016
Traces what Hitch's films suggest about the nature of knowing. Reads like a well-drawn sketch preparatory to a fuller work. Satisfying/unsatisfying.
May 3, 2017
There were words. I read them. And they didn't really strike me. I've definitely read better books on Hitchcock. I couldn't really figure out why this book was written.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews