The Wrong House - the Architecture of Alfred Hitchcock by Steven Jacobs

by Steven Jacobs

In the films of Alfred Hitchcock, architecture plays an important role. Having worked as a set designer in the early 1920s, Hitchcock remained intensely concerned with the art direction of his films. In addition, the ’master of suspense’ made some remarkable single-set films, such as Rope and Rear Window, that explicitly deal with the way the confines of the set relate to those of the architecture on screen. Spaces of confinement also turn up in the ’Gothic plot’ of films in which the house is presented as an uncanny labyrinth and a trap. Furthermore, it became a Hitchcock hallmark to use famous monuments as the location for a climactic scene. Last but not least, Hitchcock used architectural motifs such as stairs and windows, which are closely connected to Hitchcockian narrative structures (suspense) or typical Hitchcock themes (voyeurism). Apart from dealing with these issues extensively, Steven Jacobs discusses at length a series of domestic buildings with the help of a number of reconstructed floor plans especially made for this publication. Steven Jacobs is an art historian who has published widely on the photographic and cinematic representations of architecture, cities, and landscapes. He currently lectures on film history at Sint Lukas College of Art Brussels and the Academy of Fine Arts in Ghent, and on urban studies at Erasmus University Rotterdam.

Genres: Architecture, Film, Nonfiction

Unknown Binding

First published August 1, 2007

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book about imaginary architecture - buildings that have never existed in real life, in some cases can't possibly exist in normal 3D space, which were chosen not because the price was right, or because it was close to a good school, but rather as a way to illustrate the background of characters, to evoke certain emotions, and to emphasize the dysfunctional relationships being played out on the screen.

The book consists of two parts. The first two chapters outline in general Hitchcock's use of architecture in his films to do the above. I found this part very interesting.

The final chapter consists of a series of architectural monographs of 26 different buildings used in Hitchcock's movies, in many cases containing floor plans reconstructed from careful, repeated viewing of the films. I don't have a background in architecture, and maybe if I did this third section would be more interesting. As it was, there were snippets of interesting material, but mostly I found it overwhelming. As I finished reading about each building I'd turn the page to yet another floor plan, and series of photos, and description about the use of close-ups on locks, or grid-like shadows, or whatever. The summary of this information in the first two chapters worked better for me, as a casual reader. But I suspect this last chapter would be invaluable as a resource for someone, say, writing a paper contrasting Hitchcock's use of architecture with that of some other film maker.

So, overall verdict: I'd read it for the first two chapters, and treat the third chapter as an optional appendix.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wrong House: The Architecture of Alfred Hitchcock by Stephen Jacobs looks at the set design and architectural representations of space in Hitchcock's films.

The book is divided up by film. Each chapter has a discussion of the film's production, Hitchcock's part in the production, and how the spaces work thematically. There are also numerous photographs and floor plans.

I read the book on a whim after participating in a number of #hitchfest viewings via Tweetchat. Once a week we would watch a film and tweet about it. We've since moved onto #fauxhitchfest, meaning we're watching similar films but ones not directed by Hitchcock.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the most prominent problems in this book is related to aspect ratio. The ratio of the screenshots are compromised in favor of layout of the book, which leads to a separation between film set design and how sets appear on screen. Films are all about camera language or the language of photography. I highly recommend that the author should either add caption or be truthful to the original films in terms of aspect ratio, if this book can be reprinted by any chance in the future.