Cineaste and essayist Mark Cousins turns his lens on to the work of Alfred Hitchcock in his latest illuminating exploration of cinema history. To a certain extent it’s a match made in movie heaven. Cousins is particularly insightful regarding the use of the camera, and few film-makers employed it as eloquently as Hitchcock. Rather than a chronological appreciation, the film is divided into thematic chapters (Escape, Desire, etc) – a suitably idiosyncratic approach that reflects Hitchcock’s unconventional tendencies.
One issue, however, is the decision to have the film narrated by Alistair McGowan, doing an uncanny (and unpleasantly phlegmy) impersonation of Hitchcock. While film theory, by its nature, comes with an assumption of the intentions of the director, there is usually an intermediary voice. Putting the words of Mark Cousins into the mouth of Hitchcock is an uncomfortable leap: it feels presumptive at best and disingenuous at worst.
