Besides shaping a generation with his movies like Jaws, E.T., and the Indiana Jones franchise to name a few, for over four decades, the delightful charm with which Steven Spielberg speaks about movies proves that he is a lifelong student of the craft. Thus the director recently let the fans take a peek into his past and shared some of the classic pieces of cinema that have forever left a mark on him. As an ardent lover of movies, he has been inspired by many classics of the industry throughout his illustrious career which in turn has led him to craft some of his masterpieces.
But there is one director whose place as he admits is unshakable from the pedestal he has put him on. And that is none other than Alfred Hitchcock. Known for his bone-chilling dark movies that have potentially shaped the horror genre, will always remain Spielberg’s go-to top choice. Spielberg thus, recently shared a dark reason that made Hitchcock, well ‘The Hitchcock’.
Steven Spielberg Revealed a Dark Reason That Made Alfred Hitchcock a Great Director
In a desperate attempt to save the Turner Classic Movies, the director Steven Spielberg, along with his best buds, Martin Scorsese and Paul Thomas Anderson have been working relentlessly for months. Thus, as a special surprise to the audience, the trio has made a list of recommendations to be screened on the channel that has never failed to inspire them throughout the years. And that is where the director revealed something shocking.
Those who are familiar with Alfred Hitchcock’s work would be aware that the director loved to play with some dark elements. The director, in turn, revealed why the themes of wrongful accusations, and misunderstandings with law enforcement, were such recurring themes in the Hitchcock movies. In the video where he shared his top September picks, he recalled the true story behind his pick, The Wrong Man. As per IndieWire, he stated,
“When Alfred Hitchcock was just 5 years old, to teach him a lesson, his father had the local police station lock him in a cell for a few minutes. He told Alfred; ‘this is where naughty boys are sent to live.’ Hitchcock never got over this, and feared policemen and wrongful convictions for the rest of his life.”
He then further stated,
“This film, which is based on a true story, I think is the result of Hitchcock’s childhood trauma, directly. What his father did to Hitchcock was intolerable, but maaay just have made him the Master of Suspense and one of the greatest filmmakers in film history.”
Although he agrees, that the trauma, made Hitchcock the director he was, he also stated what happened to him at such a young age was nothing short of terrifying.
Other Movies That Made It Into the Exclusive List of Steven Spielberg’s Top Picks
In his insightful analysis of classic Hollywood films, he will forever treasure, apart from The Wrong Man, Spielberg also dived into some other of the gems of the industry. He listed Vincente Minnelli’s Meet Me in St. Louis, as one of his top picks, and then pointed out the actress Margaret O’Brien, as she is the reason the director fell in love with the movie, as she “practically steals this whole movie from everybody”. On the other hand, he also spoke very highly of Lana Turner, Susan Kohner, and Juanita Moore, for their performances in Imitation of Life.
He then further went on to share his appreciation for the movie Them! (1954) as the pioneering American sci-fi movie that explores the consequences of nuclear fallout.
A second Vincente Minnelli film, The Bad and the Beautiful, also made it into his list for perfectly portraying an insider’s view of Hollywood. Spielberg’s enthusiastic commentary undoubtedly breathes new life into these old classics, shedding light on them for a whole new demographic to explore this thrilling part of the cinema world.
Source: Turner Classic Movies (via IndieWire)
