The book was essentially a transcript of a weeklong interviewconversation between directors alfred hitchcock and francois truffaut. Equally wellknown director francois truffaut sat down with him and chatted about all the films he made in his lifetime. The definition of macguffin can be boiled down to one thing nothing. In 1962, truffaut, still young and radiant with technical discovery, interviewed hitchcock about his work, using a translator. The result is a portrait of one of the greatest directors the world has ever known, an allround specialist who. Hitchcock francois truffaut, alfred hitchcock, helen g. Hitchcock over the years described the macguffin as a plot device, or gimmick. In hitchcock, film critic francois truffaut presents fifty hours of interviews with alfred hitchcock about the whole of his vast directorial career, from his silent movies in great britain to his color films in hollywood. A definitive study of alfred hitchcock revised edition by francois truffaut isbn.
In glossy black dj with metallicsilver titles on the cover and spine, as issued. The interview francois truffaut is obviously very knowledgeable, and a great director in his own right. One of the essential books for film lovers, and the essential book for hitchcock admirers. After a magnus opus of this sort, one can only say. Foreign corrspondent, definition of mcguffin introduction. The macguffin is always particular often to the point of absurdity while the heros motivation is universal.
Hitchcock truffaut book hitchcock truffaut alfred hitchcock alfred hitchcock mystery magazine the intelligent investor. Film director alfred hitchcock coined the term macguffin when discussing the suspense techniques in his films. Truffaut interviewed hitchcock over eight days in 1962 at his offices at universal studios to write his book. Jun, 2008 one is ravished by the density of insights into cinematic questions. In a futuristic town, guy montag played by oskar werner works as. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 368 pages and is available in paperback format. Documentary film based upon hitchocktruffaut from kent jones featuring marin scorsese, wes anderson and many more. Yes action actors actually alfred hitchcock american anyway asked audience become beginning believe birds british called camera cary grant characters charles comes completely course critics death dialogue direction director editing effect emotion face fact feel felt film final follow girl give goes hand happened head husband idea instance.
Any booklength interview with alfred hitchcock is valuable, but considering that this volumes interlocutor is francois truffaut, the conversation is remarkable. Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. But despite the supposed centrality of the macguffin, a hitchcock movie is always about something else. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders.
Hitchcocks term macguffin helped him to assert that his films were in fact not what they appeared to be on the surface. Its difficult to think of a more informative or entertaining introduction to hitchcocks art, interests, and peculiar sense of humor. What to read if you love hitchcock movies book riot. Download for offline reading, highlight, bookmark or take notes while you read hitchcock. The first edition of the novel was published in 1983, and was written by francois truffaut. Hitchcock, edition definitive truffaut, francois, scott. Dec 10, 2015 the documentary tells the story of a book, one of the best about film ever written, which came out of a series of interviews that french director francois truffaut conducted with alfred hitchcock. Hitchcocktruffaut is a 2015 frenchamerican documentary film directed by film critic kent jones about francois truffauts book on alfred hitchcock. The encounter between francois truffaut and alfred hitchcock in the early 60s was a sort of apotheosis for cinema buffs worldwide. Sep 28, 2015 hitchcocktruffaut official trailer 1 2015 wes anderson, olivier assayas movie hd filmmakers discuss how francois truffauts 1966 book cinema according to hitchcock influenced their work. Iconic, groundbreaking interviews of alfred hitchcock by film critic francois truffaut providing insight into the cinematic method, the history of film, and one of the greatest directors of all time. Based on the famous series of dialogues between francois truffaut and alfred hitchcock from the 1960s, the book moves chronologically through hitchcock s films to discuss his career, techniques, and effects he achieved. Interviewed in 1966 by francois truffaut, hitchcock explained the term macguffin using the same story.
The director and producer alfred hitchcock popularized both the term macguffin and the technique, with his films number seventeen 1932 and the 39 steps 1935 being early examples of the concept. In hitchcock, film critic francois truffaut presents fifty hours of interviews with alfred hitchcock about the whole of his vast directorial career, from his silent movies in great britain to his. Hitchcocktruffaut is a 2015 frenchamerican documentary film directed by film critic kent jones about francois truffauts book on alfred hitchcock, hitchcocktruffaut, and its impact on cinema. Hitchcock book by francois truffaut official publisher. A definitive study of alfred hitchcock by francois truffaut.
Hitchcock by francois truffaut goodreads share book. Some of the characters may care about the macguffin, but the audience certainly does not. In 1962, film critic and french new wave director francois truffaut sat down with alfred hitchcock to record a weeklong interview about hitchcocks entire body of work. Offering eyeopening insight into hitchcock s filmmaking style, hitchcock is essential for any film buff. Even so, truffaut is critical at times, and this is not just extended heroworship.
Or post to your blog and anywhere else you feel it would be a good fit. The single most valuable book on film ever published thus far. Hitchcocktruffaut is a 1966 book by francois truffaut about alfred hitchcock, originally released in french as le cinema selon alfred hitchcock. Definitive list of hitchcock mcguffins the main thing ive learned over the years is that the macguffin is nothing. Hitchcock himself seemed to take a similar view, dismissing the movie in hitchcock truffaut as no more than a friendly gesture to carole lombard, and agreeing with his interviewer that making it had been a waste of time. In the truffaut interview he insists that while it must seem to be of vital importance to the characters to me. Hitchcock by truffaut out of the past a classic film blog. The main characters of this culture, film story are. The book that gets inside alfred hitchcocks mind the new. If you have read truffaut s own account of his life well worth the read you will know just how strong hitchcock s influence was. Alfred hitchcock liked to call it the macguffin the mysterious object in a spy thriller that sets the whole chain of events into motion. The book that gets inside alfred hitchcocks mind the new yorker.
Hitchcocks singular vision is elucidated and brought vividly to life by todays leading. Iconic, groundbreaking interviews of alfred hitchcock by film critic francois truffautproviding insight into the cinematic method, the history of film, and one of the greatest directors of all time. Dec 02, 2015 a new documentary on francois truffauts book of interviews with alfred hitchcock illuminates the relationship between the work of the french new wave and that of directors for major hollywood. Pdf hitchcock book by francois truffaut free download. Rent hitchcocktruffaut 2015 on dvd and bluray netflix. Hitchcock by truffaut is an essential book for any film lovers collection and a manual for any future film maker. In a book length interview conducted by new wave critic and director francois truffaut, hitchcock s entire career is discussed and analyzed. One point on which hitchcock was clear is that the macguffin is unimportant.
Online shopping from a great selection at books store. Hitchcock filmed psycho 1960 in black and white because he didnt want to show red blood on janet leigh. A book of practical counsel revis talking book and braille service. Hitchcocktruffaut is a fascinating look into several of hitchs films, and even some of truffauts, even if it is a little too short to call it a full exploration. It might be a scottish name, taken from a story about two men in a train. After hitchcocks death, truffaut updated the book with a new preface and final chapter on hitchcocks later films. In hitchcock, film critic francois truffaut presents fifty hours of interviews with alfred hitchcock about the whole of his vast directorial career, from his silent movies in great britain to.
This site is an extension of our alfred hitchcock journal the macguffin, which is indexed by the international federation of film archives fiaf in brussels, and by film literature index, new york. Hitchcock also said the macguffin is the thing that the spies are after but the audience dont care. Truffaut s book revealed for critical audiences what should have been apparent all along. New york in 1962, alfred hitchcock was the veteran hollywood hitmaker of north by northwest, dial m for murder and psycho. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading hitchcock. Mar 31, 2016 in 1962 hitchcock and truffaut locked themselves away in hollywood for a week to excavate the secrets behind the miseenscene in cinema. Watch hitchcocktruffaut, the original hbo documentary online at hbo. A rare, 1966 2nd edition hardcover of the classic book, hitchcock truffaut a definitive study of alfred hitchcock by francois truffaut. Im convinced of this, but i find it very difficult to prove it to others.
Alfred hitchcock explains the plot device he called the. The reproduction quality, especially of the film stills, is outstanding in every respect. Moving, film by film, through hitchcocks considerable corpus. The macguffin a web site owned by hitchcock scholar and author ken mogg. The main thing ive learned over the years is that the macguffin is nothing. Rohmer and chabrol, on the other hand, regard mr and mrs smith as a project that. After hitchcock s death, truffaut updated the book with a new preface and final chapter on hitchcock s later films. Hitchcock and his films youre almost certain to get something useful out of this book. Scott,alfred hitchcock and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Rent hitchcock truffaut 2015 starring wes anderson and olivier assayas on dvd and bluray. The term macguffin was coined by a screenwriter hitchcock worked with named angus macphail, according to donald spoto in the art of alfred hitchcock. If the 1967 hitchcock truffaut can now be seen as something of a classic, this revised version is even better. Hitchcocktruffaut official trailer 1 2015 wes anderson.
Watch an exclusive clip from hitchcocktruffaut, kent joness documentary about a series of extended interviews with alfred hitchcock by. Truffaut adds a final chapter with comments on topaz, frenzy and family plot, and he describes hitchcock s professional life till the end. A book of practical counsel revis oxford fourth edition english file students book and work book b1 the intelligent investor. The macguffin also spelled mcguffin has always been one of my favorite techniques in screenwriting, and im not entirely sure why. Hitchcock, truffaut by francois truffaut and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Based on the original recordings of this meetingused to produce the mythical book hitchcocktruffaut this film illustrates the greatest cinema lesson of all time and plummets us into the world of the creator of psycho, the birds, and vertigo. The book is the inspiration for the 2015 documentary hitchcocktruffaut. Truffaut as interviewer and obvious fan seems to want to turn everything into a pontification on symbolism and the deeper meanings of everything. The following is a list of mostly nonfiction english language titles relating to the life and career of alfred hitchcock hitchcock remains the most studied and writtenabout film director of all time and there are very few aspects of his life and work that remain undocumented. The result is a portrait of one of the greatest directors the.
A definitive study of alfred hitchcock by francois. First published by editions robert laffont, it is based on a 1962 exchange between hitchcock and truffaut, in which the two directors spent a week in a room at universal studios talking about movies. But the principle goes back at least as far as rudyard kipling, as hitchcock explains in this whimsical little film by isaac niemand with audio from hitchcocks june 8, 1972 appearance on the dick cavett show. Hitchcocktruffaut dogwoof documentary distribution. The result is a portrait of one of the greatest directors the world has ever known. Few books on film have inspired as much scholarship and devotion as hitchcocktruffaut by francois truffaut.
Please share it in your social networks facebook, twitter, email etc by using social media buttons at the side or bottom of the blog. Maybe its because of its funnysounding name, or maybe its because it screams hitchcock as hitchcock screams for it, or maybe its. Dec 04, 2015 hitchcock ebook written by francois truffaut. The pleasure garden the mountain eagle the first true hitchcock. Based on the original recordings of this meetingused to produce the seminal book hitchcocktruffaut this film illustrates the greatest cinema lesson of all time and plunges us into the world of the creator of psycho, the birds and vertigo. A definitive study of alfred hitchcock kindle edition. Fahrenheit 451, british sciencefiction film, released in 1966, based on ray bradburys classic dystopian novel of the same name. By 1967, truffaut had met with hitchcock on several more occasions, each time asking him further questions about his career to date.
Though this book was initially published in 1967 when hitchcock was still active, truffaut later prepared a revised edition that covered the final stages of his career. It changed the way hitchcock was perceived, as a popular director of suspense films such as psycho and the birds and revealed. This book is for all hitchcock admirers or just plain admirers of great cinema. Hitchcocktruffaut watch the hbo original documentary hbo. Every film covered with hitchcock s own views on the plotactors. Free download or read online hitchcock pdf epub book. Discussions of technique and intentions are fascinating. Find out which scenes, films and lines he loved and hated the most in his movie and why.
A definitive study of alfred hitchcock kindle edition by truffaut, francois. Francois roland truffaut was an awardwinning and influential filmmaker, critically acclaimed worldwide. Its difficult to think of a more informative or entertaining introduction to hitchcock s art, interests, and peculiar sense of humor. Themes the macguffin a macguffin is a plot device that motivates the characters and advances the story, but has little other relevance to the story itself. Hitchcock is astonishingly open about his working process, his successes and failures, the times his ego got the best of him, what his worst movie was, and how to. One man says whats that package up there in the baggage rack. Hitchcock paladin books by francois truffaut,helen g. He was also a talented and soughtafter film critic in france most notably, his work for cahiers du cinema, and one of the founders of the french new wave and the auteur theory.