Clark Art Presents Series of Alfred Hitchcock Films
 |
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. —This March and April, the Clark Art Institute screens a series of films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, widely regarded as the master of suspense and one of cinema's most influential filmmakers.
A presentation and talkback with film scholar Will Schmenner, head of public programs, follows each screening.
All film screenings are free and take place in the Manton Research Center auditorium on select Thursdays at 6 pm. Accessible seats available; for information, call 413 458 0570. For more details, visit events.clarkart.edu.
March 19
Rear Window (1954)
For this classic thriller, Hitchcock took a hard-boiled detective story by Cornell Woolrich and mixed it with a love story by screenwriter John Michael Hayes. The story concerns world-class photographer L.B. Jefferies (James Stewart), who has broken his leg. Confined to his wheelchair and bored out of his mind, Jeffries takes to spying on his neighbors. He begins to suspect, without any proof, that Mr. Thorwald (Raymond Burr) may have murdered his wife. Jefferies's point of view, limited to his camera lens and window, echoes the framing of the film itself, drawing the audience into his growing obsession. (Run time: 1 hour, 50 minutes)
March 26
North by Northwest (1959)
This story is a classic Hitchcock variation on the theme of the innocent man wrongly accused. Cary Grant transitions from standard issue advertising executive to accidental spy with the ease that only he possesses. Eva Marie Saint brings a seductive intelligence to their cat-and-mouse romance. Featuring perhaps the most iconic of Hitchcock's chase sequences—man versus crop-dusting biplane—this is not to be missed. (Run time: 2 hours, 16 minutes)
April 2
Vertigo (1958)
Scottie Ferguson (Jimmy Stewart), recently retired from the San Francisco police force, is approached by a college acquaintance to spy on his wife, Madeleine Elster (Kim Novack). His college friend is worried for his wife's mental health. Scottie finds himself hypnotically drawn to Madeleine; he, too, feels afflicted, suffering from vertigo caused by the trauma that forced him to retire. With Bernard Hermann's acclaimed score and imagery that invokes a dizzying vortex, Vertigo is Hitchcock's dark masterpiece. (Run time: 2 hours, 9 minutes)
Tags: Clark Art,
