Hitchcock, Selznick and the of Hollywood

Documentaries about directors are usually a portrait of their chronological history. In Hitchcock, Selznick and the End of Hollywood Michael Epstein has instead chosen to portray the relationship between the director and the producerHitchcock and Selznick. At the same time as portraying two of film history's sharpest profiles, he also catches an interesting and problematic relationship which lies hidden behind much film art. By using this technique he also manages to capture a turning point in the history of film on a different level. Hitchcock, the director with a mind of his own who has learnt how to control the expression of film through the German Expressionists and has been shaped in the European auteur tradition, meets Selznick, the complex demon producer who has just had massive success with the audience, critics and the Oscars jury with the blockbuster Gone With The Wind. These two men represent the gap between the European auteur tradition and the Amercan studio system. Hitchcock, with his willingness to experiment and the detailed planning of his work, always had to expect Selznick to poke around in his productions. Hitchcock wanted to create art, Selznick was looking for success - Europe meets America. Epstein's documentary is in its form clearly conventional. Archive footage is mixed with interviews and film clips. Conventionality is not mind numbing if it is teamed up with accuracy and an interesting subject. Hitchcock, Selznick and The End of Hollywood is meticulously made and all the chosen footage has its place. The use of chopping strings may be a cliche when used in films, but when it is used throughout and in the right places, it is still effective.

Premiärstatus
Skandinavisk premiär: Producent
Michael Epstein, Tamar Hacker: Manus
Michael Epstein: Foto
Michael Chin: Talat språk
English