The Hitchcock Romance: Love and Irony in Hitchcock's Films

Brill's contention is fascinating: Hitchcock was NOT a macabre misfit interested only in the sick and scary. Rather, says Brill, H's films on the whole are hopeful, affirming, generating conventional suspense and working toward a happily-ever-after ending. Works like Psycho and Vertigo, Brill contends, are exceptions to more typical works like North by Northwest and The 39 Steps, which are quite upbeat and happy. According to Brill, Hitch is really an ironist whose occasional subversions of his generally hopeful outlook have received more critical attention; but that doesn't mean his whole ouevre is one of despair or pessimism. Brill argues magnificently in many well-informed essays; though his citation of Trouble with Harry as the quintessential Hitchcock film is a bit hard to swallow. Highly recommended for Hitchcock fans!