BY EVE GOLDBERG
The
Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock is not a traditional biography; it’s not
even chronological. Instead, the book is
a multi-themed, multi-layered exploration of the relationship between
Hitchcock’s personality and his art. Each
of the twelve chapters looks at the man and his films through a different lens:
The Boy Who Couldn’t Grow Up, The Murderer, The Auteur, The Womanizer, The Fat
Man, and so on.
White’s
take on Hitchcock feels very contemporary. No punches are pulled when it comes to his
treatment and abuse of the actresses in his movies, or his issues around
gender, sexuality and body image. On the
other hand, the tone of the book is even-handed; it’s neither hagiography nor
tear-down, but rather a clear-eyed look at a fascinating filmmaker who has
given the world a treasure-trove of complicated, entertaining films.
If
you’re like me—intrigued by the creative process, interested in how and why
films are made— this book is for you!
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