Arts & Entertainment
Cable Movie Depicts Hitchcock As Fiend
The HBO film 'The Girl' shows the Master of Suspense as a sadist, rapist. But are its merits as a film on par with any of Hitchcock's work?
After watching two films about the life and work of Alfred Hitchcock (Hitchcock and The Girl), my love of the Master of Suspense has been severely tested.
The Girl is a HBO movie set around the filming of both The Birds and Marnie, both of which star blonde model Tippi Hedren. Now, I know Hedren has never shied away from claiming Hitchcock was mean to her and a spiteful, nasty person…depicting Hitch as someone who controlled every aspect of Hedren’s life…on and off camera. But, this movie takes “mean and spiteful” to new levels. Hitchcock here is depicted as a sexual deviant and even as a rapist. Most books about Hitch do not portray him as an innocent, kind soul when it comes to ladies, but to make accusations like the ones in this film is a completely different matter.
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Just like Hitchcock, this film is filled with a tremendously talented cast. Toby Jones plays a much more comfortable, convincing Hitchcock than Anthony Hopkins did, and Imelda Staunton (one of my favorite British actresses) is great as Alma, though she is seen here as a conspirator to her husband’s vile penchants. Sienna Miller’s portrayal as the clueless Tippi is well done. Miller depicts Hedren as an ingénue who is totally naive in the ways of Hollywood. I have to say, though Miller is not one of my favorite actresses, she plays Hedren as a MUCH better actress than Hedren ever was.
Where do we draw the line between the person and the artist? Do we boycott Woody Allen films since he married his adopted step-daughter? Do we run away from Roman Polanski films since he has been accused of having sex with a minor? Do we swear off films by Elia Kazan after he sold out friends to the Communist Witch hunts of Joseph McCarthy? If we would alienate all of these film directors films because of their personal (and sometimes illegal, as in the case of Polanski) predilections, we would be missing out of some of the greatest cinema ever.
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Was Hitchcock a misogynist bastard? Well, according to these two films (especially HBO’s The Girl), he was most definitely a sexist, masochistic pig. Regardless of whether these cinematic portrayals are accurate (or even close to accurate), I will continue to watch Hitchcock’s films. I will still read about him. I am still a fan.
I am not shy about the fact that Hitchcock is my favorite film director. So, yes, I am biased. But, why was this portrayal necessary? Why do we always have to depict people in the public eye at their worst? Whether true or not, whether exaggerated or not, The Girl focuses on Hitchcock’s talent for deviance rather than for his talent for filmmaking. Do yourself a favor and watch a Hitchcock classic rather than watch this poor Hitchcock expose.
The Girl: 2012, Not Rated, 91 minutes, directed by Julian Jarrold, starring Toby Jones, Sienna Miller, Imelda Staunton, and Penelope Wilton. The Niles Library owns this title on DVD.
