I didn’t sign a non-disclosure statement about Gone Girl…

to catch a thiefBut I still won’t give away the ending. What I have noticed is that Mr. Fincher, almost without fail, has been chalking up a lot of cross references to Hitchcock in the reviews. Something about having a mordant sense of humor in regards to modern marriage.

Annex - Grant, Cary (To Catch a Thief)_NRFPT_06Mr. Hitchcock had this to say about sex, cool blondes, and that which we keep hidden but can’t escape the camera, if artfully employed.

During a famous exchange with François Truffaut, Hitchcock argued that “if sex is too blatant or obvious, there’s no suspense. You know why I favor sophisticated blondes in my films? We’re after the drawing-room type, the real ladies, who become whores once they’re in the bedroom.” He then referred to the scene in “To Catch a Thief” where John Robie (Cary Grant), a former cat burglar, joins Frances (Kelly), an heiress, and her mother for drinks at a Riviera hotel. “I deliberately photographed Grace Kelly ice-cold and I kept cutting to her profile, looking classical, beautiful, and very distant. And then, when Cary Grant accompanies her to the door of her hotel room, what does she do? She thrusts her lips right up to his mouth.”

So, while some comparisons can be drawn between the two masters of suspense, remember it was a different era and I can unequivocally state, Mr. Fincher is not known for gestures like this.

grace+kelly+alfred+hitchcokHowever, I think that this may well be (should be) Rosamund Pike’s breakthrough role.

Subscribe to Podcast

2 Comments

  1. Heather in Arles
    September 27, 2014

    I have appreciated Rosamund Pike’s work since I saw her in “Pride & Prejudice” in 2005. This is a long time coming…and well-deserved.

  2. September 27, 2014

    In the second photo, I love the way the couch is propped way up off the floor, and it looks as though Ms. Kelly has her feet on foam blocks – probably so Carey Grant’s knees wouldn’t be poking up into the shot from sitting on a low sofa!

Comments are closed.