Customer Reviews
An interesting insightful read, however there's a BUT... - By: M. Duone, 06 Jul 2008 
Truffaut's Hitchcock is, for anyone interested in cinema, an excellent read on the famous director's works. The book is simply the transcripts of various interviews that François Truffaut had with Hitchcock discussing in detail both his British & his American films.
A thoroughly enjoyable read, this book gives much more insight into Hitchcock as a person than many Biographies will. It does not dwell on rumours about the man or what others have said about him, it is simply what Hitch has to say about his films, how he directs & the stories about them. He also discusses the techniques & tricks he uses on a variety of films, which makes for fascinating reading.
However, the problem with this book lies in its interviewer. Truffaut has a habit of almost hounding Hitchcock at times trying desperately to drive his opinion onto him (a sort of "please tell me I'm right?" scenario). This unfortunately only serves to exasperate Hitch at times & the interview becomes boring & tiresome. Case in point is their discussion of The Wrong Man, in which Truffaut states, Hitch should not have directed that film it should have been shot by someone with no cinematic experience, done documentary style. To this Hitchcock simply replies that its a film & needs to be cinematic. Truffaut doesn't give up however & you get the impression Hitch just gets fed up talking about it after a while.
Realisticallly Truffaut wants to be part of this book in as much as Hitchcock is part. From the fact his name sits side by side (in the same sized font) on the spine, to the fact his name is in a brighter colour on the front (and again in the same font size as Hitchcock). Unfortunately this just looks like shameless self-promoting from a director most havn't even heard of these days.
However, my original positives remain the biggest factor in my enjoyment of this book. For the Hitchcock fan you reallly can't be without it. To read Hitch discuss his films in depth is something to cherish & even though Truffaut reallly annoys me at times this book is still more than worth the asking price.
A fantastic guide to the world of Hitch! - By: , 24 Aug 1999 
If you are a fan of Hitchcock's work you owe it to yourself to buy this book!
It's a superb & insightful analysis of the processes involved in bringing classics such as Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho & The Birds to the screen. It also covers Hitch's early silent work such as The Lodger in depth which few other books manage to do.
Chock full of great anecdotes & useful analysis of Hitch's main themes, this book deserves a place on any serious film fan's book shelf.
This is one of the best books on cinema ever written, & is up there with A Biographical Dictionary of Cinema & Rosebud. An essential read!
One of the best books on film! - By: , 17 Jun 1999 This is one of the best books on film ever written. Truffaut has seen everyone of Hitch's movies & the two of them discuss alll aspects of his work. A great example of how artists think about their media.
I can't put it down! - By: , 02 Mar 1999 This book is unbelievable! Two of the greatest film minds talking to one another about the structure & composition of film. It's a huge interview that spaned a couple days & takes about a few hours to read. It is such a great read for anyone interested in film, Hitchcock, & Truffant.
An insight into the nature of film - By: , 16 Nov 1998 This title is one of those books that can make people choose film as the medium of their expression. Hitch reveals the nature of cinema: it's specific qualities that makes it different from alll other arts (especiallly from theatre- pure cinema is exactly the opposite of theater). He makes once again images most important in medium of film & reveals himself as an author that is primarily interested in form (I don't mean craft). He is something like a Picasso of Cinema: Hitch's content comes from his the exploration of form. Hitch's thoughts reminds us of what cinema should be - & together with another great author, Truffaut - makes this book a must for alll film fans.
