20 Things You Somehow Missed In Alfred Hitchcock Movies

Alfred Hitchcock has left behind a legacy in the film industry that can never be forgotten. Known as the master of suspense, every single one of his film projects was a masterclass of mature storytelling, skilfully conducted camera angles and palpable drama.

And on top of that, Hitchcock has created his very own unique director trademarks that we all instantly recognise, from using a young blonde woman as the main victim of the story to the inclusion of a cultural landmark – Mount Rushmore in North by Northwest, the French Riviera in To Catch A Thief, etc.

Every major film enthusiast has a favourite Hitchcock movie, because even though they all run along the same theming and similar tone, they all feel distinctive and unique from each other. And in many ways, Hitchcock was ahead of his time as a film director.

Within his 40 years of making movies, Hitch created new camera techniques, broke boundaries when telling a story and was often very sneaky in getting certain images and dialogue past the censors.

Underneath the entertaining drama and action sequences, these are the subtle details and moments you may have missed when previously watching a Hitchcock film.

The Birds remains one of Alfred Hitchcock’s most haunting pictures, as it leaves so many questions unanswered. Just why did the birds start attacking people, and did they ever stop? Not to mention its harrowing climax, where Melanie Daniels is brutally attacked by them.

Unfortunately, the attacking became all too real for actress Tippi Hedren, who had real life ravens and pigeons thrown at her amidst the movie's final climax. It was an arduous stunt which caused Tippi to have a mental breakdown and be hospitalised for a week.

It's a truly appalling part of what went on behind the scenes, but the poor treatment of Hedren is very common knowledge by now. However, it deserves a mention for the disturbing fact that when we watch The Birds, we are literally watching a woman being pecked alive.