Hitchcock is one of those names. It gets tossed around in film discussion and carries with it the same kind of reverence as a Kubrick or a Fuller or a Kurosawa. He is widely recognized as one of the most influential auteurs ever placed behind a camera. His name is spoken as fact. And, even if your firsthand knowledge of his catalogue does not extend past that part of The Birds you saw while flipping channels on a drizzly afternoon, you know the man’s style. It’s pervasive. It’s iconic. And, it’s my assertion, that mark and influence is just as important as the works themselves. The reason why Hitchcock is important? Well, he’s important because he’s entered our collective culture. He has permeated our media. He has influenced our filmic language.
