​The MacGuffin-
“A device or plot element that catches the viewer's attention or drives the plot. It is generally something that every character is concerned with”
-http://www.essortment.com/alfred-hitchcock-film-techniques-65491.html



 

Examples of Macguffins include:

o Blackmail (1929) – woman's gloves found at crime scene
o Rope (1948) – 1. The rope used to strangle 2. The wrong hat picked up by James Stewart.

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o Psycho (1960) – 1. the $40,000 cash in an envelope (Condon-Sangster 1999) 2. Arbogast’s phone booth call

oStrangers on a Train (1951) – 1. dog blocking stairway in Bruno’s home, 2. The lighter implicating Farley Granger
o Vertigo (1958) – the necklace
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TONES AND SETTINGS



Hitchcock usually opened his films with a light-hearted tone and setting. The movie would begin with an element of comedy, thus creating suspense.













The use of humour in his films allowed the audience to relax; therefore when the themes of tension and anxiety are introduced to the film, the audience experiences a dramatic emotional change from calmness to shock and tension.  Setting is also used to advocate the idea of stillness. The sunny setting at the beginning of the film Rear Window reflects Hitchcock’s technique of a mellow start to create suspense. The viewer is lured into a false sense of safety due to the bright time of day, and the tranquil settings.



Furthermore, the use of music is used to enhance the mellow atmosphere of the opening.  

The opening music in the film 'Strangers on a train' is quite joyous and playful, yet creates a sense of mystery. Hitchcock uses dramatic music to grasp the audience’s interest. An audience who enjoys thrillers would be attracted to the movie using this technique.



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Hitchcock also uses thriller conventions such as beginning a film with a dark night in movies such as Young & Innocent (1937), Jamaica Inn (1939), and Rebecca (1940).







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