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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What technical innovation was used for the first time on "Rope"?

2. What was the hope of the authors of the novel "Vertigo" based on as they wrote it?

3. In what year did Hitchcock film "Spellbound"?

4. What did Truffaut note that Hitchcock's films never started out as?

5. Who did Hitchcock work with to develop the screenplay for "Strangers on a Train"?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was the downside of involving psychoanalysis in the script for "Spellbound"?

2. What did Hitchcock believe the audience failed to understand about "I Confess"?

3. What did Hitchcock believe inspired people to view his films many times?

4. How did Hitchcock explain filming in color as being potentially problematic?

5. What did Hitchcock and writer Ben Hecht spend a lot of time choosing for the film "Notorious"?

6. What did Truffaut cite as an example of absurdity in Hitchcock's films?

7. How did Hitchcock approach filming romantic scenes?

8. Why was Hitchcock attracted to filming "Rear Window"?

9. For which film did Hitchcock break his rule of not improvising, and what was the effect?

10. What inspired the Norman Bates storyline in "Psycho"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss Hitchcock and his use of suspense in film. Why is he called the 'Master of Suspense'? What did Hitchcock tell Truffaut about the audience's misinterpretation of suspense? What are some of Hitchcock's films which have elements of suspense in them?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the motif of fear in the book "Hitchcock". What was Hitchcock afraid of? What caused his fears? How did they affect his work? How did they translate onscreen?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the anecdotes that Hitchcock shared in the book. What do they reveal about the director? In your opinion, what is the most interesting anecdote? Do you find any of the anecdotes surprising? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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