Alfred Hitchcock's Use Of Suspense

Hitchcock uses hidden information, reaction shots, and costuming in order to portray the plotline. A concept Hitchcock uses to add suspense is showing the audience what the characters do not see.11 Typically, Hitchcock shows the harmful object in the beginning and let the scene continue normally. The suspense of oncoming danger will be in the audience’s mind. This is shown in the movie when Hitchcock shows the brake fluid leaking from the car and Blanche and George driving the car completely unaware of the problem. The audience is terrified because they are aware of the trouble that is about to come, but the characters are oblivious. He also uses point of view shots and reaction shots to allows the audience to feel the same panic the characters
are feeling when they realize they are in danger. Hitchcock also shows his obsession for blondes in the movie because Fran uses a blonde wig as her disguise. Blonde hair is seen as average, innocent, and is also associated with kindness which is ironic because Fran uses the wig for the opposite, the kidnappings.5 This is another example where Hitchcock portrays women as being independent and breaks the cliché of women being subordinates to men because Fran is the one who controls and commits the kidnappings.