Dialogue should simply be a sound among other sounds, just something that comes out of the mouths of people whose eyes tell the story in visual terms.
Alfred HitchcockRead
Luck is everything... My good luck in life was to be a really frightened person. I'm fortunate to be a coward, to have a low threshold of fear, because a hero couldn't make a good suspense film.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Hitchcock suggests that fear and cowardice can be advantageous in creating suspenseful art.
In this quote, Alfred Hitchcock reflects on the relationship between fear and creativity, particularly in the context of suspense films. He believes that his own fearful nature has contributed significantly to his success in filmmaking, as the tension generated by fear is essential for crafting engaging and thrilling narratives. By valuing his cowardice, he highlights the importance of emotions in art and suggests that vulnerability can lead to greater artistic expression.
Themes
LuckFearCowardiceSuspenseFilm
In practice
Example use cases
During a speech at a film festival, one might quote Hitchcock to emphasize how fear can inspire great storytelling.
More from Alfred Hitchcock
All quotes →I can't read fiction without visualizing every scene. The result is it becomes a series of pictures rather than a book.
Alfred HitchcockRead
I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach.
Alfred HitchcockRead
Seeing a murder on television can help work off one's antagonisms. And if you haven't any antagonisms, the commercials will give you some.
Alfred HitchcockRead
There is something more important than logic: imagination
Alfred HitchcockRead
One must never set up a murder. They must happen unexpectedly, as in life.
Alfred HitchcockRead
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