Bigelow Names Hitchcock Her Ultimate Filmmaking Hero
The acclaimed action director reveals her deep admiration for the Master of Suspense and explains why choosing just one favorite Hitchcock film proves impossible.
Action cinema found its most sophisticated voice through Kathryn Bigelow, who transformed a genre often dismissed as mindless spectacle into something profound. Her breakthrough films Blue Steel and Point Break didn't just deliver explosive sequences. They questioned gender dynamics and moral boundaries while keeping audiences on edge.
Later works like The Hurt Locker and Zero Dark Thirty cemented her reputation through meticulous military research. Record-breaking awards followed. But what drives Bigelow's approach to suspense?
The Master's Influence
Quality trumps flashy effects in Bigelow's philosophy. Computer graphics may dazzle temporarily, but lasting impact comes from tension and psychological depth. She credits Alfred Hitchcock as her primary inspiration, telling Rotten Tomatoes that the Master of Suspense shaped her understanding of cinema.
Choosing a single favorite Hitchcock film? Impossible, Bigelow admits. Psycho's slasher innovation, The Birds' primal terror, Rear Window's voyeuristic mystery, Vertigo's existential weight. All masterpieces in her view.
Hidden Gems Worth Rediscovering
Bigelow champions Hitchcock's overlooked early work, particularly the 1930 silent film Murder! "It's a silent film, but it's Hitchcock," she explained. "All of his signatures, all the signifiers, everything we've come to know and love about Hitchcock, they're all in play."
Murder! emerged from Hitchcock's pre-Hollywood period when budgets stayed minimal and production values remained basic. Adapting stage plays presented unique challenges. Live theater offers experiences film cannot replicate. But Hitchcock understood how to create perspectives and build suspense that theater seats couldn't provide.
Lessons in Longevity
Murder! lacks the recognition of Rebecca or To Catch a Thief. Yet Bigelow considers it equally important to Hitchcock's legacy. Her appreciation makes sense given her own experience with undervalued work.
K-19: The Widowmaker bombed spectacularly, sending Bigelow into "director's jail" for years. The Hurt Locker eventually rescued her career. But K-19 has gained respect recently, praised for its authentic military details and combat realism.
Detroit and other controversial Bigelow films might follow similar paths. Critical reassessment takes time. Hitchcock probably never imagined Murder! would inspire future filmmakers decades later. Predicting which films endure remains nearly impossible. Bigelow's career continues, with more memorable moments ahead.