David Baggett - Hitchcock and philosophy: dial M for metaphysics

Table of Contents

Popular Culture and Philosophy

Series Editor: George A. Reisch

(Series Editor for this volume was William Irwin)

VOLUME 1

Seinfeld and Philosophy: A Book about Everything and Nothing (2000)

Edited by William Irwin

VOLUME 2

The Simpsons and Philosophy: The Doh! of Homer (2001) Edited by William Irwin, Mark T. Conard, and Aeon J. Skoble

VOLUME 3

The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real (2002) Edited by William Irwin

VOLUME 4

Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philosophy: Fear and Trembling in Sunnydale (2003) Edited by James B. South

VOLUME 5

The Lord of the Rings and Philosophy: One Book to Rule Them All (2003) Edited by Gregory Bassham and Eric Bronson

VOLUME 6

Baseball and Philosophy: Thinking Outside the Batters Box (2004) Edited by Eric Bronson

VOLUME 7

The Sopranos and Philosophy: I Kill Therefore I Am (2004) Edited by Richard Greene and Peter Vernezze

VOLUME 8

Woody Allen and Philosophy: You Mean My Whole Fallacy Is Wrong? (2004) Edited by Mark T. Conard and Aeon J. Skoble

VOLUME 9

Harry Potter and Philosophy: If Aristotle Ran Hogwarts (2004) Edited by David Baggett and Shawn E. Klein

VOLUME 10

Mel Gibsons Passion and Philosophy: The Cross, the Questions, the Controversy (2004) Edited by Jorge J.E. Gracia

VOLUME 11

More Matrix and Philosophy: Revolutions and Reloaded Decoded (2005) Edited by William Irwin

VOLUME 12

Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine (2005) Edited by Jason T. Eberl and Kevin S. Decker

VOLUME 13

Superheroes and Philosophy: Truth, Justice, and the Socratic Way (2005) Edited by Tom Morris and Matt Morris

VOLUME 14

The Atkins Diet and Philosophy: Chewing the Fat with Kant and Nietzsche (2005) Edited by Lisa Heldke, Kerri Mommer, and Cynthia Pineo

VOLUME 15

The Chronicles of Narnia and Philosophy: The Lion, the Witch, and the Worldview (2005) Edited by Gregory Bassham and Jerry L. Walls

VOLUME 16

Hip Hop and Philosophy: Rhyme 2 Reason (2005) Edited by Derrick Darby and Tommie Shelby

VOLUME 17

Bob Dylan and Philosophy: Its Alright Ma (Im Only Thinking) (2006) Edited by Peter Vernezze and Carl J. Porter

VOLUME 18

Harley-Davidson and Philosophy:

Full-Throttle Aristotle (2006) Edited by Bernard E. Rollin, Carolyn M. Gray, Kerri Mommer, and Cynthia Pineo

VOLUME 19

Monty Python and Philosophy: Nudge Nudge, Think Think! (2006) Edited by Gary L. Hardcastle and George A Reisch

VOLUME 20

Poker and Philosophy: Pocket Rockets and Philosopher Kings (2006) Edited by Eric Bronson

VOLUME 21

U2 and Philosophy: How to Decipher an Atomic Band (2006) Edited by Mark A. Wrathall

VOLUME 22

The Undead and Philosophy: Chicken Soup for the Soulless (2006) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad

VOLUME 23

James Bond and Philosophy: Questions Are Forever (2006) Edited by James B. South and Jacob M. Held

VOLUME 24

Bullshit and Philosophy: Guaranteed to Get Perfect Results Every Time (2006) Edited by Gary L. Hardcastle and George A. Reisch

VOLUME 25

The Beatles and Philosophy: Nothing You Can Think that Cant Be Thunk (2006) Edited by Michael Baur and Steven Baur

VOLUME 26

South Park and Philosophy: Bigger, Longer, and More Penetrating (2007) Edited by Richard Hanley

VOLUME 27

Hitchcock and Philosophy: Dial M for Metaphysics (2007) Edited by David Baggett and William A. Drumin

IN PREPARATION:

The Grateful Dead and Philosophy (2007) Edited by Steven Gimbel

Tarantino and Philosophy (2007) Edited by Richard Greene and K. Silem Mohammad

Pink Floyd and Philosophy (2007) Edited by George A. Reisch

Bruce Springsteen and Philosophy (2008) Edited by Randall E. Auxier and Doug Anderson

To Donald Spoto

Previews and Opening Credits

As we look at popular culture through the lens of philosophy, a familiar, portly figure ambles into viewthe master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock.

Hitchcock was a profound artist as well as a popular entertainer. His numerous classic movies engage the viewer through the elaboration of ideas, concepts, and humanist issues, deployed via the medium of compelling cinematic language, of images and sounds.

Hitchcock has long been recognized as a cinematic auteur whose films embody expressions of a personal vision of the world. The chapters presented in this volume address a range of issues, some raised by consideration of a single film (including one segment done for Hitchcocks TV series), some by a comparison of two or more movies, and some by an examination of a significant facet of Hitchcocks entire work. We aim to critically examine Hitchcocks approach and to uncover some of its philosophical implications.

Many viewers have observed that Alfred Hitchcock focuses on ideas in the construction of his films. The French director-critics Claude Chabrol and Eric Roemer, in their book, Hitchcock , claimed that each of his classic films is based on a sort of formal postulate. Hitchcock organized the dramatic elements of the films around the expression and deployment of conceptual elements. Philosophical issues are thus proposed by the thematic motifs in Hitchcocks major films. Among conspicuous elements of Hitchcocks personal vision, we may discern the following:

1. A strong anti-utopian outlook that finds the human species, and indeed the universe itself, to be in a fallen condition with a disillusioning propensity for unleashing chaos and destruction.

2. A decidedly existentialist perspective that affirms the challenge of individual self-definition through the risk of personal choice and commitment.

3. A correlative construal of spectatorship as flight from commitment and authenticity, or an attempt to deny the primary reality of the subjective.

4. A remarkable anticipation of later viewpoints regarding the social roles of women.

This book explores the philosophical implications of these perspectives and other aspects of Hitchcocks artistic vision. The philosophical issues have their inherent interest and challenge and also deepen our appreciation of the movies.

Like the films it investigates, Hitchcock and Philosophy was made possible by a huge collaborative effort. Many thanks to all of our excellent authors. Their patience was Herculean and their philosophical talents and sincere regard for Hitchcock are obvious. The deepest thanks to our own masterful director and friend, the auteur Bill (T-Bone) Irwin, whose vision for this book and the popular series of which its a part guided all our efforts and whose influence can be felt on every page.

We appreciate all the good folks at Open Court for bringing the book to its final stage of completion, and special thanks go to Jaime McAndrew for offering some very useful editorial suggestions.

And now, kindly turn off your cell phones and pagers. Its time to dig in to your popcorn. Enjoy the show.

I

The Mystery of Everyday Life

Sabotage : Chaos Unleashed and the Impossibility of Utopia

WILLIAM A. DRUMIN

In Hitchcocks 1943 film, Shadow of a Doubt, a young woman discovers that the uncle she idolizes is a pathological killer. The confrontation with this horrific revelation engenders a profound identity crisis that forces her to abandon her naive insular view of the world as a domain for unlimited adventure, growth, and self-development, and compels her instead to recognize that the world is permeated with profoundly evil forces for chaos and destruction.