Hitchcock and his Girl

“Blondes make the best victims” according to Hitchcock. However, this blonde doesn’t scare so easy.

A BBC-made TV film The Girl, tells the story of Alfred Hitchcock’s obsession with his leading lady in both The Birds and Marnie, Tippi Hedren. The film follows their meeting and watches their relationship develop as it takes a very disturbing turn. We watch Hedren grow from an unknown actress to a star, however she is caught in Hitchcock’s grasp. There is a disturbing tone over their relationship from the offset and the use of tight framing throughout the film is effective in reinforcing the uncomfortable and claustrophobic nature of their relationship.

The casting for the film is great. Toby Jones provides an intelligent interpretation of Hitchcock’s obsession with Hedren; Sienna Miller is charming as Tippi Hedren exemplifying the glamour of the Hedren herself and other movie stars of the time whilst offering a nervous and sympathetic portrayal of the actress. Perhaps an underrated actress, more famous for her appearances in the tabloids than the movies, I surprisingly found her to be a joy to watch and identified heavily with Miller’s character. Imelda Staunton gives an honest and complex performance of Alma, Hitchcock’s smart and dutiful wife that works alongside him in casting the actresses. It is when she notices Hedren for the first time that the story begins. Both Jones and Miller were nominated for Golden Globe awards for their performances in The Girl.

One of the most interesting relationships in the film is perhaps not that of Hitchcock and Hedren, but that of Hitchcock and his wife, Alma. Every scene that Staunton is in is engaging both because of the characterization and performances. However, the character does feel slightly undeveloped as if there is still so much more to be said both about her individually and her relationship with Hitchcock. This can be seen in relation to Jones’ portrayal of the so-called “Master of Suspense”. Although the brilliance of the performance cannot be denied, it appears he plays him simply as a sexual predator and chooses to ignore everything else about the director. It is nigh-on impossible to warm to him. The horrific scenes of the film, such as when The Birds attack Hedren, are juxtaposed with the stillness of Jones’ performance.

The drama uses the opportunity to recreate recognizable scenes and settings from both The Birds and Marnie as well as a few enjoyable, less than subtle, shower references to Psycho. Pleasant iconography is used in terms of cars, music and costumes. There are several beautiful high angle shots used to explore the glamour of the settings.

For fans of the “master of suspense”, the film may be perceived as a demeaning and undermining representation of the acclaimed director. Obviously, it is important to remember that the film is not true but is simply based on different accounts of Hitchcock. Many of his work colleagues including Kim Novak have disputed the portrayal of Hitchcock as a sexual predator. The film offers an interesting take on the much discussed filming of The Birds, offering a negative portrayal of Hitchcock. However, it’s glossy visual style and compelling narrative cannot be argued with. This is a television film that is simply very well done.