Grands Maîtres

Based on the famous series of dialogues between Francois Truffaut and Alfred Hitchcock from the 1960s, the book moves chronologically through Hitchcock’s films to discuss his career, techniques, and effects he achieved. It changed the way Hitchcock was perceived, as a popular director of suspense films – such as Psycho and The Birds – and revealed to moviegoers and critics, the depth of Hitchcock’s perception and his mastery of the art form.

As a result of the changed perceptions about Hitchcock, his masterpiece, Vertigo, hit the No 1 slot in Sight & Sound’s recent poll of film-makers and critics, displacing Citizen Kane as the Best Film of all time.

Directed by the remarkable Akira Kurosawa (1910–1998), ‘Rashomon’ was the first Japanese film to receive significant international attention. It was released in 1950 and won several awards, including the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival in 1951, while its visionary artistic ambitions became a symbol of Japan’s post-war reconstruction. Now, on the occasion of its 70th anniversary, this volume presents an in-depth look at what the film’s notable production staff accomplished. Filled with original storyboards, screenwriting fragments, production photographs, scripts, posters, and other ephemera, it is a fascinating tribute to one of the greatest, most impactful films ever made.