Book chapter
The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) as a Critical Lens on American Culture
Re-viewing Hitchcock: New Critical Perspectives, pp 111-119
19 Feb 2026
Abstract
Alfred Hitchcock’s career spans the life of classical narrative film. But the relevance of his movies extends beyond this. They continue to be enjoyed by film enthusiasts and studied by aspiring filmmakers. They also continue to be the subject of interpretive analysis by critics. To me, the hallmark of Hitchcock’s greatness is this enduringly interpretive fertility. A great work of art is never used up; it continues to yield insight that may have never been dreamt of by its creator and that continues long after that creator’s death and in the wake of even the most radical societal change. This is true for Hitchcock, specifically for those films that were made at the height of his career and popularity when the resources available to him were greatest and when he had acquired enough access to American culture to understand it while still being new enough to the country to view it with fresh eyes.... [Extract]
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Details
- Title
- The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) as a Critical Lens on American Culture
- Creators
- Paula Marantz Cohen
- Contributors
- Robert E Kapsis (Editor)
- Publication Details
- Re-viewing Hitchcock: New Critical Perspectives, pp 111-119
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury
- Number of pages
- 9
- Resource Type
- Book chapter
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- English and Philosophy; Pennoni Honors College
- Scopus ID
- 2-s2.0-105027606723
- Other Identifier
- 991022155550304721