This week in the Crypt we take a look at The Architecture Of Suspense: The Built World In The Films Of Alfred Hitchcock from author Christine Madrid French.

Starting off with a brief biography on Alfred Hitchcock, his career, and his experience in America, the book dives into as the title suggests the architecture.

With a focus on what most perceive as background, The Architecture Of Suspense shows how integral the architecture and setting is in Hitchcock’s films.

Highlighting how Frank Lloyd Wright and modernist houses had influenced The Vandamm House in North By Northwest, how the 2:43 pm card in Psycho takes you to the Jefferson Hotel and immerses you in that setting in Psycho and overall how different buildings ranging from skyscrapers to hotels played a role in these films.

This book shows how important the setting and architecture are. How they’re a form of art in film. Take penthouse in Rope, the apartments in Rear Window, the stairs  among many other scenes in Vertigo, and of course the Bates Motel in Psycho as examples and what influenced them.

When you think of Hitchcock’s films the setting and architecture are just as much a focus with the stars taking a backseat and The Architecture Of Suspense conveys that.

This is a must read for fans of film in general but also appeals to fans of Hitchcock that want a deeper dive into his films that cover different territory.