Peter Latham wrote: > Michael Powell's "Peeping Tom" and Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" were both > released in 1960. Both films concern mentally ill young adult males who > were made so by parental abuse. Both are living in the houses of their > childhoods, both are homicidal and both experience crises when confronted > with the attractions and fears generated by meeting and relating to a young > woman.My questions for the list are how did these two very different (but > British born) directors come to share so similar a view? First off, let me say - what an interesting thread! These two films are both superb and I hadn't really thought deeply about the comparisons you listed. I'd add the obvious similarity that you seem to have passed over - the voyeurism and subjective camera and the self-reflexivity that comes with it. The audience squirms because of the borderline "snuff film" quality in moments in each film. > And with such > similar views, how could these films have had such directly opposite > results for the careers of their directors? In this regard, it should be > noted that "Psycho" augmented Hitchcock's already magnificent reputation, > while "Peeping Tom" badly damaged Michael Powell's for a time. An obvious possibility would be that "Psycho" was produced in America and released to American audiences (where it too was blasted by critics and "moral leaders," actually - it didn't enhance Hitch's rep until years after its release and a little critical revisitation began.) My thought is that by 1960 Hitchcock was an "American" director - having directed many films in Hollywood. I don't know how "Psycho" did overseas but I can almost imagine "Peeping Tom" doing better business in America than in the U.K. because of the famous British repression - and yes, I know, that is a broad generalization. ("No sex please, we're British.") One still cannot watch "A Clockwork Orange" there - because the director was giving such a hassle by the "moralists" of that country. Once again, cheers for an interesting topic, and I hope others have comments, David. ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]