NightSky
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Alfred HitchcockI recently saw Vertigo. It was my first Alfred Hitchcock film. Obviously, I was expecting a suspenseful movie, however, I wasn't expecting the kind of domineering man controlling/manipulating woman relationship etched on screen. It bugged be a lot but I continued watching the movie telling myself that it is an old movie and ideas about equality weren't as modernized then. I later read a review by Roger Ebert stating that this was the essence of what a Hitchcock film was. A beautiful woman who seems unattainable falls for an unassuming, faulty man. The man somehow dominates and controls the woman (apparently, underlying themes of bondage are a common reoccurrence). The woman is then humiliated physically and mentally, and of course eventually killed.
So basically Hitchcock was just a fetish-obsessed dirty old man? I mean, one thing I will say is that the camera work was superb. The story was definitely fascinating, but it was also disturbing for reasons I don't think Hitchcock intended. Understatedly, I'm not his target audience (a bisexual woman in the 21st century who is acutely aware of society's underlying devalue of women over men), but nonetheless, his work is regarded as legendary to this day. Is there something wrong with me if I love his technique but hate is common storytelling theme? 
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Frances
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I'm a Hitchcock fan myself, I just dont think many of today's Director's manage to instill the same level of suspence into a film as Hitchcock did. Today's films seem more about big budget blockbusters than a real script and sublime cineamatogaphy.
I'm not going to disagree with your comments re. the man/women relationships, but i do think you should check out more than one of his films before labelling him fetish-obsessed dirty old man lol (I'd argue the opp actually, Hitchcock was interrogating and suggesting dislike for society's view of man/women relationships as defined in that period).
Some of my favs: The 39 Steps (absolutly brilliant); Rear Window; Rope; North by Northwest and The Birds (you'll never look at a bird the same way again!).
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NightSky
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I guess I could give him another shot. I'm still curious about him... lol, yes dirty old man is quite descriptive. 
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