Today is the anniversary of Alfred Hitchcock’s birthday, and the English director is not only known for creating some of the most interesting, unique and even terrifying films of all times, but also for creating some beauty standards that still live on until today. Ever heard of the term “Hitchcockian beauty”?
Yet Hitchcock’s ladies were also intelligent, brave, and often more powerful than their male counterparts. So to join the celebration, today we take a look at Hitchcock’s best female characters so we can learn a thing or two from them.
Hitchcock’s best female character #5: Dr. Constance Petersen, from Spellbound
Played by the beautiful Ingrid Bergman, Dr. Constance specializes in psychoanalysis, and is relentless in her pursuit of the truth, which will lead her to uncover some dark secrets about the past of the man she loves. Intelligent, skilled, brave and passionate, Dr. Constance is one of Hitchcock’s most interesting female characters.
Bergman also starred in two other Hitchcock films: Notorious and Under Capricorn.
Hitchcock’s best female character #4: Eve Kendall, from North by Northwest
Like many of Hitchcock’s beauties, Eve Kendall is a beautiful blond woman with a tendency to challenge men with her wit, as well as acting cunningly to get what she wants. After falling in love with the main character, Eve, played by Eva Marie Saint, must find a way to get rid of the evil men she’s been working for, a task which will put her life at risk.
This was Eva Marie Saint’s only Hitchcock movie, yet it’s one of the most remembered from her career.
Hitchcock’s best female character #3: Marion Crane, from Psycho
Although she is only in the film during a few minutes, Janet Leigh’s performance as Marion Crane in Psycho is perhaps the most commonly associated to Hitchcock. Beautiful, glamorous, but also quite crooked, Marion is an extremely interesting character with a strong will which leads her to commit a felony, with dire consequences.
Still, can we really blame her for trying to get some control over her own dull life?
Hitchcock’s best female character #2: Melanie Daniels, from The Birds
The epitome of a sneaky seductress, Tippi Hedren’s most famous character is a sensual and witty blond woman called Melanie, who enjoys playing games with the main male character, until the game turns into a dark and dangerous reality which leads her to her doom. Extremely intelligent, Melanie is one of the most fascinating characters from Hitchcock films.
Hedren also starred in Hitchcock’s Marnie, yet the collaboration didn’t last long after the director’s infatuation with her proved too unbearable for the actress.
Hitchcock’s best female character #1: Lisa Fremont, from Rear Window
Attractive and courageous, Lisa, played by the gorgeous Grace Kelly, represents everything Hitchcock valued: beauty, cleverness and kindness. Lisa begins as a home-oriented, fashion-loving and dull woman, yet her curiosity and bravery soon takes her into a journey in which she’ll risk her own life to match the thirst for adventure of the man she loves.
And although Lisa does become more audacious in the end, she still has a place in her heart for her own little hobbies, as the last shot of the film, in which she sneakily reads a fashion magazine, proves.
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