Kathryn Bigelow on the Director Who Shaped Her Craft

Kathryn Bigelow has never been one to stick to the usual script when it comes to action films. She’s managed to give the genre a proper shake-up, adding layers and substance that have set her apart as a trailblazer in the industry. Early on, with films like Blue Steel and Point Break, she flipped the script on gender roles and dived into tricky moral territory, all while keeping the adrenaline pumping. More recently, she’s turned her attention to military stories, putting in the hard yards to research and deliver gripping dramas like The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty, and House of Dynamite. These efforts have seen her pick up a swag of awards and plenty of praise.

Looking at her body of work, it’s clear she’s more interested in making quality films than just putting on a flashy show. While plenty of action flicks lean on big effects and technical wizardry, Bigelow’s films stand out for their suspense and intrigue. It’s no surprise, then, that she’s drawn inspiration from Alfred Hitchcock, the bloke often called ‘The Master of Suspense’.

Hitchcock’s Lasting Influence

Like many film buffs, Bigelow finds it tough to single out just one Hitchcock film as her top pick. She’s a fan of the lot—Psycho, The Birds, Rear Window, and Vertigo all get a mention. But she also reckons some of his earlier work deserves a second look, especially the 1930 silent film Murder!. In her words,

“It’s a silent film, but it’s Hitchcock. All of his signatures, all the signifiers, everything we’ve come to know and love about Hitchcock, they’re all in play.”

Hitchcock’s reputation might be built on his Hollywood years, but his career kicked off way back in the 1920s with The Lodger. He made films on the smell of an oily rag, often adapting stage plays like Murder!. Turning a play into a film isn’t a walk in the park, since you can’t quite capture the buzz of live theatre, but Hitchcock had a knack for giving punters a fresh perspective and a good dose of suspense they wouldn’t get sitting in the stalls.

Underrated Gems and Second Chances

Murder! might not have the same name recognition as Rebecca or To Catch a Thief, but Bigelow sees it as a key part of Hitchcock’s legacy. Her fondness for this lesser-known film is interesting, considering she’s had a few of her own projects fly under the radar. Take K-19: The Widowmaker, for example—it was a box office flop that landed her in what’s known as ‘director’s jail’ for a while. But over time, it’s been given a fairer shake, especially for its realistic take on military life and conflict.

Bigelow’s other films, like A House of Dynamite and Detroit, also copped a bit of flak when they first came out. Still, there’s every chance they’ll get a fresh look down the track, just like some of Hitchcock’s early work. It’s hard to say which films will stick in people’s minds, but Bigelow’s got plenty of time left to add more memorable moments to her career.