The common denominator for the vast majority of these pictures is their association with the thriller genre. This association goes without saying, as almost every film has something to do with criminal activity, most often murder. Another common element is the romance depicted in the storylines. Like many a film from the Golden Age and later, Hitchcock`s films used romance as a very important element to the plots. Performers such as Cary Grant, Ingrid Bergman, James Stewart, Kim Novak, Grace Kelly and others were called upon to play these romantic parts, which give the films an exterior appearance of larger-than-life romance, just as in many other pictures. However, what is interesting in Hitchcock`s films, once one think about it, is how he puts an often disturbing spin on most of his romantic pairings.
I began thinking about this idea after viewing one of Hitchcock`s lesser efforts, Marnie, starring Sean Connery and Tippi Herden. Marnie is a woman with the tendency to steal large amounts of cash, usually from big businesses where she finds employment. She is soon in the employment of another financial firm, run by Connery, and, eventually, Marnie steals from his firm as well. And he soon finds out. But instead of hauling her off to the police, he decides to take another course of action, on the pretense of curing her of her problems. Connery`s assistance consists of blackmail and confinement, as he has fallen in love with this woman, and will do anything to keep her. He forces Marnie to stay with him, even to marry him, or else reveal everything to the police. By giving Marnie few options, he is able to eventually discover the source of her criminal personality as well as her phobias and neuroses, but the fact remains that the relationship is a form of bondage. She has no choice but to marry him, and do what married couples "do", including what occurs in the bedroom. For the most part, Connery`s character behaves like a gentleman, but this exterior demeanor is undermined by the fact that he will not let Marnie go in any fashion, but will do what he can to twist her back into what he wants in this particular woman.
