La catáfora en strangers on a train de alfred hitchcock

Universidad de Alicante
Facultad de Filosofía y Letras
Literatura y cine en los países de habla inglesa: interrelación semiótica y narrativa

The Use of Cataphor as a Key Element in the Development of Narrative Suspense in Strangers on a TrAIN: film by alfred hitchcock and book by patricia highsmith

Aitor Falcó Parra
2º Curso
afp28@alu.ua.es
Elda, a 16 de Enero de 2011

INDEXIntroduction
The concept cataphor.
Representation of cataphora.
The lighter (book by Plato)
The gun.
Eyeglasses.
The tie
The question: “are you Haines Guy?”
Meaning of cataphora.
Creating suspense by cataphora.
Viewers’ expectations
Uncertain outcomes.
Wanted outcomes.
Unwanted outcomes.
Cataphora by soundtrack.
Conclusion
Notes
Bibliography

Introduction

Alfred Hitchcock hasundeniably been the master of suspense along the film history and industry. His wonderful techniques have been used by other directors throrought the cinematographic sintax in many important films. Hitchcock introduced techniques that nowadays are clichés for the construction and development of a suspense film.

Although there is a large number of cinematic elements that help to the development ofnarration and suspense in a film like mise-en-scene and soundtrack, I think that cataphor not only plays a crucial rule in the development of the narrative discourse but also in giving suspense to the film. In addition, cataphora also gives cohesion to the globality of the film, as in the book, cataphora give cohesion to the text. Moreover, in the linguistic field, the same thing occur withlinguistic cataphora since they also give cohesion and globality to the text. As Hans. J. Wulff states cataphora can be defined as “functional elements” that help the viewer to “shape their scope of expectation”. Viewers are put in a suspense world of possible future events, imagining the possibilities, anticipating forthcoming events and also imagining the pathes the characters will take. Therefore,the main objective of cataphora is to create suspense and, unwillingly or willingly (director’s intention), generate on the viewers’ mind a range of future events (expectations) on the viewer, at least, in Strangers on a Train. A clear example which has become a cliché in the cinematographic industry and cinematographic language and sintax is the following quotation by Alfred Hitchcock:

We arenow having a very innocent little chat. Let's suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us. Nothing happens, and then all of a sudden, "Boom!" There is an explosion. The public is surprised, but prior to this surprise, it has seen an absolutely ordinary scene, of no special consequence. Now, let us take a suspense situation. The bomb is underneath the table and the public knows it,probably because they have seen the anarchist place it there. The public is aware the bomb is going to explode at one o'clock and there is a clock in the decor. The public can see that it is a quarter to one. In these conditions, the same innocuous conversation becomes fascinating because the public is participating in the scene. The audience is longing to warn the characters on the screen: "Youshouldn't be talking about such trivial matters. There is a bomb beneath you and it is about to explode!" 

In the first case we have given the public fifteen seconds of surprise at the moment of the explosion. In the second we have provided them with fifteen minutes of suspense. The conclusion is that whenever possible the public must be informed. Except when the surprise is a twist, that is,when the unexpected ending is, in itself, the highlight of the story.

On the one hand, if we are shown a bomb under a table with a close-up, for instance, the viewer can anticipate future events even though they will not happen and, therefore, suspense is created in the viewers and they feel more integrated in the film, symphathising with the characters, feeling pity and anxious about what is...