Hitchcock's first example can be seen in the narcissistic tendencies of his very own directional style.  He viewed his style of work as unique and asserted that everything he creates is perfect (White, 2021). This way of thinking could lead to a point that may be mentally unhealthy. From the script to the cut, Hitchcock thrives on each second to be perfect in every aspect. Hitchcock even expresses this thought process publicly in an interview, stating, “I am a typed director. If I made Cinderella, the audience would immediately be looking for a body in the coach” (Truffaut, 1985). This demand to implant himself and his artistic style is also shown in his traditional cameos for every movie he has made. This need to put a piece of himself in every film he has ever made and the fascination he had with making sure he was seen for his creations is a subtle sign of narcissism, blurring the lines between creator and creation.

 

Moreover, Hitchcock had a very inferior personality when it came to treating his actors on set, mostly female actresses. Tippi Hendren, a debut star in Hitchcock's film “Marnie,” describes all the uncomfortable experiences she had with Hitchcock's profound ways of getting her to be perfect in his eyes for the film (White, 2021). He even sent the exact food he wanted her to eat to her private doorstep every day. This got to a point where Hendren started to notice that Hitchcock was trying to insert himself into her life in an unprofessional manner that was not accepted by her (White, 2021). He told her dirty stories and jokes, tried to invite her over for dinner and hangouts on unseasonal or celebratory terms, and had people hired to follow her home to make sure that she wasn't seeing any other men (White, 2021). To make matters worse, Hendren also alleges that Hitchcock tried to physically get on top of her and kiss her without her consent, also stating “It was an awful, awful moment I’ll always wish I could erase from my memory” (White, 2021). This lack of empathy and signs of trying to self-pleasure himself, not worrying about how Hendren could feel herself, treating her as if she was a possession and not her own person, is just another subtle trait of narcissism that Hitchcock himself had. This would possibly be seen as normal by Hitchcock himself.

 

Lastly, Hitchcock not only stalked and treated these women off-set unfairly, but he also had a few events on set that showed his deep psychological illness. Before shooting his film “Vertigo,” Hitchcock invited the star of the film, Kim Novak, for dinner. He proceeded to make her uncomfortable by conversing about fine art and wine, which could be a rough subject for Novak, considering her working-class background (White, 2021). These techniques were used by Hitchcock to show his superiority and masculinity toward female actresses and also to test what he could see from them on the screen. He used this technique to push them into a state of humiliation with little to no regard for how it could affect the actress themselves. Hitchcock even stated, “I never said all actors are cattle; what I said was all actors should be treated like cattle” (Camp, 2023). This shows that he thinks that everyone should view him as the boss of their life on and off the sets of his movies, proving that narcissistic actions are natural to Hitchcock.

 

A handful of Hitchcock's main characters in his films, such as Scottie Ferguson in Vertigo, perform narcissistic behaviors such as stalking and seeing themselves or other people as perfect (Burke, 2019).  They strive to be self-serving, lack empathy, and are not compassionate about other people's goals. Hitchcock writes in a way that he implants his own life into his movies, even to the point of pursuing stories that he has had with his ex-wife. Could it be that these characters and movies are not performing narcissistic actions by chance? To be more precise, maybe it is Hitchcock’s way of thinking that goes into the script for these characters. He sees this lack of empathy and poor social behavior as normal.

 

Hitchcock’s movies were categorized as psychological horror films with the intent to twist the viewers’ mental perceptions. This gaslighting behavior may mirror his behaviors in his personal life, proving that he would probably have insight into the vast growth of the narcissistic pandemic.