Review of Body Double (1984) by Donald W — 12 Dec 2009

If you are a Hitchcock fan and enter Body Double without any prior knowledge, then you may quickly accuse DePalma of plagiarism both in terms of plot points and in terms directorial choices: Vertigo, Rear Window, Dial M for Murder and others all appear alongside camera arcs around characters kissing, POV shots through binoculars, one character following another around a California city, etc.

But DePalma's choices are deliberate--he is purposefully ripping off these films. Indeed, DePalma's early films, particularly Sisters, had a distinctly Hitchcockian vibe, and Body Double is DePalma's response to critics who found his films to be a.

) too derivative of Hitchcock, b.) too violent, and c.) too misogynistic. Hence, DePalma gives us a film that openly emulates multiple Hitcchock films, that features scenes of extremely graphic violence (power drills), and that features porn actresses as characters hence leading to loads of unnecessary sex and nudity.

But DePalma's film is a brilliant, stylish, and fun thriller that plays with all the conventions of the genre and self-consciously explores the stereotypes and boundaries of the form. Plus, it features a porn version of Frankie Goes to Hollywood's "Relax" video.