In his bold new study of the career of one of filmmaking's premier directors, author James M. Vest traces two intertwining strands of history: Alfred Hitchcock's interest in French culture, and French critics' sometimes complementary, sometimes confrontational interest in him. In the 1950s, Hitchcock was increasingly committed to including French-related elements in his films to enhance suspense and humor. At that same time, young critics in France-including Francois Truffaut, Claude Chabrol, Eric Rohmer, and Jean-Luc Godard-discovered in Hitchcock's films the mark of an auteur....