[Ads-l] locomotives as female

[Christopher Philippo]

On Apr 25, 2015, at 9:17 AM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> I wonder now what it actually means to say that the tunnel moment in question, the final moment of the film, is a "phallic symbol."


Hitchcock: the final shot, immediately following that scene in the sleeping-car, is probably one of the most impudent shots I ever made.
Truffaut: When the train goes into the tunnel?
Hitchcock: Yes.  The phallic symbol.

I would guess it was mainly impudent with respect to American film censors who indeed might be so dense as not to get a fairly obvious throwaway gag; censors are strange critters.  I would not give it too much thought - dating back to his silent film days Hitchcock employed numerous slight visual jokes, puns or symbols, some obvious, some less so.  Enjoyment of the film does not depend on them all being perceived, or on them all being clever.
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