Truffaut sought the interview because it was clear to him that Hitchcock was not simply the mass-market entertainer the American media made him out to be. It was obvious from his films, Truffaut wrote, that Hitchcock had "given more thought to the potential of his art than any of his colleagues".
Truffaut sought an interview because it became apparent to him that Hitchcock defied the common perception of being merely a commercial filmmaker. Rather, Truffaut argued that Hitchcock's work demonstrated a profound understanding of his art form.