Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960)

This was the first time I saw Psycho the Film and I very much enjoyed it as it successfully kept me in suspense through out the movie. I particularly enjoyed unravelling the mystery along with the other characters in the film and how little clues were constantly being revealed throughout the narrative. It made me feel very involved and engaged. I was also very shocked to discover the outcome of the Psycho and how his mother had been dead all along. The director, Alfred Hitchcock here effectively introduces a very clever twist in the story of Norman’s split personality which certainly took me by surprise.

I found that Psycho is a film that is not only appreciated by us today, but is well known for being one of the best horror films in the history of cinema, and has even been labelled the ‘mother of all modern horror suspense films’. It was the beginning of a completely new era of bloody and terrifying films such as Homicidal (1961), Halloween (1978) and Motel Hell (1980). The famous shower scene (made up of around 90 shots) became iconic and has become widely recognisable by audiences since. A similar scene was used in Dressed to Kill (1980). This is a perfect example how, in Genre, directors and producers re-use some ideas that have been popular and are familiar with audiences, in order to help target a particular audience and to reduce the risk factor (repetition and difference). This film was such a success that a Psycho II (1983) by Richard Franklin and a Psycho III (1986) by Anthony Perkins was also released.

Psycho-

Psycho consists of a repertoire of elements which conform to the conventions of the Genre of Horror Films. Here are some examples from the film:

Style:
- Low Key lighting is often used creating a dark and shadowy effect especially at the motel.
- The film is in black and white, originally to keep the budget low but which also adds to the mystery and suspense.
- A lot of the film is shot at night time as horror films are often set during the night.
- The director has also used dark slow movements if the camera followed by fast cuts- an example of this can be seen in the ‘shower scene’ (at 0.28secs) where the camera is still at first for a few seconds so the audience focus on Marion showering. It slowly zooms in for 9 seconds past Marion, as we see the silhouette of the killer appear. This is effectively followed by 3 fast cuts, an MCU to a CU to an ECU. The director has used this particular shot order so that although it makes the audience jump, it does not lose its continuity.
- Creepy music/sounds- harsh strings, high pitched, screams, the mother’s bitter voice ‘she wouldn’t even hurt a fly’

Setting:
- Much of it is set in the Bates Motel which seems to be deserted and isolated.
- The House on the Hill where Norman Bates lives apparently with his mother- looks like a haunted house and the fact that its is much higher and bigger than the small motel makes it seem overpowering and even more creepy.
- Norman’s backroom- full of stuffed birds which is very disturbing

Props
- Killer’s Knife - Blood - Stuffed birds

Conventional Characters
- Janet Leigh as Marion Crane - woman victim
- John Gavin as Sam Loomis – Boyfriend
- Vera Miles as Lila Crane- Sister - Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates - Killer/psycho - Martin Balsam as Milton Arbogast – Detective

Horror Themes

- Death /Murder of two main characters (Marion Crane and Milton Arbogast)
- Fear
- Psycho Behaviour- from Norman Bates who puts on the voice of his mother and pretends to be her.
- Gore- the shower scene