Psycho

Today, I am going to analyze the style of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock by citing example from his film, Psycho (1960).

Summary of films:

Psycho is a 1960 American psychological horror film, written by Joseph Stefano. Psycho was based on Bloch, Robert. Psycho. United States: Simon and Schuster, 1959. Print. The film is about a Phoenix real-estate secretary Marion Crane, on the lam after stealing $40,000 from her employer in order to run away. She traveling on the back roads to avoid the police, she stops for the night at the Bates Motel and meets the polite but highly strung proprietor Norman Bates, a young man with an interest in taxidermy and a difficult relationship with his mother.

The style of filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock in Psycho:

Psycho was Hitchcock’s first real horror film. The nightmarish, disturbing film's themes of corruptibility, confused identities, voyeurism, human vulnerabilities and victimization, the deadly effects of money, Oedipal murder, and dark past histories are realistically revealed. Its themes were revealed through repeated uses of motifs, such as birds, eyes, hands, and mirrors. Hitchcock’s techniques drag the audience with the universal, dark evil forces and secrets present in the film.

[Note: A satirical parody of scenes from various Hitchcock films, including some from Psycho, were included in Mel Brooks' comedy High Anxiety (1977). The shower scene itself has been referenced, spoofed and parodied in numerous films, including Brian De Palma's The Phantom of the Paradise (1974) and Dressed to Kill (1980), Squirm (1976), Victor Zimmerman's low-budget Fade to Black (1980), Tobe Hooper's The Funhouse (1981), John De Bello's Killer Tomatoes Strike Back! (1990), Martin Walz' The Killer Condom (1997, Ger.), Wes Craven's Scream 2 (1997), Scott Spiegel's From Dusk Till Dawn 2: Texas Blood Money (1999), and the animated Looney Tunes: Back in Action (2003), in which Bugs acts out with the film's black-and-white footage and a can of Hershey's chocolate syrup poured down the drain.] Resource from AMV Network Entertainment LLC. Reference list: Psycho (1960) Filmsite Movie Review. Retrieved from http://www.filmsite.org/psyc.html

In this film,   Hitchcock's gimmicky device, termed a MacGuffin (the thing or device that motivates the characters or propels the plot and action), is the stolen $40,000 from the realtor's office. Marion Crane becomes a secondary MacGuffin after her murder because everyone searching for her to call her to return back the money.

Analysis

Throughout “Psycho” Alfred Hitchcock cleverly uses mirrors and mirror images, as well as shadow images, to signify characters’ duplicity, false identities, distorted realities, and fractured personalities while exploring the film’s structural oppositions of unity and duality – suggesting that all people possess varying levels of both good and bad, of moral and immoral behavior. This can be seen in the shot of Norman hope that he can get closer to Marion, so he invites Marion having a dinner with her, not because of Marion hungry. 

In addition, The setting in Norman’s parlour back of the office is full of birds of prey stuffed and hung up on the walls, these build up the feel of scary. Even when we first meet Norman at the motel, he is polite and gentle but after Marion advices Norman that he can save her mother mental institutes, Norman’s appearance and attitude change suddenly, he becomes creepy and no likable. This enhanced the scary feel by the creepy setting and Norman’s attitude changing.

The famous scene from Psycho is the shower scene where Marion is killed. The scene doesn’t rely on blood, instead the horror comes from the psychological mind because bathroom is a place where you are feeling safe but Psycho broke all film conventions by displaying Marion being killed in the bathroom. This also shows Hitchcock is playing with audience feelings and thoughts throughout the shot of Norman use the knife stab to Marion many time and Marion resist with Norman, instead of showing the audience the knife stab to the body of Marion directly. 

From the shower scene, the audience believes that Norman’s mother killed Marion because of the appearance and an unclear face. After Norman handles the dead body of Marion, Norman smirks. This enhances the creepiness of Norman and makes the audience start to determine the personality of Norman had. 

Staircase is a common subject found throughout several genres including German Expressionism, and plays different roles depending on the narrative. Hitchcock’s used the staircase as a motif for impending danger or suspense. For example, Private investigator walking to the staircase, Norman dressed as his mother running out of the bedroom and stabbing the private investigator on the staircase in an overhead shot, the overhead shot allows the audience to see the whole situation, it also helps to cover the face of Norman, to make audience curious about who is the person are.

The final horror scene when Lila walks into the cellar and she found out a dead mother’s corpse lying in a rocking chair. At the same time, Norman is seen behind Lila with a dress and wig on and a large knife. This show to the audience the character who killed Marion and the private investigator is actually Norman did.

Conclusion

After I watched the film without any knowledge about Hitchcockian is, I don’t feel that it is a horror film at all. However, I know the horror film Alfred Hitchcock want to represent in this film is the dual nature of humanity and voyeurism present themselves. I review back the film, I begin goose bump with the way of horror he used in the film. Narrative, lighting, camera angle and mise-en-scene establish Hitchcockian concept. Recommended.