Alfred Hitchcock's ‘Psycho’ was (after huge box office returns) known to be one of his best thrillers-such a hit that three sequels were produced, the last being a prequel (the past, when the characters were at a younger age). There was also a remake.
The 1960 ‘Psycho’ is known as a suspense/horror film. However before watching the film I had heard only of the infamous ‘shower scene’, which definitely lived up to the hype.
Main characters:
- Marion Crane (main character and false heroine), played by Janet Leigh
- Norman Bates (villain and psychopath), acted by Anthony Perkins.
- Lone Detective (donor, false hero)
- Marion’s lover (hero and confused relative)
- Marion’s sister (helper and confused relative)
- A local sheriff (donor and dispatcher)
Themes:
Setting:
· Marion’s hotel room and bedroom
· Marion’s office
· Marion’s car as she travels across America.
· An isolated Motel (off the beaten track which is a connotation of her vulnerability and entrapment)
· Inside a haunted/eerie house (a signifier of the characters personality)
Narrative/plot summary:
Marion and Sam, her boyfriend, are not able to marry due to debt. One day Marion is given $42,000 cash to take to the bank on behalf of her company. She realises the benefits this money could have on her situation and decides to take the money and leave the city. Marion heads for California, to meet Sam. However on the way many people are alerted by her conduct, even a police officer. He follows her and when she trades her car and pays extra cash, he is very suspicious.
Marion gets really tired due to the long distance drive and so stops in at an isolated ‘Bates Motel.’ She meets the owner, Norman Bates (villain) and becomes very chatty with him, learning of his hobbies and his caring for his mother who lives in the house behind the motel. His conversation proves rather unusual and when Norman retreats to the house we hear just how much control Norman’s mother has over him. Marion goes for a shower, where she is stabbed to death by what appears to be Norman’s mum. This is the infamous ‘shower scene’. Norman clears away all the evidence of the killing by sinking Marion, her belongings and her car in the nearby swamp.
A lone detective becomes involved as Marion and $42,000 have gone missing. He traces Marion to the Bates Motel and questions Norman. Unconvinced by Norman’s behaviour, he secretly enters Norman’s house, where he is then killed by Norman’s mother.
Sam and Marion's sister are worried as the lone detective ceases to report back to them. They enquire to a sheriff and discover Mrs. Bates had died long ago. They therefore set off to the motel in search of Marion-or at least clues. They find their clue-a note stating $40,000. Sam confronts Norman while Marion’s sister goes to the house. Norman, agitated, knocks Sam unconscious and goes to the house to look for Marion’s sister. She hides in the basement and finds a preserved corpse- Norman’s mother! Norman then bursts in dressed as a women, wearing a wig and carrying a knife. Luckily Sam enters, injures him and saves Marion’s sister. Marion and her belongings are later recovered along with the money.
At the end of the film there is key narrative. Norman is has a split personality because he killed his mother but in guilt resurrects her (physically and mentally). He acts how he thinks she would if she were alive. Then, in prison, the mother’s personality comes through and blames Norman for everything.
Opinions:
I thought ‘Psycho’ was a great film, although slightly dated. I loved Hitchcock’s twist regarding character types. Throughout the first half hour the audience was led to believe that Marion was going to be the heroine, but then she was shockingly killed. It is only later on that we discover Sam to be the hero, defeating Norman. This is a great idea and I would love to put something like this in my own thriller. In fact this gives me a great idea, -to build up the two minute opening around a hero and then kill them off! This really would create great suspense and the audience would really want to find out how the new equilibrium is made at the end of the film, if such equilibrium even exists. This causes so many questions and is therefore an ideal enigma code- I am strongly considering whether to use this break of convention!
I also really enjoyed the Norman Bates character and the reasons for his personality, and linked to this I thought the ending was outstanding! It really sums up the film and only here are some of the enigmatic questions answered. This really leaves the audience in a satisfied state when the film is over.
The only element of the film I did not like was the fact that some parts were very dated. An example of this is when the lone detective is falling but practically walking down the stairs. His action codes along with the camera work for such action was very comical to watch. To improve this he should have just fallen down the stairs and I would personally have used close ups of body parts hitting the stairs as he falls, and I think this is a more modern way of shooting this sequence. On the whole though, the film was extremely enjoyable to watch and I think this film has helped me highlight successful and less successful ideas and ways of shooting.
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