PSYCHO1960 American Psychological Thriller-Horror film, directed by Alfred Hitchcock.

The film is based on Robert Hale’s Psycho novel, published in 1959.

There was a later remade version of the novel, directed by Gus Van Sant in 1998.

The Cast: Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates,

Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, Vera Miles as Lila Crane

and John Gavin as Sam Loomis.

Femme-FataleMarion Crane, the femme-fatale who steals money she is instructed to take to the bank by her boss but

instead uses it to buy the affection of her boyfriend Sam Loomis, who she’s having an affair with. This generic archetype immediately makes the audience associate her with being a deviant and dangerous woman, who will be punished for her actions. The establishing of her generic archetype as a character is a

classic convention of noir thrillers.Throughout the scenes where Marion is featured; she is submissive - in this lying down position - and desperate to please her boyfriend, Sam Loomis. Who she’s

having an affair with, conforming to the idea of a woman acting to satisfy man. Her desperation for their relationship blinds her from thinking logically.

The black laced underwear which Marion wears as she’s packing her suitcase to leave also conforms to the thriller convention of the generic archetype of the femme-fatale. Implying sophistication, but the black colour connotes the idea of deviance, but before the money is stolen she wears white, implying purity.

Her own need for love destroyed her. Marion as a character, conforms to this deviant and promiscuous persona, as she steals money and is having

an affair. Which seals her fate as the femme fatale which will be punished for her actions. Alfred Hitchcock has been known as the ‘ladykiller’

director. The female characters in his films go against the classic female expectations and norms, they are then punished for this. The same occurs

to Marion, she steals and has an affair, and is then stabbed in the very well-known shower scene.

This costume change emphasises the impact of the stolen money. Showing how Marion has stolen and is part of an affair; something in the society of the time the film was made was highly frowned upon. The audience can make that connection and realise how Marion,

establishing the femme-fatale character, will come to her end.The dialogue that the audience hear from Marion is aimed towards Sam Loomis, her flaw as

a character is her desperation for a relationship.

Femme-FataleThe use of a shot reverse shot between Marion and Sam when discussing the issues

of their financial situation, remains to abide by the 180 degree rule. Possibly reflecting how Marion is willing to go against the law, stealing this money in an attempt to buy her love. She’s defined by a man and is desperate to be with him.

Her life becomes reliant on Sam Loomis.The composition in the shot reverse shot sequence also has connotations. Sam

Loomis is leaning against the open window. Venetian blinds which are commonly used in thriller film. Shadows being cast from the window, making

Loomis have bars of light across his face, possibly reflecting the trouble the stolen money will create for them both.

Hitchcock has managed to create a voyeuristic experience immediately, in the first few seconds of the film, the deliberate use of this long-length zoom into her window. This establishing shot

has the purpose to position the audience to be a stalker-like and watching Marion. This can make it reasonably uncomfortable for the viewer, as they feel that you’re prying on her from

the open window. This links to ‘male zoom’: how the majority of the production workers on the film are male, so

the male director and male cameramen, so males are the ones who construct the audiences view of the woman. This constructs an image of a female, which may be a misogynistic view

created.

The portrayal of woman has changed majorly since the 1960s and Hitchcock’s view of a female character. In contemporary films, the limitations of female characters

have been reduced; woman can now be villains and survive, ever be heroes in film.

The representation on woman has progressed in film considerably.

An example in ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ directed by David Fincher, in which Rooney Mara plays Lisabeth Salander: a computer hacker who’s survived extreme physical and emotional

abuse. A strong, assertive and powerful woman when compared to Marion from ‘Psycho.’

Soundtrack

Hitchcock himself stated how “33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music.”

The classic soundtrack of ‘Psycho’ is something so well-known and recognisable in the film industry.

The drama and tension it adds to the film is something which is more than the camera can do.

The film’s soundtrack was composed by Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975), this score is seen to be Herrmann’s most spectacular

achievement. Herrmann’s use of string instruments creates a wider range of

tones and dynamics to work with than anything else.

The main title music is a tense piece, anticipating the impending violence and returns three times, on the soundtrack. Even though there’s no real shocking violence during the first fifteen minutes of the film, the

title music remains in the audience’s mind, leading to the drama and tension in the early scenes.

The music of the ‘Shower Scene’ is a harsh sound, creating emotional impact and the sound of the violins has been described as a “screeching, stabbing sound-motion of extraordinary viciousness.”

The association of the ‘Shower Scene’ music is with ‘screeching birds’ which corresponds to Norman, the stuffed-bird collector, who may be the murderer rather than his mother.

The soundtrack adds tension and builds intensity, creating suspense and making the scene which occurs visually appear to fit into the thriller genre even more.

It appeals to the senses of the audience and makes the film more immersive. The audience are drawn into the scene and creates the stabbing murder to feel more sudden and violent.

Camera Angles

A classic thriller convention is the use of close ups. The camera being extremely close to objects or parts of a character, giving the scene or object emphasis and importance, the

audience’s focus being solely on what the camera allows. The use of close-ups of Marion’s screaming mouth conveys how quick and how much of a surprise the attack is, how unprepared and frightened she is over the sudden intruder. Her

hand scrambling and scraping down the tiles is also seen with a close-up, this embassies her desperation and how she doesn’t want to let go and be defeated. Yet, the femme-fatale

archetype is always punished for their wrong-doings. Linking to this, the close up of the money is something that Hitchcock has chosen to repeat throughout the opening scenes of the film. This signifies the importance of the money, how it’s central to the plot and the downfall of Marion. The most important object, the idea she’s

trying to buy her lover with stolen money. Hitchcock appealing to those members of the audience who recognise Marion as the femme-fatale and can make an association that this

is her downfall.

The dissolve transition between the plughole of the shower into Marion’s eye is a beautiful piece of filming.

The camera follows her trail of blood into the plug hole, and creating a continuous movement back out from the pupil of Marion’s eye. This spinning rotation of the camera is

unsettling and disorientating. But from this, Hitchcock establishes a unique way to show Marion’s dead body in an uncomfortable position.

The use of the ‘Rule of Thirds’ is also used in the ‘Shower Scene’ where Marion is placed in the right third, sliding her back down the wet tiles

after being stabbed, this connoted how she’s become powerless and shrinking. The dominating white space, blankness, showing how

Marion has lost everything, being engulfed by death. The shot composition has definitely succeeded in creating Marion to look smaller

and that all her power and control has been lost over the situation.

Location

Another film which has this silhouetted lighting design, so the audience see less than normal, is in ‘The Third Man.’ A 1949

British film noir is directed by Sir Carol Reed where in this scene of a tunnel, a vanishing point of light is used, silhouetting the

character from behind. This idea of anonymous, generic archetypes, the idea of a

questionable identity, leaves the audience asking themselves; ‘Who is it?’ making the film more engaging as the plot continues

to unravel. Conforming to the thriller film genre and having high levels of tension and suspense to keep the viewer watching.

The use of lighting is used for effect in this scene as well. The non-ambient lighting creates a silhouette of the murder as they approach the shower curtain, where Marion is. The connotations with a dark,

anonymous figure for the audience leaves them questioning their identity, who and why have they murdered her.

The lighting design has been created so that the audience don’t see things creating a tense and suspenseful tone.

The generic location of the shower is very relatable to all members of the audience. The confined and enclosed space, this claustrophobic location is a

classic convention of a thriller. Also, with Marion being naked and vulnerable in the slippery shower, she’s unable to retaliate of protect herself

from the stabbing. She reaches out in desperation, but there’s no use.

The murder of Marion in the Shower Scene has to be one of the most famous murders in film history, the chilling scene being so popular due to the normal situation, being relatable

Intertextual ReferencesThroughout the media, there is a massive contrast in the representation of gender, specifically woman and

the portrayal of their objectification or showing them in a strong and assertive matter.

‘Thelma and Louise’ is a 1991 American film, directed by Ridley Scott. It stars Geena Davis as Thelma and Susan Sarandon as Louise. The two friends who embark on a

dramatic road-trip. The film has been seen to relate to the growth of feminist views; the two independent

woman not needing to conform to femininity or be defined by a man.

Compared to the 1960 ‘Psycho’ representation of females is completely different to the 90s ‘Thelma and Louise’ portrayal. Marion Crane being the classic femme fatale, a deviant woman who’s punished for her actions.

As I’ve mentioned before, ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ creates a more powerful and authority representation of a woman. David Fincher purposely creating Lisabeth Salander’s

character to being revengeful and not a weaker and easily intimidated by a male.

Both ‘Psycho’ and ‘Thelma and Louise’ have scenes in which the women are confronted by male police officers. The choices made by the directors to portray females are binary opposites.

Marion Crain in ‘Psycho’ appears frightened are fearful of the ore dominating male figure. She is passive and obedient towards his commands, abiding by his instructions. In the scene,

the male cop being the authoritative figure. In ‘Thelma and Louise’ Ridley Scott seems to have referenced Hitchcock’s ‘Psycho’ scene,

both being of a similar nature. Ridley Scott has created the two woman to be very different to Marion Crane. They are strong and independent woman, not fearful of this male cop

who pulls them over. They hold the man at gunpoint and then drive off. They’re already on the run after Louise murdered a ‘red-neck’ who had tried to rape Thelma. The woman appear authoritative and not conforming to this classic femme fatale archetype, or to a

misogynistic view of woman in the media.