Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock, 1960

Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock,1960
Watching Psycho by Alfred Hitchock (1960) is quite intimidating

experience, mostly because of the close-up shots on the characters.
Hitchcock seems to know exactly how to show clearly how the characters
feel or think without having the need to focus on their appearance. The
setup involves a theme that Hitchcock used again and again: The guilt of
the ordinary person trapped in a criminal situation (Ebert, 1998). An
ordinarily secretary Marion Crane (Janet Leigh) steals $40,000 to help her
lover Sam Loomis (John Gavin) with his alimony payments. Her insecurity
and alarmed behaviour is shown not by focusing on her acting, but
focusing on the envelop with money and how she packs her suitcase. No
matter what she does the camera goes back to the money as if it plays the
role of her thoughts. This is the moment when its anticipated that she is
actually stealing the money from her bosss client who claimed that for
this amount of money she might as well be bought. In a way he is right,
but she has a noble cause, to help her lover.
As Marion flees Phoenix she is being intimidated by the police officer
(Mort Mills) who acts as if he knows that she stole the money. He first
sees her on the road taking a nap and by her overly alarmed behaviour he
starts suspecting that something is wrong. Even in the way she says her
lies in order to get away from him the way Hitchcock closes up the camera
on the policeman makes it feel as if he is only testing her.
Fig.1 Movie Poster
Fig. 2 Still Image
His calm tone adds up the tension, almost as if his questions ask for
something else and she knows what he means, but does her best to
get away with it. Even when he asks for her license she turns in a way
to carefully hide the envelope with money, thinking that he saw right
through her and he knows what she is hiding in her purse. After the
policeman confirms that everything is alright, she continues with her
journey, however there is certain amount of pressure shown with the
paranoia in Marions head that he is following her. Because of this
she decides to change her car so he losses her track. By coincidence
or not the same police officer shows up at the car shop, looking
straight towards her, or so it seems.
Her growing panic makes her act sloppy and she even forgets her suitcase in her old car. On her ongoing long journey to
Sam's home town of Fairvale, Calif she is being slowed down by a heavy rainstorm and forced to stop by at a motel. For her
this is a salvation and chance to rest. However she cannot escape from her beauty and the motel keeper Norman Bates
(Anthony Perkins) seems to have interest in her. He invites her to have dinner. They have a conversation in which Norman is
talking about himself and his mother. At this point he seems to be the obedient son of a imperious mother. Marion feels pity
for him and gives him advices on how to get rid oh his mother, which seems to upset him. Sensing that Marion goes back to
her room, refusing Normans invitation for breakfast, saying she will be off early in the morning.
She is finally in her room, preparing to take a shower not even suspecting that Norman is peeking on her through a small
hole in the wall in the back office. She enters the bathroom and as she is taking a shower the scene becomes more tense
with the help of the amazing score by Bernard Herrmann. Suddenly a dark figure shows up and starts stabbing Marion
mercilessly. Even when the camera focuses for a moment on the murderer we cannot see his face clearly. After half a
century of terror, Psycho is still ensuring that no one feels safe in the shower (Kermode, 2010).
Fig.3 Still Image
This iconic scene is created with amazing directing of the camera. Its
not gruesome in terms of bloodshed, but in the tension it builds up
combined with the score by Herrmann. It feels as if the scene was
censored, because it would cause too much horror for the audience
back then. There are no wounds, not much of blood, but the
moment when even its small amount of being washed away in the
canal in close up is enough to make the audience feel disturbed. At
this point it looks as if the movie is over, instead this turns out to be a
big plot twist. Why was Marion killed and why is the film continuing
after her death? Wasnt the story about her?
As a surprise, Marion was only the missing ingredient to trigger the real plot. Now the story turns to her sister Lila Crane
(Vera Miles) and lover Sam who are taking the case in their own hands, trying to find the missing Marion and return the
money to their owner without involving the court. In the following sequence of events the private detective Lila hires Det.
Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) seems to have found a lead to the case and is about to find Marion, instead he finds his
own demise. Worried Lila and Sam go to the motel which Det. Arbogast told them about. Together they manage to uncover
Normans dark secret when Lila finds a dead body, while looking for her sister. Suddenly Norman jumps on her from behind
dressed as an old lady, holding a knife in his hands. Later in the police department its concluded that Marion and Det.
Arbogast are dead. They are being informed that Norman has a serious mental problem. It seems that after he killed his own
mother out of twisted love and jealousy he developed schizophrenia, adopting her personality in his mind.
What makes "Psycho" immortal, when so many films are already half-forgotten as we leave the theatre, is that it connects
directly with our fears (Ebert, 1998). It makes us wonder what will happen if we steal money? Will we get away with it if
we take someone elses life? It connects us to the fear of being a victim to a madman and to our loved ones and what we are
prepared to do for them.
Bibliography
Roger Ebert, 1998, RogerEbert.com URL: http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-psycho-1960 accessed on
24/01/2016
Mark Kermode, 2010, TheGuardin.com URL: http://www.theguardian.com/film/2010/oct/22/psycho-horrorhitchcock accessed on 24/01/2016
IMDb URL: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/?ref_=nv_sr_3 accessed on 24/01/2016
Illustrations
Fig. 1, Movie Poster https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/b9/Psycho_(1960).jpg accessed on
24/01/2016
Fig. 2, Movie still image http://cinemajam.com/mag/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/320120523p1960w2.png
accessed on 24/01/2016
Fig. 3, Movie still image http://www.newnownext.com/wp-content/uploads/backlot/2013/10/psycho-anthonyperkins-as-norman-bates.jpg accessed on 24/01/2016

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Psycho

Watching Psycho by Alfred Hitchock (1960) is quite intimidating

Fig. 2 Still Image

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