GCSE English Media Assignment
The film "Psycho" would have shocked the audience, when the film was released in 1960. The things in it that would have shocked the audience are the nudity shown on screen, the amount of money involved and Norman Bates being the villain.
The nudity shown on screen would have shocked the audience because normally at the time the viewers wouldn't see this much nudity. At the beginning Marion is sleeping with Sam to whom she isn't married to and normally in 1960 it would be wrong for a woman to sleep with a man who she's not married to. Also in the shower scene Hitchcock shows most of Marion's body, which was also unusual at the time.
The amount of money involved in "Psycho" would have shocked the audience because forty thousand dollars was a lot of money in 1960 and it was unusual to see this amount of cash on screen.
Norman Bates would have shocked the audience in 1960 because he is the villain and his usual role is being the hero in a film. He was also considered to be a heartthrob at the time.
The reason why Hitchcock uses a high angle shot is to make someone look small and vulnerable and to show the person is going to be attacked. This shot was used in "Psycho" when Marion is about to be attacked in the shower.
The reason why the director uses a low angle shot is to make someone look big or strong and the person who is talking to him look small or weak.
The reason why Hitchcock uses a very long shot is to show the person very briefly and not letting the audience look properly, normally a very long shot is shown very quickly to the viewers so they cant make up who it is. It is shown in "Psycho" when Norman Bates is in disguise as his mum and Hitchcock doesn't want the viewers to find out its Norman, so he only shows a silhouette.
The shower scene was very original in its use of camera shots. For example, the audience can see a close up the showerhead at the beginning of the shower scene. Alfred Hitchcock uses this to show that Marion is having a shower, and also that she is naked and therefore really vulnerable. A bathroom is supposed to be a place of privacy, but the viewers are spying on her as Bates is.
The viewers see a high angle shot of Marion, when she is having a shower; Hitchcock uses this to make Marion look inferior. Also he uses this to show the audience that Marion is about to be attacked by Norman Bates.
We an extreme close up of Marion's mouth while she is screaming. Hitchcock uses this to show that she is really terrified and is about to be attacked. Also to make the audience want to help her or do something about it.
We get an over the shoulder shot when Marion is looking away from the killer and gripping on to the tiles on the other side of the shower. Hitchcock has used this to show the scene from the killer's point of view.
In the shower scene it is also interesting to note that Hitchcock ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
We an extreme close up of Marion's mouth while she is screaming. Hitchcock uses this to show that she is really terrified and is about to be attacked. Also to make the audience want to help her or do something about it.
We get an over the shoulder shot when Marion is looking away from the killer and gripping on to the tiles on the other side of the shower. Hitchcock has used this to show the scene from the killer's point of view.
In the shower scene it is also interesting to note that Hitchcock links it to the scene before. At the ending of that scene, Norman Bates is sitting at a table playing with a teapot, making a clinking sound. He is deep in thought. Marion is also at a desk, she is also in a similar state, and there is a noise similar to the one of the teapot when she dips her pen in to the inkpot. Hitchcock uses this to show that the two people are going to be linked the next scene.
Hitchcock also uses music effectively, for example when Marion is sitting at the desk, there the kind of music to create tension among the audience. Also when she has just got in the shower, there is no music; this is to show that something bad is about to happen. While she is being stabbed there is lots of screechy and jumpy music to show that there is lots of action going on. Each time the violins screech, Hitchcock makes it fit in with the stabbing motion. In the parts of the scene where there is no music. It is supposed to let the part of the scene about to happen, what is happening or which has happened sink into the audience.
Hitchcock also shows the audience two close up shots, which prove to be vital clues for Leila and Sam. The first of them is of the paper that Marion throws into the toilet. The second is of the shower curtain ripping from the shower rail as Marion holds on to it to stabilise herself. The director uses these to show the audience that they are something important and for them to keep it in mind so they can later linkup the two scenes.
Hitchcock uses lots of different angles during the stabbing to make it look like Norman is really stabbing Marion. It also makes the audience unsure of what they have or not seen in the scene. As Marion enters the shower, she is naked, so the atmosphere created is one of real vulnerability, and we sense she is about to be attacked.
Hitchcock uses two extreme close ups near the end of the scene, one of them is of the plug hole which shows water and blood going down it. Hitchcock uses this to suggest that Marion's life is being wiped away, as is the evidence. After he shows the plughole, it merges into Marion's eye. The eye suggests to the audience that she is watching them and also to make audience feel guilty about what has happened.
Also in the shower scene suspense of the identity of the murderer is built up. Hitchcock does this by putting woman's clothes on the woman to make it look like a woman. Also the director shows the figure of the murderer, but does not show the face, it is blanked out and is in shadow. Hitchcock also uses camera angles such as a behind the shoulder shot so the audience can't see the face of the murderer.
At the end of the scene, Hitchcock shows a panning shot. It begins from the eye, and then goes to the money, then finally the house. The eye is shown to tell the audience that she has died, Also the money is shown to tell the viewers that the money is still there, and Norman didn't kill her for this. At the end is the house to suggest that Normans mother killed Marian.
At the end of the panning shot, Hitchcock shows the house in which Norman lives. While the picture of the house is there, the audience hear Norman saying, 'blood' and 'mother' to make the viewers convinced that Normans mother has killed Marion.
In the shower scene a zoom is used. As the camera zooms out from Marion's eye we know that she has died as she isn't blinking. It is also used to give time for this sink in for the audience. Also in the shower scene, a zoom in effect is used. An example of this is when the attacker comes into the bathroom. We can see him briefly through the shower curtain. As he comes closer, the camera zooms into him. Hitchcock shows this to the audience to let them know that someone else has entered the bathroom. Also Hitchcock teases them by not letting the audience see the killers face.
Hitchcock has missed out some things in the shower scene, which could have been included. The first thing is the sexual parts; they weren't shown because even the amount shown was unusual. The second thing we don't see is the knife actually piercing the skin, because at the time, this wasn't allowed by the filmboard. The third is thing that wasn't shown is the face of the murderer. Hitchcock has clearly left it out because it would reveal their identity and therefore spoil the suspense.
The way that the shower scene was put together reflects historical changes that were taking place in 1959-1960. The shower scene was rebellious and controversial because of its content, and this reflected the era of the 60's. This is shown when the viewers are able to see the knife piercing Marion's skin, this was illegal in 1960, and this is what made it controversial.
The shower scene reflects society becoming more open about sexuality. Hitchcock touched on this in 'Psycho'. When Marion is in the shower. He shows parts of her body, for example the top part of her chest, and most of her legs, for relatively long periods of time (four to five seconds).
Women's rights were being discussed at the time and the shower scene is anti this. For instance this is shown when there is a high angle shot of Marion in the shower. This makes her look very vulnerable. Also when she is screaming there is a close up of her mouth. This makes the audience think that she has no power. This emphasises that she is really frightened.
The audience were able to be more voyeuristic, this is because of the latest technology which Hitchcock took maximum advantage of in the shower scene. For example, when Norman Bates is murdering Marion, the audience are spying on them, and will feel guilty and powerless because they can't do anything to stop it.
In 1960 the murderer in a horror film was usually a monster of some sort, but in the shower scene it was a human, reflecting how society had also began to change its view of the murderer. Shots in the shower scene clearly respond to this, for example when the audience see the silhouette of the face of the serial killer, it is clearly a humans outline.
The society was thriving and secure so the audience were able to cope with horrific scenes. This is demonstrated in the shower scene when shots of the knife and the killing-taking place are shown on screen. Before 1960, this wouldn't have been shown on screen.
The film 'Psycho' is still of great contemporary relevance, and has influenced many subsequent films. Before 1960 in a horror film the killer was normally a monster, and the weapon used was usually a gun. However in 'Psycho' the serial killer is a human who uses a knife to kill his victims. This has influenced films such as 'Scream' (1996) because the killer also uses a knife. Also in 'Scream' the killer wears a mask, reflecting 'Psycho', where the killers face is blanked out to hide their identity.
In 'Psycho', Marion, who is an independent woman, is unexpectedly killed only forty-five minutes into the film. Both these features were unusual in films prior to 'Psycho', and it has influenced films such as 'Set It Off' (19 ), where a woman kills a man, which tells the viewers that a woman is more powerful then a man. This is linked to 'Psycho' as Marion is a self-dependant woman. Also in 'Scream' the lead woman is killed early, this is also linked to 'Psycho'.
In the years before 'Psycho', nudity and violence were rarely combined. Some films before it had either one or the other. This has influenced lots of films, for instance, 'Scream 3' (199 ), where a woman is in the shower near to the time of her murder. Also in 'Halloween' (1987), a man naked in the shower is stabbed.
In films before 'Psycho', normally when the murder was committed, the screen would go black, and the audience wouldn't hear anything, where as in 'Psycho' they are able to see the figure of the murderer as the murder happens, and they are also able to hear screeching sounds to fit in with the stabbing action. The contemporary films that are related to 'Psycho' because of this include 'Scream', 'Scream 2' (199 ), 'Scream 3', 'Scary movie' (199 ), 'Scary movie 2' ( ), because the audience see and hear the murder taking place.
In films that came out before 'Psycho', after the murder had taken place, the director wouldn't show what happened to the body, but in 'Psycho', Hitchcock shows Norman Bates rap the body up in a shower curtain and clean up the blood after it. This has influenced many films, for example 'Jeepers Creepers' ( ) , in which, the killer also raps the bodies in a plastic bag.
