Discuss how Alfred Hitchcock creates horror and suspence in his film Psycho.

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Introduction

The film Psycho was released in 1960 and was directed and produced Alfred Hitchcock.

Psycho is one of the most famous films that have ever been made and it paved the way for many other films of its genre, and the shower scene is quite possibly the most famous scene ever.

Alfred Hitchcock uses many different techniques to create horror and suspense in “Psycho” and in this essay I am going to write about the ones that I feel made the most impact. These are, The use of red herrings, the main character (played by famous actor Janet Leigh) dies after only one third of the film is over,  the use of sound and music, for example, the violin in the shower scene, the  Mise En Scene, where everything in the frame of the camera is deliberate and often symbolic, the use of the camera, crane shots (Arbogasts Death) First person perspective shots (Marion’s view of mother in the basement scene) and shot reverse shots (Close up of a person speaking the close up of another person replying, e.g.: Marion’s conversation with Norman in the parlor scene).  

I am going to start by analyzing the opening scenes of the film, and then go on to the larger, more famous scenes.

After she has stolen the $40,000 Marion’s flight from Phoenix lasts for about 15 minutes of the film, and fills us with an ever-increasing sense of suspense. Her plan naturally goes wrong from the start, on the way out of town her boss crosses the street in front of her car and recognizes her (we hear the "Psycho" theme, which we heard over the opening credits, for the first time).

After driving for a long time, Marion begins to get tired, and we see her pull over to the side of the road. We then cut to a day lit view of Marions parked car we see a police car, which we expect to move into the center of the frame. Instead, it passes Marions car, comes to a stop, backs up behind Marions car, and then parks there.

Marion’s encounter with the "death’s head" policeman (the sightless gaze of his dark glasses will later be remembered as we see Mother’s blind, staring sockets at the climax of Psycho). She flees from the policeman’s gaze as quickly as she is able, and rushes to buy a new car, an utterly useless gesture, because he is watching her do it. Her interactions with the car salesman repeat her experience with the policeman: the more she tries to escape notice, the more she attracts it.

This is a very good example of a red herring, in this scene we are conned into thinking that the policeman will play an important role in the film, when in fact we never see or hear from him again.

It is said that casting is 95% of any movie success, and Tony Perkins as Norman, is the key to Psychos extreme success.  Tony Perkins plays the frail, meek and seemingly defenseless Norman Bates.

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In the parlor scene there is a very significant conversation between Norman and Marion:

Norman: "You eat like a bird"

Marion: (Looking at the stuffed birds in his den) "You'd know, of course."

Norman: "no, not really... I don't really know anything about birds. My hobby is stuffing things. You know, taxidermy. And I guess I'd rather stuff birds because I hate the look of beasts when they're stuffed. You know, foxes and chimps... Only birds look well stuffed because - well, they're passive to begin with."

Marion: “It's a strange hobby. Curious.”

Norman: “Uncommon, too.”

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