Consider and evaluate how Hitchcock used "pure film" to shock the original audience of "Psycho"

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   “It wasn’t a message that stirred the audience, nor was it a great performance… They were aroused by pure film”- Alfred Hitchcock, 1962. Consider and evaluate how Hitchcock used “pure film” to shock the original audience of “Psycho”.

    “Psycho” is a psychological thriller, which at the time shocked the world. Such a film had never been witnessed before on screen. It revolutionised the film industry and has now influenced many of the modern day thrillers.

    When Hitchcock filmed “Psycho” he made it to be “pure film”. It was the way in which he created “Psycho” which had such an impact. Filming techniques such as camera shots and angles were applied to produce this particular affect. Hitchcock also used sounds including music in order to get this certain impact on the audience. The director later published an autobiography in 1961 explaining his interpretation. Hitchcock wanted to construct a “pure film” by focusing on every single detail through emphasis from editing and camera movement.

     Censorship regulations were very strict at the time, and Hitchcock had to bypass these rules to get “Psycho” on the big screen. These strict guidelines limited a lot of the features used in all of the modern day films. These included scenes of toilets, any violence, and any mild sexual references. Hitchcock had a huge problem, as this would prevent him from showing the film he had intended. However, the experienced director used several techniques like presenting his entire film in black and white. Not only did this mean that the amount of violence could be significantly increased, it also made “Psycho” unique as a thriller and fulfilled the role as “pure film”. The climax of the thriller would require a lot of editing in order for Hitchcock to meet these censorship regulations, as it was this aspect, which would prove to be one of the most iconic scenes in history. The fact that Janet Leigh’s character appeared to be naked throughout the shower scene was also frowned upon by the audience in the 1960’s. It was this particular scene in which Hitchcock had to make minor changes as many countries had different opinions on what was acceptable in a film. Another cause for concern was that Leigh was flushing a toilet, which had never before been seen on the big screen. Not only did the audience witness it but they also heard it. The typical audience of the time would have believed this to be a private topic not to be shown in public. They would have felt it unnecessary to show this and would be a personal thing not to be exposed. It was only once “Psycho” had shown the flushing of a toilet that it became acceptable for other shows to include it as well.

     Hitchcock did most of the promoting himself, as he was apprehensive about letting the actors becoming involved with the press in case of them giving away the plot. Viewers were expected to see the entire film from the beginning and at no point was anyone to come in half way through the duration of “Psycho”. This was seen to be the director’s most controversial move, as it was an abnormal thing to do. He also ensured that he had possession of every single book available so he didn’t reveal the story. This also added to ways in which he personally made certain that the plot was not discovered.

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     The title sequence uses a variety of media techniques to create the atmosphere for the specific genre. The mysterious graphical matches are effective as they portray the future enigmas. Hitchcock uses the introduction to replicate the sense of duality and split personalities. This is significant when in light of Leigh’s character as the title sequence incorporates graphical matches to reflect her split life. The words divide into two and separate from each other, which conveys the criminal life, Marion is about to lead towards the audience. This was efficiently done by Saul Base, the graphic designer who had ...

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