Comparison of the films "Psycho" and "Scream"
The film "Psycho" would have shocked the audience when the film was first released in 1960, and due to the well thought out story line and unpredictable ending, still would have the audience captivated in the year 2002. Hitchcock kept pushing the boundaries as to how far a horror film could go. This kept the audience in shock and excitement as this kind of imagery had never before been seen at this time. The nudity shown on screen would also have shocked the audience because normally at the time, (1960) the viewer would not be used to such graphic imagery, however mild it may appear to be today. Hitchcock used many taboo subjects in his films and also graphic scenes. I believe that these scenes were very good at creating publicity and giving a very unique out-look on his work, as it seperates him from other directors. Hitchcock succeeds in creating suspense through-out the film "Psycho", especially the shower scene. This would have to be one of Hitchcock's most famous scenes. Hitchcock wanted the audience to believe that Marion Crane was actually getting stabbed, but had to use limited effects due to censors and budget. Hitchcock uses many filming and sound techniques to get the best sequence across to the audience, without making it too violent. Hitchcock used around seventy-eight different camera angles to achieve the best possible murder shot. He also used many different types of camera shots to add to the effect of the scene. Hitchcock varied the lengths of the shots, to give a more frantic feel to the scene, such as a close-up, closely followed by a medium close-up. Another interesting aspect of the stabbing is the way the audience never actually views the knife penetrating the skin. I feel that the scene was more effective without the actual stabbing as it made the viewer imagine what was happening.
