Amateurs and film critics alike were stunned by Alfred Hitchcock's total lack of regard for the unwritten rules of movie making. Every film convention is broken: the heroine is dead! The result is a shocking and absolutely original masterpiece.
A masterpiece, from a master artist, although he often denied that his work was art, only once conceding, when he “equated himself with Shakespeare” – arguably the greatest artist of all time. Hitchcock built a reputation for himself as a director by using many different tricks and techniques, and derived some trademarks along the way. He makes a cameo appearance in each of his films, something that many directors would shy away from.
‘Psycho’ was filmed with a low budget, and in black and white, even though colour technology was available. To save costs, Hitchcock even used his own television crew, from his own show. Eventually the film grossed a total of nearly fifty million dollars.
Hitchcock had to ensure that the advertising campaign supporting ‘Psycho’ was a success, if the film itself was to be. He had to provide his prospective audience with enough information about the film to want to know more, but not enough to give anything away.
The poster for the film again broke widely held conventions. Janet Leigh appeared partially naked, which was generally disapproved of, however it was eye catching, and different. Marion, in the picture, is portrayed to be blissfully unaware of the fate she awaited. The camera angle looks down at her, highlighting her vulnerability; the subtle lighting also adds to this effect. She looks so innocent it is impossible to not wonder what will happen to her. The poster also contains a certain amount of enticing text, and the film title reproduced in its shattered style.
Hitchcock also gave strict orders to the cinemas showing ‘Psycho’, not to admit anyone after the beginning. Although one would generally have thought this was unnecessary, it appears that in America at this time, there was a distinct tendency to wander in and out of film screenings at the viewer’s whim. Hitchcock had to prevent this for two reasons; his lead actress died within the first section of the film, and the understanding of the chain of events that so characteristically gripped an audience would have had little or no effect, if sections were omitted, or missed.
Hitchcock himself featured mainly in the trailer for his forthcoming production. He showed viewers around the main set of the film, the motel, in a characteristically satirical manor. Describing vaguely events which happened in certain areas, he made light of the whole scenario. The music, which complemented his tone of voice and mannerisms would have suited more the recital of a nursery rhyme more than a trailer for this classic, epic thriller. Although we are shown many places important to the film, we are not always informed why they are significant. We are also shown various shots that do not give us the full picture, and leave us asking questions. For instance in Mrs. Bates room we see Hitchcock open her cupboard, but do not see inside it.
A huge effort was also made to conceal the conclusion of the story until the very last moment – Hitchcock even reserved a place for “Mrs. Bates” at the premier screening of the film, although I doubt she was able to attend! He also bought as many copies of the original novel as he could, so that the ending would remain a mystery until one had seen the film.
The opening sequence of the film is very characteristic of Hitchcock, this style also appears in his other films. He uses lots of parallel lines to bring on and take off the names of his colleagues, before his own appears. As an audience, we notice it and we are sure we are about to witness something special. The chilling title, ‘Psycho’ emerges on to the screen and then dramatically splits in to shattered pieces, representing the dual personalities and shorelines in the film.
These lines then cleverly dissolve into the first establishing shot, of a skyscraper, panning around the cityscape. We are told where, on what date, and at what time the proceedings commence, with the precision so unnecessarily accurate that it is convincingly real. All the information we are give is perfectly acceptable, so why should we not believe it as the whole truth? In this trivial way, Hitchcock begins to reel us in to his trap, of convincing us that this film world is unmistakably real, and that the events, which occur inside it, are perfectly capable of happening outside it. Therefore, when we are shocked at the disastrous slaughter of our innocent heroine, we are left to desperately pick up the pieces of our shattered illusions, and consider if this could happen to those around us. Convincing the audience of the reality of the film let Hitchcock mould their conceptions, develop sympathies and build up identification between them and fictional characters. This hugely increased the despair and shock, the feeling of loss even, when a character is brutally murdered.
Straight away, Hitchcock begins to build up our sympathies for Marion Crane. He uses several cinematic techniques to create an effective mise-en-scene. Mise-en-scene is everything that a viewer can see within a certain frame, and is comprised of many aspects. For instance Hitchcock uses a high-angle, mid range establishing shot to place Marion in her context, and highlight her innocence and vulnerability. She is also well lit, showing that she has nothing to hide. Later on, when she has, shadows appear around her.
The musical score for ‘Psycho’ was written by Bernard Hermann, and it is critical to the film as a whole. Each time a character is slain, when the knife-wielding murderer emerges from their hiding place, the high-pitched, pizzicato strings strike up the jumpy rhythm, before the remainder of the instruments join in. The music set the tone for almost all of the scenes. The shower scene, in which Marion is fatally stabbed, would be no where near as effective without its shocking music. The scene is cut so quickly that the brain takes over from the eyes, which cannot keep up. The audience then “perceives” various things – the knife entering the flesh or a bare breast, but neither are shown. Another of Hitchcock's clever techniques has us amazed and shocked – although technically he himself is blameless. Before the film was released, it was refused on the grounds of ‘Visible Nudity’, in the shower scene. Hitchcock soon resubmitted the film having made no amendments, and it passed. The music as this scene shows sets the speed of the action. Without a fast moving pace, this scene would be absolutely ineffective, as the eyes would see what is actually shown, with no room for interpretation by the brain, as was designed.
Music is also key to the film due to its ability to build up expectations within the audience, and create huge amounts of tension and suspense; the key to ‘Psycho’ as a whole.
Another example of non-diegetic sound, sound that does not come from or belong in the film world we are witnessing, is Hitchcock’s use of voice-over. For instance, as Marion drives away with the money she has stolen, she imagines conversations between those she has left behind, and their reactions to her misdemeanours. Hitchcock also uses contrapuntal sound to great avail. That is, sound which does not compliment the image we see. Whilst the on screen image is a long shot of the house behind the motel, we can hear Norman and his mother conversing in an upstairs room. This is a stroke of genius on the part of Alfred Hitchcock, because it leaves us convinced that Mrs. Bates is real, and alive – she must be, we have heard her!
Hitchcock is a master of cinematography, and he innovates throughout the film, using vast number of camera angles to great effect, to convey different ideas. When a character is shown to be guilty or suspicious, they often have shadows around or on them, the reverse also applies; purity is reflected in innocent characters because they are well lit.
As Lila enters the fruit cellar located under the house behind the motel, the room is only very dimly lit. There is however, enough light to be able to see the following chain of events, and to create the necessary shadows to give it the eerie, spooky feel desired. Again a high angle shot is utilised to emphasise Lila’s vulnerability.
Also, the shower scene is particularly effective, due to Hitchcock’s skilled use of over seventy different camera angles. Although with out the music the scene would be ineffective, without the numerous images it would be nothing. Each cut of the film gives us another angle, another viewpoint, to try and piece things together from. Each cut represented another stab, another slash of the cruel knife. The huge number of separate shots and the vast variety of angles is all too much for the eyes and the brain to take in, so it begins to see more of what it thinks it can see rather than what it actually does. This forces the audience to rely heavily on their imagination.
As director, Hitchcock also carefully considered the Mise-en-scene of the shots in the Film. The second murder that takes place, is that of Arbogast, the private investigator, when he ascends the stairs in the house behind the motel. The customary strings add to our astonishment as his assassin, shown from a low angle shot to appear threatening, ambushes him. He is stabbed, once, twice, before he falls to his death down the stairs from whence he came. The wall and the handrail of the stairs frame the shot, and Arbogast is tracked, as he falls to his death. In reality a small track was constructed on the stairs, and the camera, as well as the actor, were placed on a platform which rapidly descended the track. Arbogast simply had to lean backwards and wave his arms. This is one of the very few shots in the film, which is not entirely believable, although this was part of the desired effect of the scene.
Hitchcock also throws in some interesting motifs for the audience to consider – the cunning use of mirrors, and the shadowy, low angled shot of Norman’s threatening stuffed birds. Several features are repeated, for the viewer to pick up. Bates chews ‘candy’ when he is nervous; the figure ‘forty thousand dollars’ is repeated on a number of occasions, although in then end it has little effect on the outcome of the story. This is the red herring of the film or the “McGuffin”, a common characteristic of Hitchcock’s work.
The effect on the film of its black and white nature is great; and Hitchcock exploits every single shadow to the full. The atmosphere of the film is built upon suspicion and suspense, directed by the lighting in any particular scene.
Characterisation is another key feature around which the atmosphere of the film is built, and they way in which Hitchcock manipulates our sympathies as an audience. Although we later find that Norman is a serial killer, he is portrayed to be genuine, even weak at some stages, due to his unfortunate stutter. We are even convinced of the well being of mother until the very end, by clever use of voice over. The whole plot keeps us guessing, so when the final shot of Norman under guard at the police station – talking as though it were mother – morphs into Mrs. Bates preserved skull, it is even more startling.
Dramatic irony is also interestingly entwined with the plot. On many occasions characters unknowingly comment on the situation in a very unfortunate style. The traffic cop suggests Marion should spend the night at a motel ‘to be safe’ when in fact she is murdered there. Norman counters that ‘a boy’s best friend is his mother’ when Marion inquires about his social life – or apparent lack thereof. Although this can not be fully appreciated by the audience at the time when it is heard, with the power of hindsight it is possible to see the significance of each individual comment. Having come away from viewing the film shocked and harassed, a viewer then contemplates what they have witnessed, and has time to fit all the pieces together. This adds to the experience, and to our appreciation of the play as a whole.
Personally I am inclined to agree with aforementioned title attributed to Alfred Hitchcock, as I truly believe he is the master of suspense. No one could have constructed a film so complete in every aspect that it was more than a story – rather an experience. An experience to shock, to provoke, to question even the basic morals and reality of human society. ‘Psycho’ is as relevant to day as ever, and has retained the power it had over its audience the very first time it was viewed.
