An Analysis of How Hitchcock Uses Various Techniques to Create Suspense.

        Hitchcock was known as “the master of suspense” due to his use of masterful use of suspense in his films. One of his most famous techniques was to film the same scene from different camera angles. Hitchcock used a wide range of camera angles, but his most effective was his use of aerial shots. In Psycho, this not only stopped us seeing the characters emotions, but this added to the suspense of us not knowing what happens next because we aren’t used to seeing things from above. He used aerial shots to show Norman Bates take his mother into the fruit cellar. This creates suspense as we think that there is actually a mother as we are shown the skeleton of a dressed woman. This makes us think that Norman Bates’ mother did actually kill Marion.  Another good place where aerial shots have been used are when the detective is getting killed by the “mother” , Hitchcock decides to not show us the mother from the face as he wants to build up the suspense leading to the  shock we experience later on in the film.

Hitchcock is also known to be a cubist director, this is using the camera to stay in one position but rotating it to show that we are standing in the room where the camera is. Hitchcock makes use of this technique all the time in Rear Window, he does this to show us that we also cannot move because of Jeffery’s broken leg, he is helpless and cannot get out of the room. This also adds to the suspense. This can be seen when we see Lisa going into the salesman apartment and he yells to her to get out. Cubism also builds up suspense and makes us question the characters’ movements. When we see the salesman go through his wife’s purse for the second time, we cannot see what happens behind the pillar, he may be throwing things away or may be getting something out of a cupboard, this is what makes us think “what was that all about?”

Hitchcock also uses a lot of lighting to create suspense and angst. In Psycho lighting is used when Marion is writing her name on the register, the lighting gives the reception a homely feeling and make the viewer think that she is safe although she is not.

Hitchcock uses lighting to create suspense in Rear Window he does this so that we think “what will happen now”. When the murderer is in Jeffery’s room the lighting focuses on the murderers eyes to show the demonic and questioning look in them. Then all of a sudden the light is off and then short pulsating beams of light are flashed at the murderers face to blind him, we are then shown a quick flash of red and orange showing that the murderer has been stunned. Hitchcock uses the lights fading in and out to show that the murderer has been temporarily blinded. This makes us think “somebody hurry. He’s going to kill Jeffery!” and adds to the suspense.

In Psycho the weather often reflects Marion’s mood, this is pathetic fallacy, when Marion is driving near Bates motel the rain is heavy and there is a storm brewing, this shows her mood of not knowing where to turn, and bombardment of thought.  The soundtrack also shows the characters mood. When Marion is in the shower she is about to get stabbed, the music is creeping; getting slightly louder every second and then the stab of the knives sound like a piercing noise. The rhythmic stabbing noises show the “mothers” rage, the “mothers” mood is shown by the piercing stabbing sounds as if the “mother” is also shrieking with Marion. Hitchcock also makes the actors talk at a very low volume so that we have to listen with great attention, making sure that all is silent.

In Rear Window, a musician happens to live across the garden providing the neighbourhood with music; this is where we hear the soundtrack for Rear Window Hitchcock does this to show there is no way the music can be changed. When the dog has been killed, the lady screams, there is jazz music playing in the musician’s apartment, when the lady comes to the window she gives a speech about the neighbourhood and says they don’t know each other well, the jazz music playing proves the lady right. The statement “don’t know each other well” from the crying lady, can also be said when Lisa screams Jeffery’s name, and the murderer doesn’t even look. This builds the suspense by making us think “oh no he’s going be caught too!” The suspense also builds when Lisa points to the wedding ring on her finger and the murderer looks straight at the camera making us think he is looking at us.

A contemporary audience would find Psycho, boring as the movie starts of very slowly, but once you are watching the movie with interest you don’t want to get off your seat. I believe that Hitchcock concentrates more on the suspense than the climax; he is in no hurry to finish a film, he would rather direct a long movie rather than a good climax with no suspense or storyline. I say this because Hitchcock has very good storylines for the films that have been analysed but does not have a very good climax.

I think that today many people would lose interest in Rear Window as it also has a slow storyline and is very long, the one good thing about this film is that it is in colour. The storyline had too much talk but this is what built up the suspense, we gained knowledge about the characters. Another bad thing was that we never saw what happened with the salesman; all we knew was that he was arrested.

I believe that Hitchcock uses a slow story line to make you listen and get a good grasp of the characters’ personality.

Many directors today borrow his techniques to make their films look better, a slow storyline was used in Titanic, which built up our understanding of the characters the soundtracks are jolly at fun times, whereas when the titanic sinks we hear mournful music. Had Hitchcock made his storylines a little faster people would love his films and they would all be famous.

This proves that Hitchcock’s techniques equals suspense, this is because they, the techniques, are used in very many horror films today. Hitchcock is to be placed near one of the top directors of the millennium.