alfred hitchcock’s: psycho kristina franklin & carter emory
TRANSCRIPT
Alfred Hitchcock’s:
Psycho
Kristina Franklin & Carter
Emory
Introduction/Background
• Released in 1960, Alfred Hitchcock’s
Psycho is well renowned as one of
the most notable and suspenseful
horror films in film history.
• The overall production took a mere
30 days.
Style/Composition:
• Within Hitchcock’s film team, Saul
Bass simply perfected the title
sequence using line swipes and
jagged lettering (seen in next slide)
• Above shows multiple examples of Saul’s opening sequence.• The idea of the rough lines, or the swipes is to give in the sense
of stress, mystery, and horror.• Is also personified almost perfectly with the orchestra music of
Bernard Herman. The two combined creates an atmosphere of shock and terror.
Opening Scene
Style/Composition:
• We are later presented with excellent
angular shots that are rather
unusual, yet powerful to the eye
when action takes place.
Style/Composition:
• Great source of lighting and shadow fixtures.• Camera is angled to give you the overview perspective.• The music timing and speed when Bates enters the shot shocks the
audience perfectly.
Marion’s reoccurring follower:
• Within the first moments after Marion
steals the $40,000, we are presented
with music from the title, and forced
to constantly guess who the killer is
prior to reaching the Bates Motel.
Marion’s suspects:• Highway Patrolman
• Audience members are left suspicious (as well as Marion) with the police as the killer (before the Bates Motel).
• We only presume he is the killer in the beginning because he leaves her, but then comes back to follow her.
Marion’s Occurring:• Thinking about the sequence with
the patrolman, what is especially
unusual on how he is presented to
us?
• If you can recall where was the
“watching” or “following” reused in
the film?
Taxidermy Shock:
• The biggest clue that gave away
Bates being the possible killer before
the murder was the shot focusing on
him in his study room, with his hobby
of taxidermy birds on the walls.
Taxidermy Shock:• Angle of the shot gives Bates a
sinister vibe.• The lighting and shadows played
a factor in the sense of him being the psycho.
Taxidermy Shock:
• What is, or are, the significance(s) of
Norman’s fascination with stuffed birds
and his hobby of taxidermy?
• Before the murder took place, were
their any certain “ticks” or “habits” that
stood out to Norman Bates’s character?
Soundtrack:
• Composed by Bernard Herman, the movie
stylized specifically around the frightening, eerie
atmosphere, and the sense of unease or hectic
theme.
• In other words, the soundtrack made the viewer
feel tension throughout the film, no matter what
scene it was, because the music still gave a
feeling of unrest or foreshadowing.
Soundtrack:
• Here, we will play the shower scene from the
movie so you have a clear example of the
distraught and tension of this scene (questions as
well!). However, the video will then play the scene
with not music, so you can get an idea of how
important and how much the soundtrack impacted
the movie for scenes like this:
• Video: Psycho: Shower Scene
Soundtrack:
• As you can tell, this movie heavily relied on
music to keep the blood running in our
veins, and sweat running down our backs.
• If it was your first time seeing this scene,
was it shocking to you? Why/why not?
• How did the music play and editing effect
the sense of terror in the shower sequence?
Discussion Time!• Were there certain shots that made you extremely
uncomfortable? If so, what scene and why?
• Comparing this movie to a modern genre of “Horror”,
what distinct points holds this one higher on the
scale (or if not, lower on the scale)?
• What scene(s) most portrayed foreshadow for an
upcoming event? What made it so compelling?
No Texting in class during discussion time!
THANK YOU!
AND REMEMBER!“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”
~ Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins)