To Whom It May Concern:
In 1960, the release of a new psychological thriller, caused a sensation that’s influence is still apparent in modern day cinema. Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece, Psycho, ushered in a new era of violence and provocative sexual explicitness, setting it apart from the fear of the supernatural that audiences had become accustomed by the 1900s. Initially rejected by Paramount who refused to provide the assistance for this outrageous dream, Universal Studios provided Hitchcock with an empty backlot and a part time TV crew. Under the constraints of a tight budged, Hitchcock opted to use young fast-rising actors with the exception of Janet Leigh, who Hitchcock knew would shock the audience when killed within the first 45 minutes of the film. In turn, Hitchcock’s innovative incorporation of sound, suspense and foreshadowing gives sound reasoning as to why Psycho should be in cinema’s hall of fame as it was critical in creating the scaffolding for which modern psychological thrillers now use within modern masterpieces.
A majority of the thrilling effect that Psycho creates, can be accredited to the pioneering use of the musical scores, created by strings alone. Perhaps one of the most iconic scenes in cinematic history is includes Psycho’s ‘shower scene’, whereby Marion Crane is brutally murdered by erratic serial killer, Norman Bates. Here, Hitchcock’s use of musical non-diegetic sound creates a sense of unease and discomfort as the screech of the strings provided him with a vast range of dry minor tones, now commonly associated to problematic situations. An additional scene whereby Hitchcock utilises non-diegetic sound, is when Marion Crane is fleeing her previous life with $40,000 in cash, whereby she hears voices of doubt in her head warning her about the possibility of danger. This is used to summate all relevant feeling in which can be used to further set up the fore coming sense, communicating the link between the filmmaker and its viewer. In unison, Hitchcock’s incorporation of diegetic sound, seconds prior to the murder, provides the audience a false sense of security as the running water from the shower often symbolises refuge in that many find a shower a private and systematic procedure carried out through most days of one’s life. Furthermore within this scene, the diegetic sound of Marion being stabbed, offers a realistic appreciation of a genuine stabbing, allowing the audience to recount what would normally be classed as an horrific event. Holistically therefore, Hitchcock’s innovative utilisation of sound creates depth to particular scenes, and enhances the audiences fear and apprehension throughout the entirety of the film.
Known as the ‘master of suspense’, Hitchcock’s use of lighting and editing enable him to mislead his audience, disguising the plot until the conclusion of the film. Prevalent examples of this, surround the parlour scene, whereby Marion and Norman are seen talking in private beneath a stuffed owl. Here, Hitchcock’s clever use of lighting allows Marion’s face to be fully immersed in light, whilst Norman’s face is only partially lit, creating an obvious contrast between the two sides. This is significantly symbolic of Normans split personality, with the light side representing his genuine innocence, whist the other, his mother’s overshadowing evil personality. Moreover, Hitchcock also uses lighting to conceal the identity of the killer in the shower scene. With significant background lighting, accompanied by little to no key lighting, Hitchcock is able to create a shadow over the killers’ face even with a closeup shot being used. Furthermore, Hitchcock’s use of abrupt and rapid editing sequences reveals to the audience distinct differences in cinematographic qualities. In the sequence where Arbogast is stabbed to death, Hitchcock incorporates the editing of two abruptly different shots, to allow the audience the ability to recognise the juxtaposing mise-en-scenes the first show the detail of the stabbing, before comparing it to the result of Arbogast falling down the stairwell. In conjunction, the editing of 78 shots used within one shower scene, allows Hitchcock to increase suspense by speeding up the perceived rate in which the stabbing occurs within, through rapid variances within one motion. Therefore, through Hitchcock’s various use of lighting and editing, he was capable of controlling the speed of each scene, revealing to the audience what he wanted, when he wanted, revolutionising the process by which modern day directors enhance the thrill of a film.
A further reason as to why Hitchcock’s Psycho should be nominated for cinemas hall of fame is due to it subtle use of foreshadowing that Hitchcock uses to predict the future scenes of the film. Hitchcock’s frequent use of visual and dialog cues allow the audience to subconsciously determine future events that may occur throughout the film. The first example of visual cues, include the use of a first person closeup on the windshield of Marion’s car, as she endeavours to escape from her previous life, now arriving at the Bates Motel. This closeup, reveals slash marks created on windscreen after Marion attempts to clear her vision with the windscreen wipers, foreshadowing the eventual slashing she receives leading to her death at the Bates Motel. Furthermore, an additional visual cue that can be seen to foreshadow the death and maintenance of Normans mother, comes when both Marion and Norman are discussing his mother’s perceived abuse. As mention of the mother begins, the camera pans from an eye level close up, to a low angle close up, revealing a stuffed bird sitting above Norman. This is a clear symbolic representation of the mummification that Norman has not only conducted on the birds, but also his mother, in accordance to the high angle of the bird, suggesting the power his dead mother still has over him. Likewise, the dialogue introduced by Hitchcock, such as when Norman states “we all go a little mad sometimes”, shrewdly suggests that Norman attempts to convince himself that his mental issue is controlled, clearly prompting the audience to begin questioning the reliability of this antagonist. Thus, the simultaneous use of both visual ques and dialogue, enabled Hitchcock the ability to subconsciously prepare the audience for upcoming abnormalities, through the incorporation of features that can be closely associated to an emotion in which Hitchcock wants to be felt.
Slashing conformalities of the time, Hitchcock’s Psycho revolutionised the way cinematography is conducted today. Used to dramatically enhance its psychological thrilling effect, Hitchcock proved to be most effective in a creating timeless masterpiece that is still well recognised amongst later generations. Therefore, due to the influence Psycho has had on the modern cinema, it should be an immutable inclusion into cinema’s hall of fame.