Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) is a cinematic masterpiece that continues to captivate audiences with its unparalleled suspense, intricate storytelling, and thought-provoking themes. Beyond its chilling narrative, the film's artful use of various film elements and its reflection of the cultural context of the time contribute to its enduring impact on the world of cinema.
Mise en Scene in Psycho:
Visual Storytelling: Hitchcock's visual mastery is evident throughout Psycho, with his meticulous attention to detail heightening the film's suspense. The famous shower scene is a prime example of this technique, utilizing rapid editing, haunting music, and carefully framed shots to create an intense and shocking sequence.
Sound Design: Bernard Herrmann's iconic score plays a pivotal role in shaping the film's atmosphere. The screeching violins during intense moments and the eerie silence during quieter scenes contribute to the audience's emotional experience and build tension.
Cinematography and Camera Angles: The film's use of camera angles and perspectives adds to its psychological impact. The "Dutch angle" shots, such as during the murder of Marion Crane, create a disorienting and unsettling effect that mirrors the characters' psychological states.
Cultural Context in Psycho:
Psycho was released at a time of shifting cultural norms and growing societal anxieties. In the late 1950s, the Cold War and the fear of nuclear conflict permeated global consciousness. Hitchcock tapped into this prevailing sense of unease, mirroring the public's fascination with abnormal psychology and the blurred lines between sanity and madness.
The film's portrayal of Marion Crane's theft of money and subsequent violent demise challenges traditional moral boundaries, reflecting the changing landscape of societal ethics. Additionally, the character of Norman Bates personifies the era's fear of hidden darkness beneath seemingly ordinary facades.
Discussion Questions:
- How does Alfred Hitchcock's use of visual storytelling techniques, such as editing and camera angles, enhance the film's suspense and psychological impact? Can you identify specific scenes where these techniques are particularly effective?
- In what ways does the character of Norman Bates embody the cultural anxieties of the time? How does his duality reflect the societal concerns surrounding identity and psychological instability during the late 1950s?
- Psycho's iconic shower scene is often regarded as one of the most memorable moments in cinematic history. What elements of the scene, including sound design, camera angles, and editing, contribute to its lasting impact? How does this scene epitomize Hitchcock's ability to evoke powerful emotions through visual storytelling?
- Lastly, Did you like the film? Why/Why Not?
1. Alfred Hitchcock’s use of visual storytelling techniques, such as editing and camera angles, enhances the film’s suspense and psychological impact. Around 17:38, Marion becomes paranoid about being followed by the police officer. The volume of the music is low and tense while she gathers the money to give the salesman for the car. As she drives away the music crescendos and a close-up shot of her face is utilized to show her emotion as the voices of her colleagues, the police officer, and the salesman can be heard. It can only be assumed that she hears them because, through the use of a close-up shot, a slight smirk can be seen to creep on her face. With this, there are also POV shots of the road ahead of her. The music seems to intensify when a character feels paranoid or when the lines between sanity and madness are becoming blurred.
ReplyDelete2. The character Norman Bates embodies the cultural anxieties of the time through his dual personality. The cultural anxieties are paranoia from the Cold War and nuclear conflict. Norman’s duality of character reflects the societal concerns surrounding identity and psychological instability during the late 1950s by representing the fear of enemy traitors within the U.S.
3. The sound design, camera angles, and editing techniques contribute to the lasting impact of Psycho’s iconic shower scene by epitomizing Hitchcock’s ability to evoke powerful emotions through visual storytelling. As a figure appears from behind the shower curtain it is silent until the curtain is pulled back. Then the shrill intense music crescendos with the sounds of Marion screaming. As this occurs there are cuts between POV shots of the killer from Marion’s perspective to that of the killer’s because then Marion is seen screaming with only the hand of the killer seen stabbing her. The suspense and different music from the rest of the film help evoke emotion and make the scene memorable to the audience.
4. I liked the film because I enjoyed watching the story progress with the blurred lines between sanity and insanity.
1. Alfred Hitchock was a master at using the visuals as a storytelling technique to bolster the suspense and psychological impact in his hit movie “Psycho”. One example of this is from his editing where he uses quick cuts and montages. These techniques create tension and disorient the audience thoroughly. An example of this is from the famous shower scene that everyone has seen. The scene has rapid editing which creates a sense of chaos, and instills a fear in the audience (though more for the audience at that time, not so for the audience nowadays). This helps to amplify the shock value of the events happening on screen, and it makes the audience feel like they are in the scene; you see all the details from many different angles. The camera angles also are a crucial technique used to enhance the film’s suspense and psychological impact. It gives the audience a sense of being in the scene, and sometimes also makes the audience feel claustrophobic. An example of this is from the scene where Marion is driving to the Bates Motel. This scene has low-angle shots of the car, and the motel is shadowy in the distance which heightened the feeling of foreboding. Another example of this is when Norman Bates peeks through the google in the Motel at Marion getting into the shower. This puts the audience in the shoes and eyes of Norman. This really makes the audience feel uncomfortable and gross like they are the ones peeping on the woman.
ReplyDelete2. Norman Bates is a reflection of the cultural anxieties that were present and prevalent during the 1950s in America. This character embodies societal concerns around people like him, his identity, psychotic instability, and an erosion of the traditional values and ideals. In the 1950s, there was a lot of nervousness about psychological instability and others mental health / stability; Norman Bates’ character embodies those fears. His split personality of being both his mother and himself highlighted the fear of one not being able to fully control their own mind and psyche. There were also anxieties about gender roles and sexuality. His mother being an domineering presence conflicted his own feelings towards these girls and blurred the lines between love and unhealthy attachment in a very quick manner. This reflected a fear of boundaries being blurred in regards to sexuality and family structures. This era of the US also had advancements for the psychiatric and psychological institutions. So Norman Bates represents these fears as well; the consequences of repressing desires and delving too deeply into the human mind.
3. The shower scene in Psycho is very well known, maybe one of the most famous of all time. No matter who you ask, they have either seen this scene, seen a recreation / parody of it, or heard the music from the scene. So there has to be a reason for this. This would be Hitchcock’s ability to use visual storytelling in a very impactful and memorable way, especially in this scene. The sound design makes the scene stay in your brain. The sound is iconic and is something you couldn’t forget if you tried. The music mirrors the stabbing of the woman as well, so then it increases the audience's retention and also the shock value. The camera angles also help to increase the story telling of the scene. The camera angles and the editing make the scene seem a lot more brutal (not necessarily today, but very much so at the time it came out). Also, the water in the scene adds another layer of visual representation. The water / shower represent the cleansing that Marion is seeking. She is visually trying to become clean of the wrong doings and mistakes; her stealing the money and running away. But this is interrupted by Norman who kills her and spills blood everywhere. This adds a layer of irony that she is ultimately looking for cleansing, but dies in a very brutal and violent way instead.
4. Yes, I really liked the movie. While some of the acting and visuals were a little outdated, and it seemed a little silly at times, it was a good movie to watch. The plot was good despite its visual struggles at times, and the sound design + set design were really good. It’s also cool to see where the name Norman Bates comes from as I had heard it before but didn’t know what the media that he came from. Also, that shower scene was something that I don’t think I can forget just because of how significant it is, and how popular it is.
Delete1In Psyco, Alfred Hitchcock used many techniques in his editing and camera angles to create tension and to keep the audience in suspense. An example of this is in the famous shower scene. In this scene, the quick editing, close-up shots, and the use of very high-pitched music all go hand in hand to create a sense of suspense and fear. The fast cuts between the different angles and shots intimidate the feeling of danger and vulnerability so much so that it has a great impact on films now.
ReplyDelete2. Norman Bates embodies the cultural anxieties of that time in many ways. One of those ways is his split personality. His split personality signifies the unease society had felt about hidden motives and psychological complexities. His character also represents the fear of the unknown and the anxiety that something that seems normal could be dangerous.
3. The shower scene in this film is a very iconic moment in film history and was able to convey many emotions to the audience the way he does this is by using sound design, camera angles, and editing techniques. Alfred used sound by utilizing the screeching violin music to give a sense of urgency and terror. The high pitch noise gives the audience a sense of unease since it is not a usual sound. Camera angles were utilized to give a feeling of vulnerability and danger by using quick cuts and close-ups. The quick changes in camera angles make the audience feel disoriented and on edge. The editing used in this film was very fast-paced making it feel more chaotic and causing the audience to feel confused. An example of this is the shower scene where there were many quick cuts between close-ups of the knife and Marion’s face to build up that fear.
4.Yes, I did enjoy this movie. I was actually very intrigued the whole time and was unsure what was going to happen next. When I first started watching it I thought I would be bored as soon as I saw that it was black and white but it was actually very good.
1. Alfred Hitchcock's use of visual storytelling techniques, such as editing and camera angles, enhance the film's suspense. His editing techniques often involved rapid cuts and montages to build tension by manipulating the pacing and rhythm of the scenes, he could control the audience's emotions and anticipation. in "Psycho" during the infamous shower scene. The rapid cuts between the slashing knife, Marion Crane's terrified face, and the swirling water create a sense of uneasiness and panic, intensifying the suspense Which this scene was very effective with doing so. Another moment is the staircase scene where Marion Crane, is murdered. Hitchcock uses high and low camera angles to create a sense of vulnerability. As Marion goes up the staircase, the camera looks down on her, emphasizing her powerlessness and the impending danger. This technique heightens the suspense so the viewer can try and anticipates the confrontation at the top of the stairs.
ReplyDelete2. down-Norman Bates's character reflects the cultural anxieties surrounding sexuality and sexual repression in the post-war era. His Oedipal complex and the subsequent murder of Marion Crane in the infamous shower scene serve as a manifestation of psychosexual themes. Norman's inability to reconcile his desires with societal norms reflects the fear and repression surrounding sexuality during this period and Norman Bates's portrayal as a mentally unstable character taps into broader societal fears about mental illness and the potential for violence. Back in that time period there was a heightened awareness of psychological trauma and the potential for individuals to become unhinged. Norman's split personality and D.I.D represent these anxieties of back then One of the most potent cultural anxieties depicted through Norman Bates is the fear of the unknown and the hidden dangers. Throughout the film, Norman presents himself as polite and unassuming, masking his darker impulses. This portrayal reflects the societal fears about the inability to tell threats from seemingly ordinary individuals, heightening a sense of paranoia and distrust.
3. most memorable moments in Sound Design is The screeching violins which intensify the scene's tension and create a sense of impending danger. The sudden silence during the stabbing moments increases the shock value, as viewers are left to confront the brutality of the act without really wanting to look away. Now for the camera angles the close-up shots of the slashing knife, Marion Crane's terrified face, and the swirling water, witch is to intensify the audience's emotional response, drawing them into the chaos of the moment. In summary, the shower scene in "Psycho" epitomizes Hitchcock's ability to evoke powerful emotions through visual storytelling by integrating elements of sound design, camera angles, editing, it demonstrates his skill in manipulating cinematic techniques to immerse viewers in the psychological and emotional depths of his storytelling.
4. Yes, I did enjoy this movie thought I would be bored as soon as I saw that it was black and white but it wasn't bad at all 10/10mwould watch again
1. Hitchcock’s use of editing techniques like eye-line match and camera angles such as close-ups heightens the psychological impact of the film on the viewer by transporting the viewer into the mind of the characters. There are myriad scenes where Hitchcock uses such techniques. One scene like that is when a cop has just questioned her, the cop lets her go but he knows something is wrong, and we the audience also know something is wrong (her having stolen all that money and run off), so when we see Marion’s concerned face as the camera is in medium close up, then quickly cutting to a POV shot of the rearview mirror, and then back again to Marion’s concerned face (eye-line editing to what the character is looking at); she is the child, constantly worried they will be found out after taking a cookie from the cookie jar that their Mom said not to. Due to the editing and camera work, the audience feels the tension she feels in the moment. A scene that mirrors the one I just said happens a little later in the film, only this time it is when she is driving at night and rain is pouring down, the audience feels the tension as we cut from yet again a Medium close-up to a POV shot of the road, feeling and seeing what she is in the moment worry. Because the shower scene is its own question I will forgo covering it here, but I feel the murder of the private detective (Arbogast) would be another good scene to discuss for camera angles and editing. Arbogast enters the house intending to speak to the mother, as he walks up the stares we get a high-angle tracking shot, then a cross and we get a ground-level shot of the door opening slowly careful not to show who is opening it, this sense of mystery and the audience understanding of the unsuspecting P.I. creates tension which culminates an overhead shot, used to show perspective, particularly Arbogast’s not noticing the murder and the murder rushing at him from the cracked door, then a cut-away to Arbogast falling down the stairs with a look of shock and pain in his recently stabbed face (a high-angle tracking shot of him falling down the stairs is observed). In conclusion, the use of camera angles such as the overhead shot and medium close-up, mixed with eye-line editing, cross-cutting, etc. enhanced the film to create a great sense of tension and suspense for the audience.
ReplyDelete2. Norman Bates embodies the misunderstanding of mental health at the time and people’s views on the threat of nuclear war. We see him put on a happy and charming face to others but not alone, alone he is scared, scared that what he fears may happen (for instance when he is jumpy while disposing of Marion’s body). This fear of what may happen is likely an allusion to public opinion on nuclear war. The late 50s was the height of the Cold War and people were scared that it might go hot, because they knew, at the press of a button the entire world could go up in flames. This weighed heavily on people and during a time when mental health wasn’t at the forefront of the mind, as it is today, with a lack of study and awareness, people struggled with conditions such as anxiety and depression but were left untreated, this coupled with the stigma around mental institutions (explored in this very film when Norman is talking with Marion about his mother) perpetuated a culture of ignoring mental health issues. Norman even says, “We all go a little mad sometimes,” brushing off madness as common. In conclusion, Norman’s duality highlights people ignoring their mental health and what was brought about by the threat of nuclear war.
3. For me what sells this scene is the camera work. There is an above-eye-level shot where Hitchcock masterfully uses depth of field to create a sense of suspense: Marion is in the foreground, but in the background, there is the outline of the door opening and a figure coming through it, but it is almost entirely blurred due to the shower curtain. Then the camera pushes in as the figure becomes clearer and right as that gut-wrenching music starts playing the shower curtain is pulled away and a shadowed figure who the audience thinks is the mother starts stabbing. And the action-based editing gets quick as we see various angles of Marion being stabbed. We see a cut from a close-up of her face to an extreme close-up of her mouth highlighting the scream, we see various stabbing motions and ultimately blood dripping down. They’re interlaced with high-angle shots of Marion getting stabbed and shots of blood dripping into the drain. This coupled with that now iconic music that mirrors Marion screaming shows Hitchcock’s ability to evoke powerful emotions. Those are the tension of the build-up, the immediate fright of the start, and the continued terror as we see Marion brutally murdered.
Delete4. I did like the film, the storytelling and direction were just spectacular, I also enjoyed that it opened in Phoenix, AZ. But for me the best part was the ending, learning about how the guy had two personalities, and the whole wouldn’t hurt a fly bit gave me chills.
Alfred Hitchock uses close shot camera angles to enhance the psycholgical impact. An example would be the shower scene when Marion is getting murdered, the close shot and the back and forth between Marion and her killer make the scene feel more intimate as if the audience is in the moment whether it be we are the ones killing Marion or the ones being stabbed. An example of the camera angle would be when Norman is watching the car drown slowly, its a low angle as if it were from the car making the audience feel just anticipated as Norman for the car to completely submerge into the water.
ReplyDeleteThe most memorable thing about the shower scene would be the sound design. The sound design is very high pitched, screetchy and fast paced going along with Marions screams. But when Marion dies the sound because deeper and the notes are dragged out longer, symbolizing Marions life depleting compared to the fast highpitched notes of when Marion was alive and scared.
Norman Bates embodies the cultural anxieties of the 1950’s like mental illness. During WW2 many men were discharged or not even drafted because of mental illness, and it was rapidly rising. Many people feared those with mental ilnesses and didnt understand it, people in the 1950s viewed it like psychosis and often paired it with violence, Norman embodies this as he is psychotic and rather violent because he killed Marion.
I did not like the film, personally it was too slow in the beginning and I was bored. I didnt find it interesting until Marion got to the hotel and met Norman, at that point I was invested in the story and wanted to see more, I felt the story getting slower again though after Norman talked to the detective and I didnt want to watch anymore.
1. Hitchcock uses editing and camera angles to enhance the film’s suspense and psychological impact. When Marion was trading her car in for another, there were constant cuts from her and the salesman to the police officer standing on the other side of the road with his car. Marion kept looking back and the cuts between the two became more consistent in the scene. This built suspense for the audience as it builds the anticipation of what the police officer does next and how Marion will respond. When in the Bates home, there are interesting camera angles used to enhance the psychological impact of the film. When Norman seemingly goes into his mother’s room to tell ehr to hide in the cellar, the audience is stuck listening from the outside. We can only her this dialouge and are stuck with an angle looking down on the hallway and stairs, an overhead shot. We then see Norman carry who we thought was his mother down the stairs. This odd angle raises questions about his relationship with his mother which we later find out about.
ReplyDelete2. Psychologists in the 1950s were concerned with people fitting in and those who deviated from the cultural norms. This connects to Norman Bates’ character and his dissacociateive identity disorder. Norman’s duality explores American society’s fear then regarding darkness hidden underneath us. When they’re talking in his parlor, Norman comments on this idea, saying that we all have inner prisons we’re fighting.
3. What I found most memorable from the shower scene was the music. Even though I never watched this film before, I immediately realized I’ve heard the iconic music before. I cresendoed and fell silent at just the right times. What I noticed was that the music tends to linger uncomfortably, it’s not just in the background. It reminded me a lot of Poor Things which I watched recently.
4. I liked the film! It was satisfying to see the plot unravel and to take note of all of Hitchcock’s film elements. I’d like to explore more of his films especially since he tends to be a popular topic in literature.
1. Alfred Hitchcock uses a variety of visual storytelling techniques to cue the audience in to the emotions of a scene, and to put the audience in the shoes of the characters. An example of this can be seen when Marion is looking out her window to see the house at the motel, and hears the argument between Norman and his mother. By this point in the film, we have no idea that Norman is pretending to be her, so the scene is able to raise tensions around Norman without giving away the plot twist. Another notable scene is the almost entirely silent sequence after the infamous shower scene where Norman sees the body and works to dispose of it. The slow, careful, and deliberate nature of Norman’s actions make the audience suspect that it hasn’t been the first time he has done this, but at the same time Norman looks anxious throughout the scene. The almost paradoxical nature of the sequence plants the seeds in the audience’s mind that there is a lot more to Norman than just killing for sport. This mystery and suspense would be lost on the viewer if this part of the film was omitted.
ReplyDelete2. Alfred uses the character of Norman Bates to challenge the cultural status quo and anxiety in 1950s Post-War America, most notably challenged ideas regarding sexuality, mental health, and power dynamics. Norman’s character touches upon gross and taboo topics that, even today, make the viewer cringe. Norman’s isolation living at the motel leads him to have no friends, outside of his “mother”. He was unable to create normal relationships with people around him, which creates his odd character. The power dynamic between him and “mother” is also weird for the time, seeing as it was rare for a feminine figure to have such control over a masculine one. One such facet of control “mother” has is over Norman’s, let’s call it “love life”. “Mother” stepping in and removing Marion from the equation out of jealousy and fear for her son reflects repressed sexuality many individuals were facing in America. Said repression came as a result of religious influence and societal norms, which extends into the fear of deviation. This leads neatly into the mental health aspect of Norman’s character. While it should be made clear Norman was an evil man who did unredeemable things, not highlighting the mental illness and psychology that led to such a thing is a disservice to the character as a whole. Norman having the deep disturbances that make him the way that he is use exaggeration to reflect the previously mentioned fear of deviation, as well as bring up the topic of mental illness as a whole. Topics regarding mental illness were taboo at the time, and by challenging the societal norm of not talking about it, Alfred opens the door to conversation in regard to all aspects of the topic.
3. The shower scene utilizes multiple moving parts in the sound department to make the first major release of tension in the film horrifying. Leading up to this moment, the sharp strings in the soundtrack were a sign to the audience that Marion is experiencing increased symptoms of anxiety, and the strings are let loose in the scene as the big “””payoff”””. Couple that with loud screams and the best stabbing sound effects the time had to offer, and even the blind can see that the scene is meant to be haunting. But the movie wasn’t exactly intended for the visually impaired, so Alfred had to work with the literal film as well for this scene. Rapid cuts are used to create distortion and disorient, overhead shots of Marion highlight her helplessness in the crisis, and close ups on the knife show what was SUPPOSED to be a really gruesome shot of someone being stabbed to death, but also serve as insert shots for the knife, as it is the only weapon “mother” uses. All the different aspects of the scene demonstrate Alfred’s ability to tap into the primal fears every human has deep within their psyche. Despite the comparatively goofy look of the scene by today’s standards, with all sorts of editing tricks that could’ve made the stabbings look real, the scene tickles your mind all the same.
Delete4. I liked the film, certainly more than I thought I would going into it. I remember being, and i say this lightly, pleasintly surprised at the ending with the scene of “mother” narrating, because I finally figured out where that scene came from. I don’t have much commentary on the movie because it is so old, and unlike 12 angry men, the story was more specific to its era. Where 12 angry men feels like a timeless masterpiece, Psycho feels like a masterclass for the time period. I have yet to add this movie to the tier list me and my dad have for the monthly films; but I’m guessing it will be either a low B or high A depending on how many points the movie scores for being ahead of its time.
1. Hitchcock definitely used different editing techniques and camera angles to his advantage to create a psychological impact. For example the reveal shot in the basement. Tension is being built as the audience is soon to discover Norman’s secret. Sam was questioning Norman while Lila was looking around in the house. Then she finally makes her way to the basement as she sees Norman frantically running to the house as the music intensifies. She walks into the basement with the “mother's ” back turn just to be revealed in a head shot that it's a skeleton. Norman holding a knife comes running in with a gown and a wig signifying it was really the mom that had taken over at this point. Another would be at the end when Norman is at the police station in the room. It starts out as a full body shot and slowly zooms in closer with eerie music as his mom has completely and totally taken over his thoughts. As she convinces herself that she's not dangerous she wouldn't even “harm a fly” AsNorman gives a sinister look to the camera leaving the audience to realize that Norman has truly lost his mind.
ReplyDelete2. Norman Bates embodies the cultural anxieties of identity and psychological instability. During the 1950s if someone had a mental illness they would go to a mental institution as that was the only solution to deal with that. During the scene where Marion and Norman were talking in the parlor of the hotel that was evident. Marion asks if it would be better to put Norman’s mom “some place” to which Norman quickly leans forward and asks if she's referring to an institution. “People always call a madhouse ‘some place'' He said there are laughing and tears and cruel eyes staring which would be no place for his mother because she's “harmless”. It can be argued that when Norman leaned forward it was his mom speaking and when he sat back it was him. Marion was just trying to help as she didn't mean to offend but psychologically instability was something serious and from the sounds of it would only harm a person's mental state even more than it already is.
3. There is a shallow focus on Marion in the shower due to the current blurring the figure in the background once the door opens. The person slowly walks closer to the shower then moves the shower curtain to the side. This cues the screeching violin that plays along with a close up of Marion screaming. The killer is unidentified as a shadow is casted over the entire front side but in the silhouette the audience can see a bun meaning a woman is behind the killing. There are rapid cuts going back and forth from the stabbing of the knife and body shots of Marion as she screams and struggles to get out. The killer walks out quickly then cuts to an extreme close up of her hand as she slides down the bathroom wall as she takes her final breaths reaching for the curtain tearing it off as she falls forward. With Hitchcocks brilliant camera angles and editing styles he manipulates the audience's emotions by building tension and unpredictability.
4. Yes, the film was interesting. I think it's crazy how much the film industry has evolved and how the beginning of horror movies came to be. Although the movie was interesting it was very predictable and jokingly I was like “he's the mom” and then for him to actually be the mom made it more enjoyable. 10/10 watch most definitely.
1. Alfred Hitchcock uses visual storytelling techniques such as camera angles and editing to enhance the films suspense and psychological impact in the science where Norman watches Marion change after dinner (44:19 - 45:32). As he take the thinks to himself and then takes the picture off the wall the camera is off to Norman’s side at a low angle making him look taller and bigger and paired with the backlighting it makes him appear as if he is an imposing threat. As Norman takes the picture off the wall, that reveals the whole that connects the office and Marion’s room, the music continues to slowly build and become more and more piercing invoking fear in the audience that Norman is not as normal as he seems. Hitchcock also uses a POV shot as he looks through the wall putting the audience in the position of his behavior making uses question his motives and why hes doing what hes doing. As he leaves the office the camera cuts to Norman walking back towards the darkness to his house with the eerie music still playing making the audience believes their something evil about Norman and hes not just a friendly motel owner.
ReplyDelete2. In the 1950s there was anxiety about mental illness and how mentally ill people, like soldiers returning from WW2, interacted with non mentally ill people. But there was also little understanding about people with mental illnesses. People believed that the mental ill should have just been trapped in institutions away from society. As Marion suggest Norman to do with his mother while they sit in the office and he refers to as a mad house and gets offended (the audience can believe that its really his mothers personality taking over) Norman directly embodies this anxiety of his personality disorder and the fact that at first he seemed harmless and Marion trusted him, but he ended up killing her.
3. Hitchcock’s ability to to evoke fear through sound design, camera angles and editing techniques contribute to its lasting impact and memorability. As Norman enters the bathroom the audience watches Marion shower at a high angle symbolizing her vulnerability. But unlike the scene where he watches her through the whole in he office no music plays as his shadow gets closer and closer. High pitched loud music then suddenly play as he pulls the shower curtain back, reflecting how Marion was unaware that he was in the bathroom and the fear she feels as he suddenly appears before her (as she screams)
4. I did like the movie, it was better than I thought it would be. I like the visual techniques Hitchcock uses and I believe that's what made me like it and what held my attention.