Film Review: Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960) is the ultimate classic slasher/thriller, that tells a twisted story of madness about a young man suffering from dissociative identity disorder. Norman Bates who is played by Anthony Perkins runs a motel off the highway, and is a self-unaware murderer. Norman's character is loosely based off Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein, who suffered from chronic schizophrenia. 

Before even encountering Norman or discovering the Bates Motel, the initial focus of attention is on Marion Crane. (Janet Leigh) Her character steals $40,000 from her boss at work, who she's worked with for over 10 years. She does this for the sake of her financially struggling boyfriend Sam Loomis (John Gavin) who is unaware of her mischievous crime. Once sneakily leaving with the large amount of cash, she drives her car away relentlessly with overwhelming paranoia. Suspense is formed excitingly from early on, with close ups of her driving with the intense music, that suddenly begins every time she puts her foot on the pedal to continue driving after she has stopped. Considering there is not so much a hot trail she is leading, but only minor suspicion from folks that she passes on the way, the amplifying music allying the close up shots of her driving endlessly, really accentuate the tension. After her panic-fueled journey fleeing from Phoenix, Arizona, Marion finally stumbles upon the Bates Motel. 

Figure. 1. Psycho film poster.

It is very shortly after her arrival, that the story shifts and Norman's character derives the spotlight's focus, after Marion is suddenly murdered my him. Hitchcock causes the audience to spontaneously direct their sympathy and interest, towards the undisputed likable character of Norman Bates. After the alluring introduction of Norman's mysterious and eccentric charm that comes with his noticeably odd personality, it is difficult not to admire his conspicuous character. It's incredibly bizarre how Hitchcock can make an audience care about a merciless killer, and in some cases perhaps even root for him. On the other hand, Marion is introduced as a thief, so it's safe to say that neither of them are exactly innocent in the story. Although Norman might be seen as a monster, it could be defended that he is innocent to a large extent, as he wasn't even aware he was the one committing these murders. In a way he is the biggest victim in the story, as he is the victim to his mental illness, and his mother's obsessiveness. Marion chose to commit the crime of stealing money, whereas Norman was not in control of anything he was doing while blacked out. This is why viewers feel remorse for him, this is why his fate becomes a thing that they genuinely care for.

If the story behind Psycho is something you're unfamiliar with, Norman suffers from blackouts. During these unconscious episodes, another personality seizes control of Norman's mind and everything that he does. This of course, is the personality of his dead mother. Norman and his mother had an extremely close relationship, which ultimately barricaded Norman from contact and relationship building with females, as the only lady allowed to be in Norman's life was his protective mother. Even years after Norman kills his mother along with her lover in a fit of jealously, he is convinced she is still alive and hides her inside their eerie house beside the motel. It is her dug up corpse that lives in the house with him, while he takes up the roles of both himself and his mother, whom he cannot bare to live without. So even once she is long gone, his perception of her lives on forcefully inside of him, making him kill females that he thinks his mother would worry about. In the film, Norman continuously describes her as "sick," which is why no visitors are allowed to speak to her. The twisted part is that he isn't hiding her because he knows she is a decomposing body, but he's hiding her because he believes she faked her death in order to lay low and for them to remain together always. His mother, Norma must stay in the house to avoid detection, in Norman's perception of the truth. Once knowing this dark story, watching Psycho becomes a much more chilling and understandable experience, from the moment that his complex character is introduced.

The young man's dangerous side becomes more than clear in one of the most famous and well known scenes ever made. This of course, is the shower scene in which he massacres a defenseless Marion while she showers in her room at his motel. Hitchcock makes this story escalate rapidly in the film from this scene, unleashing Norman's inner monster to everyone's screen, which leaves a powerful mark on the remainder of the film's atmosphere from this point on. Considering the film is introduced with the female protagonist stealing money, you're set to presume the only real risk of danger is her getting caught and going to prison. Instead, the compelling antagonist simply steps in and overtly capsizes her whole world, as if the film has entered his unknown territory and he has now taken full advantage of it. 

Figure. 2. Psycho shower scene still.

The shower scene is the first point where Marion seems a bit more relaxed, as if she has finally gotten away and she can unwind from all of her worry. In this out of sight motel, she begins to feel safe and that the eyes are now off of her... Unfortunately she is mistaken. Hitchcock is known for his suspenseful craft, specifically putting a "bomb under the table." In this case, Marion is showering with the curtain covering her. She is unaware of the murderer outside of the bathroom, whereas the viewers are given this information beforehand. A shot that suggests what you're seeing is through the murderers eyes, leads you from the bedroom into the bathroom, slowly creeping towards the oblivious Marion. Although Marion is the one about to die, Hitchcock doesn't leave the audience out when it comes to suffering. In an accumulation of shots, focusing back and fourth from Marion to the approaching killer, the tension is torturous. Just before the killer draws open the curtain and strikes, you can see a shot of Marion showering and the killer's blurred silhouette getting closer. There is a medium close up shot where the murderer raise the knife, but the contrast between the lit white bathroom walls and shadowy figure is strong, making it hard to see the killer's face. (See Fig.2) The only people you can really suspect of this are Norman or his mother, really it is Norman dressed as his mother (including a wig) while in a trance which makes him believe he is her. From the hair, (if you even get the chance to notice over the intensity of suspense) you can determine it isn't Norman's, as for the rest of the figure it is difficult to make out. For those new to the story, they might be left to believe that it is in fact Norman's mother on the other side of the curtain. Hitchcock's choice to do this evokes even more confusion and unawareness, which ultimately builds up the suspense of Norman's secret, delaying the inevitable burst of truth. 

The shower scene took 7 days to film and Hitchcock had 78 shot set-ups along with 52 edits. These shots jump quickly back and fourth from Norman and Marion, even including close ups of the knife being pulled back and being lunged towards its victim. During these cuts the knife is slashed again and again, without hesitation or pause. The amount of camera cuts and their frequency of shifting is so overwhelming, to the point that it is almost impossible not to feel attacked by what you're seeing on screen. "The sequence used jump cuts to intensify its shock value. A shot of Norman's kitchen knife pulling away from Marion's midriff was reversed so that it looks as if the knife is about to pierce her." (Fuller, 2017) Edits like this are perhaps one of the reasons as to why the scene is so well known, as for its time it was something special, being beautifully mastered by Hitchcock. "At no moment do we actually see the knife penetrate Marion's skin. We do all the hard work for Hitchcock here." (Wilkes, 2017) In the 7 days that this one scene took to film, the superlative director made sure to perfect it. The fact that the knife isn't seen once penetrating Marion's skin, yet the audience is compelled to believe they're witnessing a violent murder, just shows how cleverly thought out this combination of essential shots were, in order to convey the believable scene. 

Another key element of the nail biting shower scene comes down to the outstanding sound design. Throughout the entire film Hitchcock nails the sound excellently, and in the shower scene it compliments the camera cuts exceedingly. The highly famous and appreciated musical score by Bernard Hermmann is amplified in this scene, belching a high pitched piece that in itself is genuinely horrifying. The score creates an intense sense of extreme stress and overwhelming savagery, that is repetitive and merciless. There is something about the way it sounds that will definitely unsettle your nerves, and makes the pain endured by Marion seem unbearably unimaginable. It is screechy and prominent above all the other sound, and it elevates immediately as the shower curtain is drawn, instead of letting it ease in first. The score was created by violins. "All the way through this score the orchestra plays with the mutes on, apart from that one scene in the shower where those strings are hit as hard and as high as you can, and that's what gives that incredible shrieking sound." (Guru) There's something quite edgy about using a traditional and conventional instrument, in a radical and considerably incorrect way. This Avant-Garde method plays out perfectly, with its result of making the scene more sinister and unearthly. Although the music in this scene is hugely responsible for making it the success that it is, the mood is also boosted by the sound effects of the deadly blade plunging in and out of Marion's body with the continuously vacant spraying of the shower's water. "To create the sound effect of the knife stabbing flesh, Hitchcock sent prop man Bob Bone out to fetch a variety of melons. The director then closes his eyes as Bone took turns stabbing watermelons, casabas, cantaloupes and honeydews." (Susman, 2015) Ultimately, Hitchcock's experimentation with sound led the scene to become one of the most popular in history. The combination of the music's high pitched strikes and stabbing noises, forge a glorious result. Furthermore, the fact that the shrieks of the violins and punctures of the flesh aren't in sync, (when they potentially could have been) releases a much more disorderly and chaotic output than it would if they were in sync. 

There is no doubt that Norman's madness is unpredictable, especially as it is not fully revealed until the end of the film. With the knowledge regarding his illness and split personality with his mother, looking back at the film shares subtle suggestions that he is unstable. His twitchy and bouncy personally seems slightly off, and the way in which he first describes his mother suggests an unnatural bond between them. Once Norman kills Marion, he discovers her body as if he is oblivious to her gory death. This indicates that either he isn't the murderer, or for some reason he has forgotten that he killed her. The fact he seems to be hiding his mother away from everyone raises enough suspicion, so even from early on it's easy to notice that something isn't right. As for all of the taxidermy animals that are stationed around the motel interior, they hint at more than just an antisocial hobby that Norman possesses. They are stuffed lifeless animals, that surround Norman every single day, while the excessive amount seem to please him as opposed to bother him. These animals have something in common with Norman's mother, they are both dead and kept indoors for Norman's needs. It seems more likely that Norman has all of this taxidermy surrounding him to keep him from feeling lonely, than him keeping them as mementos or trophies. It's very likely that like his mother, he believes they are alive, or that they resemble some form of life, even in that state. Also, a lot of the taxidermy animals in the office are birds, which can be associated with women. This is sensibly convenient to an extent, as Norman is brainwashed by the perception of his mother to kill women, especially those more beautiful and sexual, who are taken as a threat by Norman's mother, Norma. Norman and Marion even have a conversation, during which he tells her that she eats like a bird. 

Figure. 3. Psycho film still of Norman peeping.

Going back to the shower scene, where the killer is unrecognizable to the camera at that time, it implies the blurriness and state of delirium that confines Norman in these blackouts. The reason you don't know who it is, is probably because Norman doesn't know who it is. It creates a void of confusion and spiraling anxiety, keeping it unclear from the audience this early on. The scene where Norman peeks through the whole to spy on Marion, (See Fig. 3) creates suspense purely because it embraces a dark side of Norman sharing his perverted curiosity on screen. The extreme close up shot of his eye looking through is interesting though too, as it also resembles elements of his mind. The fact that this shot is completely dark and the only source of light is directing Norman towards this lady, suggests deep down subconsciously the twisted side of him is marking the target, stalking his prey like a predator beneath the surface. All that is lit up and visible is this woman, which is all this darker version of Norman cares for. There is that vague mystery that Hitchcock portrays through Norman's character, before you can fully discover his backstory and psychological issues. Saying this, he has placed elements into the film to subtly hint at the madness lying beneath the surface. Marion's encounter with the motel leaves her glancing up at the lit up sign. It reads "Bates Motel, Vacancy." The word "Vacancy" could perhaps be a sign about Norman's head that is presented. The fact he has these experiences where he isn't there and isn't in control, very well presents his mind as vacant. The word mirrors Norman's psychotic mind which is horrifically unnerving. 

The film is forcefully gripping, and will catch you off guard when it shifts into the dark and disturbing world of Norman Bates. Psycho is an unmissable classic that will always be remembered and placed on one of the highest pedestals, being an enthralling experience definitely worth undergoing. 

Illustration List

Figure. 1. Almatrook A, Psycho film poster. http://movieboozer.com/movie-review/psycho-1960/attachment/pyscho-movie-poster (Accessed 27/01/18)

Figure. 2. Wilkes T, Psycho shower scene. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.methodsunsound.com/dissecting-the-psycho-shower-scene-hitchcocks-greatest-shock/amp/ (Accessed 27/01/18)

Figure. 3. FilmGrabber, Psycho film still of Norman peeking. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/film-grab.com/2012/12/28/psycho/amp/ (Accessed 27/01/18) 

Bibliography

Fuller G. (2017) https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/articles/a-troubling-documentary-about-the-psycho-shower-scene/ (Accessed 27/01/18) 

Guru. http://guru.bafta.org/behind-mask-music-psycho (Accessed 27/01/18)

Susman. (2015) https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.moviefone.com/2015/06/16/psycho-25-things-you-didnt-know/amp/ (Accessed 27/01/18)

Wilkes T. (2017) https://www.google.co.uk/amp/www.methodsunsound.com/dissecting-the-psycho-shower-scene-hitchcocks-greatest-shock/amp/ (Accessed 27/01/18)