Alfred Hitchcocks Psycho :: Film Films Movie Movies Psycho Essays

Alfred Hitchcocks PsychoAlfred Hitchcocks Psycho has been commended for forming thearchetypical basis of all iniquity films that followed its 1960 release. The massappeal that Psycho has maintained for over three decades set up undoubtedly beattributed to its universality. In Psycho, Hitchcock allows the reference tobecome a congenital character within the plot to enhance the filmspsychological effects for an audience that is forced to recognise its ownneurosis and psychological inadequacies as it is compelled to identify, for alter lengths of time, with the contrasting personalities of the films maincharacters. Hitchcock conveys an intensifying theme in Psycho, that bases itselfon the sodding(a) subconscious battle between good and evil that exists inevery bingle through and through the audiences subjective participation and implicit characterparallels.Psycho begins with a idea of a city that is arbitrarily identified alongwith an exact come across and time. The camera, seem ingly at random, chooses first oneof the many buildings and then one of the many windows to explore before theaudience is introduced to Marion and Sam. Hitchcocks use of random option clears a sense of normalcy for the audience. The fact that the city and roomwere arbitrarily identified impresses upon the audience that their own livescould randomly be applied to the events that are about to follow.In the opening sequence of Psycho, Hitchcock succeeds in capturing theaudiences initial senses of cognizance and suspicion while allowing it toidentify with Marions helpless situation. The audiences sympathy toward Marionis heightened with the introduction of Cassidy whose crude oil boasting encouragesthe audiences dislike of his character. Cassidys blatant statement that allunhappiness fucking be bought away with money, provokes the audience to form ajustification for Marions stealth of his forty thousand dollars. As Marion beginsher journey, the audience is drawn farther into the d epths of what isdisturbingly abnormal behaviour although it is compelled to identify andsympathize with her actions.It is with Marions character that Hitchcock first introduces the conceptof a split personality to the audience. Throughout the first part of the film,Marions rebuke is often noted in several reverberates and windows. Hitchcock istherefore able to create a voyeuristic sensation within the audience as it bottom of the inningvisualise the effects of any situation through Marions conscious spirit. In thecar dealership, for example, Marion enters the secluded bathroom in order tohave privateness while counting her money. Hitchcock, however, with upper cameraangles and the convenient placing of a mirror is able to convey the sense of anever lingering conscious mind that makes privacy impossible. Hitchcock brings