What may be seen as Hitchcock’s best film, the 1960 horror film “Psycho” is one of the most recognizable movies in cinema history. The lighting and different angles were two major parts of the filming and in my opinion made the . The music also played an important role in the film as it helped build suspense. Shadows are a main element that Hitchcock uses to create a dramatic effect. The use of shadows is a technique he uses to build drama, that is most evident in the shower scene which I will be discussing in more detail below. Another example is the stuffed birds shadow over Marion when she is eating in the back room with Norman. Also, only shadows of Norman’s mother are shown (until the very end of the film.) The Bates' house is always darkly lit, only being able to see the outline and the shadow of Mrs. Bates in the window.
During the car scene, the camera is dead centre on Marion, not slightly off but precisely in the middle. The audience can tell by the music that something bad is going to happen. Because she is the main character, the audience thinks that nothing bad could happen to her. She battles her subconscious while driving to the Bates Motel as the voices of people talking about her wondering where she is are played in the background. Marion is focused on the road the entire car scene with a worried look on her face which creates a sense of fear and suspense for the audience. Eventually the camera slowly zooms in on her face.
The infamous shower scene is one of the most well known scenes in cinematic history and has become iconic in popular culture. It is shot through the killer’s eyes, not Marion’s eyes. The scene is mostly shot through close up shots, making it feel more subjective. You can see only the shadows of the killer from behind the curtain and slowly walking up towards the curtain. The screeching music begins and Marion’s screaming creates a sense of fear from the audience. After she is stabbed, the camera focuses in on her hand sliding down the wall, and reaching for the curtain (as pictured above.) Then the camera focuses on the blood being washed down the shower drain, such as they are washing away Marion’s character. The audience doesn't actually see the knife penetrating Marion's skin, but there is still a great sense of fear and terror felt by the audience even though they never see it.
Killing off the main character in the first half of the film was one of the biggest surprises of the movie, which the audience would not have suspected (at least I didn't suspect it.) The emotions felt by the actors were felt by the audience through making the audience a subjective character within the plot.
