...Alfred Hitchcock is widely considered to be the master of horror and suspense. With movies like Vertigo and The Birds in his arsenal, it is easy to see why he carries such a title. While Vertigo is considered to be one of the greatest movies ever made, his 1960 film Psycho is considered to be one of the most suspenseful movies in history. It is difficult to determine if Hitchcock would be known as the master of horror if it weren’t for his cinematography and the way he understood how to stylize moments. Psycho is known for one of the most horrifying scenes in movie history, the shower scene. This scene is so carefully laid out and bone-chilling for its time that it has withstood the test of time and is still terrifying to this day. As Marion Crane begins to wash herself in the shower of room one, Hitchcock does one thing better than anybody else, he leaves just about everything to the imagination. Where as recent films are prone to showing nudity and gore, Hitchcock shows neither. As Mrs. Bates draws back the shower curtain and the high pitched, intense music begins; the most famous scream in film history is heard. The scene gets really technical shortly after the stabbing begins. Because Hitchcock leaves much to the imagination, he never shows the knife cutting Marion. The audience understands that she is being stabbed, but it becomes a reality when the camera pans to her feet moving around in the tub and the blood running down the drain. At first the amount of blood...
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...Alfred Hitchcock directed many great movies; Psycho (1960) and the Birds (1963). As it shown in almost all of his movies, Alfred Hitchcock adds in a very prominents aspects of the dysfunctional of family in his work. Relationships with “mothers” are always problematic in Hitchcock movie. This is clear and most apparent in mothers and sons relationship. I believe this all derives from Hitchcock own odds relationship with his mother. He is also not a big fan of fathers relationship with sons, and this clear in his movies, for example, in both movies show that fathers dead before the movie and story start. Also, his relationship with birds is weird in both of these movies. This paper will discuss “Hitchcock’s dysfunctional family” in both The...
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...Psycho by Alfred Hitchcock was released in 1960. An important relationship in this text is the unusual relationship between Norman and ‘Mother’. This relationship is unusual because although they are two separate entities and Mother is actually dead, there is a constant struggle for control of Norman’s mind and in the end, ‘Mother’ wins. This relationship helped me understand the main idea of madness through the parlour scene, the fruit cellar scene and the police station scene. The relationship between Norman and ‘Mother’ helped me identify and understand the idea of madness through symbolism, lighting and dialogue techniques in the parlour scene. This symbolism includes the stuffed owls, which seem ready to attack that are placed in the background in a low-angle mid shot of Norman. At another point in the scene, Norman leans forward into a close up. This shot helps support the idea that even though Mother is physically dead, she is alive and threatening to take over Norman’s mind. This can be seen through the lighting of Norman’s face, half-light, half dark, and the dialogue. “It's not like my mother is a maniac... We all go a little mad sometimes. Haven't you?” These techniques have been cleverly assembled by Hitchcock to subtly hint at the idea of madness and help us to get to know Norman, but is not yet prepared to reveal the extent of Norman’s madness due to Psycho being a horror film. The complex relationship helps us understand Norman as a character and the idea...
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...The most recent season of Ryan Murphy’s American Horror Story takes place in Downtown Los Angeles in the Hotel Cortez, owned by the Countess (Lady Gaga). This season centers around Detective John Lowe (Wes Bentley) as he investigates a series of murders and is tipped off that the Hotel Cortez could be a place of interest. As this is American Horror Story, the Hotel Cortez isn’t just any old and creepy hotel but rather an old and creepy hotel with zombies/ghosts/vampires/generally-unspecific-undead-creatures running around. And despite the obvious creepiness, New York fashion designer, Will Drake (Cheyenne Jackson) still bought the place from the Countess (Gaga) with the intent on making is his own fashion boutique/atelier. As this is the first...
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...It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected to surveillance since its creation; the film manages to put the audience in the wheelchair of the main character L.B. Jeffries. From the beginning of the film when the curtain is raised it makes the audience feel like they are looking through Jeffries window and spying on his neighbours. It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected to surveillance since its creation; the film manages to put the audience in the wheelchair of the main character L.B. Jeffries. From the beginning of the film when the curtain is raised it makes the audience feel like they are looking through Jeffries window and spying on his neighbours. It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window. Rear Window is a film that has been connected to surveillance since its creation; the film manages to put the audience in the wheelchair of the main character L.B. Jeffries. From the beginning of the film when the curtain is raised it makes the audience feel like they are looking through Jeffries window and spying on his neighbours. It is hard to imagine surveillance and voyeurism in film without thinking of Alfred Hitchcock’s 1954 thriller Rear Window...
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...Alfred Hitchcock film, Psycho, which also can be linked to the themes in the infamous William Faulkner short story, “A Rose for Emily”. Psycho is a film created by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960, which tells the story of a young woman who steals $40,000 from her employer's client, and subsequently encounters a young motel proprietor, Norman Bates, who had be under the domination of his mother for too long. On the other hand, “A Rose for Emily” is a short story by William Faulkner, published in 1930. This short story by Faulkner was about an elder woman by the name of Emily. Faulkner wrote about Emily, how she abandoned herself from the outside and kept her deepest darkest secret hidden from others. Not only do they share similar underlying themes; they also share a very gloomy and unique setting. The film Psycho and the short story “A Rose for Emily” can easily be related, in the respect of their similar settings and themes. In literature, setting is an essential part of creating a storyline. Setting is the locale and period in which the story or film takes place (“Setting”). The setting plays a special role in Psycho and in “A Rose for Emily,” because it creates a mood or feeling in the story. In Hitchcock’s Psycho, the film takes place in the Bates Hotel, which is a dark and dreary place, not well-kept, and placed in front of an enormous, equally dark, house on a hill that seems to be looking down on the little hotel (Psycho). In “A Rose for Emily...
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...The scene in the film Rear Window was about the community and the protagonist named L.B. Jefferies. The scene started with the window. Next appeared a cat walking in the alley, from that moment, the audience can see the whole set of the neighborhood early in the morning and L.B. Jefferies sleeping when he was sweaty. Next, the viewer can see the thermometer, the composer shaving his beard, the couple sleeping outside their balcony, the dancing woman in a pink undergarment, the dog’s leash tied to the lamppost, and the woman with a pet bird. Then back to the L.B. Jefferies. At that moment, the viewer can see him taking a nap in his pajamas, in a wheelchair, his leg in a cast with his name on it, his broken camera, his black and white pictures, and a magazine of a woman. Overall, Alfred Hitchcock filmed this scene to deliver the audience the idea of what the neighborhood looks like, who are the people in the neighborhood, and what they do in the everyday life. Some of the character names themselves gives the viewer background on that person. For example, Miss Lonleyheart tells the viewer that she has never been married and is not in a relationship. He also wants to show what kind of a person L.B. Jefferies is and why he is the protagonist of the story. In general, Alfred Hitchcock delivered his beautiful art of mise-en-scene and cinematography to covey this scene. In terms of mise-en-scene, the most noticeable elements observed in the scene were the production design...
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...Chapter 1 - Textbook Discussion Questions HUMN246-E1WW: Assignment 1-5 Stephanie Bost-Chi May 21, 2013 1. If you watched the movie on a TV or computer screen, in which scenes do you feel you lacked the intensity of involvement needed to enjoy the film most completely? In which scenes does the small-screen format work? Physco was directed by Alfred Hitchcock in 1960. Although one might argue that viewing the notorious shower scene on the cinema screen would add far more effectiveness and immediacy to this extract of the movie. The movie was brilliantly made and in its entirety translates impeccably on the TV or computer screen. The subjective camera angles of select scenes such as the notorious the shower scene in particular coupled with the varying degrees of close up shots and the dramatic score add vivid emotiveness and depth to the action and in all honesty I did not stop to think ….this would be more meaningful on a big screen at the movie theatre. Throughout the movie there are portions of dialogue between actors where the sole focus is on the actor who is speaking. In a scene when Norman Bates played by Anthony Perkins, is talking with private detective Arbogast played by Martin Balsom about the disappearance of Marion Crane played by Vivien Leigh, the camera shot combinations go from extreme angled close ups to close ups with backlighting. The shots add dramatic effect which engages the viewer in the moment with the two men as they talk together. At one point...
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...movie. Composers are known for having this ability to pull on the emotions and change the mood of their audience. One of the most underrated aspects for music is how filmmakers use these ablilities when choosing music for their movies. The role of music in a motion picture is in direct relation to the level of ambiguity in a particular scene. The more ambiguous a scene is, the more filmmakers rely on the music to develop a mood that interprets the meaning of the scene for their audience. Therefore, music provides a cue for the listener to tell whether the narrative is suppose to be perceived as scary, romantic, funny, sad, or happy--ultimately, affecting the audience's mood. Horror movies are great examples of that concept. Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), is a perfect example of how a music can tell its audience what's about to come. The most memorable scene in the film was the brutal shower stabbing scene with Janet Leigh. The use of music in this scene allows the viewer to achieve a fear of the unknown. As Leigh is showering, the camera view point is of Bates walking into her room. Then, the music gets eerie and scary. The audience can feel something is about to happen to Leigh's character because of the taunting music. The music’s tempo increases as Bates gets closer to the shower. When Bates stabs her to death, one of the most famous sounds in horror film history is born. The famous "eeeh, eeeh, eeeh" is played with each stab sounding like shrieking violins. Imagine this scene...
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...regarded as one of the world's first thriller films, incorporating mysteriousness and terror but, notably, lacking the degree of violence which was first introduced by Hitchcock in 'Psycho' , and remains constant in most thrillers. Psycho - 1960 Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, 'Psycho' was initially received sceptically by audiences and critics, however it eventually received outstanding box office returns and is now regarded as a pioneer in the evolution and development of thriller films. The explicit nature of the film set new boundaries for violence and sexuality in film. A majority of this film's success has, however, come since the death of Hitchcock in 1980, with a TV show, multiple sequels and spin offs, and a remake of the original movie all stemming from the 1960 version. The dark and realist nature of the film was previously unexplored by film makers and directors alike, which optimized the effectiveness of 'Psycho' as its thrilling and horrific connotations attracted audiences. The production of 'Psycho', and its success among certain audiences, acted as a catalyst for thriller films' induction into the mainstream film industry. Following its success, several thriller films were produced, with varying degrees of success, many of which boasted aspects which strongly emulated aspects of 'Psycho'. Jaws - 1975 Directed by Steven Spielberg, 'Jaws' depicts the story of a coastal U.S community which is plagued by the terror of a great white shark. Growing increasingly...
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...These instructions prevented anyone from entering the theater once the movie began, and the audience could not reveal any details about the film. This included the terrifying surprises that the film had in store (Younker). Hitchcock’s goal was to have his film grab the audiences’ attention, and place them in the abnormal psycho world. Even after 52 years, Psycho is still talked about and viewed today due to its incredible job with the motion pictures in every scene. As Ebert says, “What makes Psycho immortal, when so many films are already half-forgotten as we leave the theater, is that it connects directly with our fears.” Hitchcock’s build of suspense in his pictures most definitely sets the fear for everyone, which leads to the intolerable pitch of exhilaration throughout the film due to the surprising images that one comes...
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...Hannibal Conventions Hannibal is not your typical crime drama, on the surface it may seem like a conventional crime drama however but delve deeper you’ll find it becomes something more horrifying. Hannibal follows all the conventions of a typical crime drama, for example the protagonist is a man like many other crime dramas. It adheres to the convention of the protagonist being very intelligent and also conforms to the trend of the main character being very perceptive and solving crimes by finding clues and links that nobody else can. Hannibal is very like the crime drama ‘the mentalist’ in this sense that he finds clues using an unorthodox method. In Hannibal case he relives the murder in the crime scene to gain clues how it happened. Also with these dramas that there is a sense of suspicion among the side characters towards the main characters methods. For example there a reporter in the show who believes that the protagonist is committing these crimes and solving them to sustain some sick addiction. This is the same with a crime drama like Sherlock where a character believes he is behind the crimes he’s solving. It follows all the main conventions also for example he works for the police or the government, he has to report to a superior. The protagonist is also white like many other crime dramas. Another is that the crime scenes are quite gruesome, often in crime dramas they do not pull any punches when it comes to gore and that is the case here. That is where the similarities...
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...Psycho Psycho is a 60’s monochrome horror movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock. In Psycho, the conversation between Marion and Norman showed an extremely important scene to both the plot and the themes of the movie. Norman Bales is a hero, and is not a normal guy who lives at home with his mother. He is tall and has dark hair, representing a mysterious man. Norma Bales is his mom (word ending with A means spiritual). Marion Crane is the heroin, an attractive young woman with blonde hair, who steals $40,000 from her client and goes on the run. All characters possess varying levels of both good and bad, of moral and immoral behavior. This movie contains many symbols and techniques to construct who is the real culprit, until the climax. The camera moves through the window, into an apartment from the outside of a city and sits on the chair like a voyeurism. Instead, the beginning of this movie would have been a big scandal at that time. People see a shirtless Sam Loomis, who is standing next to the bed where a half-nude Marion Crane lies. At this time, Marion is wearing a white bra at the beginning, to signify that she is innocent. After she steals the money from the client, she is wearing a black bra, which represents she has a dark side. Hitchcock is very good at arrangement, to draw the action of Marion who has unstable mental condition, to create a disquieting atmosphere, and has the audience empathize with Marion’s emotion. For example, when Marion is running away with...
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...Every film has a point or an overall message that the producer would like the audience to walk away with. How that point or message is brought together and conveyed to the audience is what sets films apart from one another. Infamous movie producer Alfred Hitchcock had a way of putting together ideas that allowed his movies to offer entertainment, suspense, and relate ability all at the same time. Specifically, in the movie Psycho, Hitchcock uses certain emotional instabilities and mental dysfunctions within his characters to build his story line and add the entertainment and suspense resulting in a very successful film. Thesis: describe some of the disorders and relate to characters, is this effective in film, how they add to the plot….??? Need some suggestions on best way to put this Alfred Hitchcock details each of his characters with a specific identifying trait whether it is a legitimate mental disorder or just an internal psychological battle. The issues in Psycho range from schizophrenia and bipolar disorder to more simple matters of struggling with self-acceptance. The variations in the instabilities provide the depth and relate ability to the film from the audience perspective. In the case of Norman Bates we first see what appears to be a kind, gentle spirit, who desperately wants to have someone to call a friend. As the film progresses Norman becomes this confusing character that the audience starts to feel bad for. We can’t decide whether he is doing the right thing...
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...Movie Critique Major plot of the movie The major plot of the movie American Psycho is about a twenty-seven year old man named Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale). Patrick comes from a wealthy Wall Street family. Patrick who works in his father’s firm. Even though Patrick doesn’t need to work he chooses to so he can fit in and be “normal”. Patrick and his colleagues are all sitting around a table and when the bill comes they all say how cheap the bill is, and they all drop their platinum cards. After, dinner they head to a bar where they go to snort cocaine. The next morning, you see Patrick’s nicely decorated apartment where he goes into detail about his daily routine. Patrick believes in taking good care in himself by eating healthy, having excellent hygiene, and exercising regularly. Patrick goes into work and tells his secretary Jean (Chloe Sevigny) to tell all callers he’s not there and begins to watch Jeopardy after saying that she is...
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