PSYCHO

PSYCHO

Norman`s house

Film Facts

· USA (1960) Psychological Thriller/Slasher Film/Horror

· Rated R, B&W, 109 min

· From Book By: Robert Bloch

· Director: Alfred Hitchcock

· Assistant Director: Hilton A. Green

· Producer: Alfred Hitchcock

· Cinematographer: John L. Russell

· Screenwriters: Joseph Stefano

· Composer (Music Score): Bernard Herrmann

· Editor: George Tomasini

· Production Designers: Robert Clatworthy and Joseph Hurley

· Set Designer: George Milo

· Costume Designer: Helen Colvig

· Makeup: Jack Barron

· Special Effects: Clarence Champagne

· Sound/Sound Designers: William Russell and Waldon O. Watson

· Budget: $800,000 but actually cost $806,947.55

· Gross: Domestically was $15 million by the end of the first year

· Box Office: Among Top Grossing Films of 1960

· Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, John Gavin, Vera Miles, Martin Balsalm, and John McIntire

· Other Actors: Simon Oakland, Frank Albertson, Patricia Hitchcock, Vaughan Taylor, Lurene Tuttle, John Anderson, Mort Mills, Jeanette Nolan, Marli Renfro, Helen Wallace, Anne Dore, George Eldredge, Francis de Sales, Marion Crane, Ted Knight, Frank Killmond, Sam Flint, Alfred Hitchcock, and Virginia Gregg

· Themes: Double Life, Split Personalities, Women in Jeopardy, Mothers and Sons, Its All In Your Head

· Released By: Para mount and Universal City Studios, Inc.

· Awards: Best Screenplay (1960 EPA), Best Film (1960 New York Film Critics Circle), Best Supporting Actress (1961 Golden Globe), US National Film Registry (1992 Library of Congress), 100 Greatest American Movies (1998 American Film Institute)

· Nominations (All Academy Awards): Best Art Direction (Robert Clatworthy), George Milo, and Joseph Hurley), Best Cinematography (John L. Russell), Best Director (Alfred Hitchcock), Best Supporting Actress (Janet Leigh)

"Psycho" 12 November 2001. http://allmovie.com/cg/x.dll?UID=7:48:37%7CPM&p=avg&sql=A39578

"Psycho" 12 November 2001. http://us.imdb.com/Title?0054215

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Psycho Production and Reception

In the making of Psycho, there were different hardships that Alfred Hitchcock had to face. For starters, Paramount refused to finance the production, so Hitchcock volunteered to pay for it himself as long as he could have sixty percent ownership of the negative. Paramount not only refused financing, but they also refused to allow Hitchcock to shoot Psycho anywhere on the lot. Universal-International was very willing to take in the Hitchcock production. As the planning of Psycho continued $800,000 was budgeted for the movie and a possible 36-day shooting schedule. Because of the low budget, Hitchcock had to eliminate some of the different camera shots that would be used. As word spread about Psycho, Hitchcock demanded more secretiveness from the cast and crewmembers.

One of the biggest problems that Hitchcock faced was that of the censors. They wanted him to take out some of the swearing, the revealing poses and the sick relationship that Bates had with his mother. The censors thought that some of the ideas that he had for the movie were quite risqué, so he agreed that when the movie would show the naked body of the girl he would be respectful and make sure that nothing was exposed. “The Product Code office stamped the shooting scripts of Psycho with ‘Approved, subject to seeing the product,’ an unusual circumstance meant to put Hitchcock and company on notice” (Rebello). So the filming could now start.

On November 11, 1959, Hitchcock got the first footage of Psycho. Even though Hitchcock was working with a short time frame, he went his own pace. He was never a man to hurry through things. As a result of bad weather for a few days, Hitchcock was forced to delete a few location shots and more hi-tech camera angles were reduced to medium angles. Nine days over schedule Hitchcock finally finished the shooting on February 1, 1960. At the end of the shooting there was no “wrap party” as there were for past productions made by Hitchcock.

As Psycho was being released, newspapers stressed that no one would be allowed into the theater after the opening credits. The advertisements also stressed that this was a movie that would have to be seen from beginning to end in one sitting. Hitchcock even sent out manuals to the different theaters so that the audience would understand his reasoning for not allowing people in the theater after the movie had started. Hitchcock also produced three trailers that had cost a total $9619.09 (Rebello). The total production costs came out to $806,947.55, a little over budget. (Rebello).

The film opened on June 16, 1960 in New York to awaiting audience members. From the first day “lines began forming on Broadway just after 8:00 A.M. and did not let up until the late night show” (Rebello). Paramount couldn’t figure out what was going on. Why was there such a buzz? Only days after the movie opened in other theaters it broke attendance records.

Audiences around the world found different parts of Psycho funny. Hitchcock once confided in Anthony Perkins, “I’ve always been able to predict the audience’s reaction. Here I haven’t been able to” (Hitchcock). He was amazed at the audience’s response. There were a lot of mixed reviews for Psycho. One critic in particular thought, “One of the most vile and disgusting films ever made” (Rebello). Another thought, “The suspense builds up slowly but surely to an almost unbearable pitch of excitement. Anthony Perkins' performance is the best of his career—Janet Leigh has never been better” (Rebello).

Psycho was said to have “earned $15 million domestically by the end of its first year of release” (Rebello). As the film’s popularity grew so did the greatness of it, “In 1977 the movie appeared on the American Film Institute’s poll as one of the ‘Greatest Films of All Time’” (Rebello). Even though Hitchcock went through so many hardships while making Psycho, he ended up with a great piece of art. As time went on the negative comments about the movie subsided and everyone praised it. Many of the horror films are now made with Psycho tendencies.

Rebello, Stephen. Alfred Hitchcock and the making of Psycho. New York: First Harper Perennial, 1991

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Plot Summary and Analysis

Hitchcock’s twisted tale of psychological terror begins in medias res with the introduction of Marion Crane, a secretary in a real estate office currently dating a divorcee named Sam. In the opening scene, Hitchcock uses symbolism through color to portray Marion’s persona. She is wearing a white slip and white bra, white being a common symbol for good or an indicator of the hero(ine).

One day, Marion is asked by her boss to make a $40,000 cash deposit at the bank before she leaves for the day. The next scene takes us to Marion’s home where she is packing quickly for a trip, and obviously has neglected to deposit the money. She is again characterized through color in her now black bra and black slip, placing her in the bad guy role. As she packs, Hitchcock resorts to several looks of outward regard. These looks are followed up by an eye-line shot of the $40,000 in a white envelope on Marion’s bed. Apparently she is contemplating taking the money, fleeing town, and starting a life with Sam, which is exactly what she begins to do. As she is leaving Phoenix, Marion hears an inner monologue of voices, voices of those she is running from. These voices reveal speculations on her whereabouts, and also aid as Marion’s feeling of guilt setting in.

After an exhausting trip, Marion decides to get off the main road and rest for the night. She stops at the Bates Motel, a run down little place with a huge creepy home casting shadows over it. Here she meets an odd passive aggressive man named Norman Bates, the main round character. He seems harmless enough, but is clearly affected by his loneliness despite the company of his sick old mother.

After a chilling conversation with Norman about his mother’s mental condition, Marion decides to take a shower and turn in for the evening. As she is showering Norman enters dressed as his mother and stabs Marion to death. Hitchcock uses several different techniques to intensify the dramatic aspects of the shower scene. He uses several close-up shots on Marion’s face and the showerhead bringing the viewer right into the action. Using the rule of thirds, the camera then focuses on a shot of Marion in the first third of the frame, and a shadow beyond the curtain approaching her in the last third. The shower curtain is whipped back and our villain is seen in the shadows to conceal “her” identity. We watch as the focus is directed to the knife being thrusted downward into Marion. As it does so piercing violin noises accompany each stab, intensifying the situation. Norman later reappears as himself and cleans up the evidence. Hitchcock films the clean up scenes from an objective point of view while using no dialogue and several ambient sounds. Also the normal intense and suspense building score is spared during this time.

At home everyone is concerned about Marion. A private detective sent to look for her traces her steps to the Bates Motel. He is also murdered by “Norman’s mother.” Feeling uneasy about the entire situation, Marion’s sister, Lila, and Sam decide to go out to the motel and speak with Norman so they might find Marion. When they arrive we reach the climax as they uncover Norman’s dirty little secret, the body of his mother hiding in the fruit cellar. A psychologist at the police station later finishes the story by explaining how Norman came to develop this internal conflict and how it affected him. Norman killed his mother and then developed a split personality of her to compensate. The story ends with a shot of Norman who has now completely become the “mother” personality. An inner monologue speaks and informs us of “her” intentions to prove to them all that she “wouldn’t even harm a fly.”

The film is rather interesting and dynamic in its’ use of psychology as the fear factor. Hitchcock’s ideas are well communicated through his visual motifs and use of score to intensify the emotional characteristics. Also, Hitchcock managed to color outside the lines once again and push the limits of filmmaking by filming the ever-famous shower scene. Its’ graphic murder portrayal and use of risky body shots became the template of scary movies to come.

Boggs, Joseph. The Art of Watching Films.5th Ed. Mountain View, CA.: Mayfield Publishing Co, 2000

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Questions for Discussion

Do you think that Hitchcock was pushing the boundaries of risqué?
What do you think the significance was of using black and white instead of the use of color?
Describe the roles of each character and how they were an important part of the film.
In your opinion, what do you think the thematic meaning of the film is? What is Hitchcock trying to tell us?
How do you think the low budget affected the way that it was shot and produced?