The Shining #2

In The Shining the scene that stood out to me the most was the scene in which Jack encounters the gold room with hundreds of people in it (even though they really don't exist,) Lloyd the Bartender, and the "red bathroom" scene in which Jack meets Delbert Grady, the supposed previous caretaker of the 1920s who had violently killed his wife and two daughters using an ax.

In the "gold room" scene what I found most fascinating was the immense contrast between what the audience hears and sees and what the audience actually knows. As Jack is walking towards the ballroom, we hear a pleasant swing tune coming from the distance. Instantly, the audience is in a more pleasant mood. When he walks into the ballroom itself, there are many people, all drinking, talking, and having a good time. The setting of the scene tends to relieve the audience from what it has seen so far, but in fact actually makes the audience even more uneasy. The viewers know that the hotel is completely deserted - there is no one there except for Jack and his family. The fact that all the interactions that Jack has with people, the music, Lloyd, the drinks, everything is either paranormal or a figment of Jack's psychopathic imagination. Jack is completely alone, which makes the scene a lot more "creepy." By using pleasant music, a happy scene, and a warm color palette, Kubrick confuses the audience by showing them one thing but really meaning the polar opposite of that.

The bathroom scene immediately following the ballroom scene, where Jack Torrance first encounters Mr. Delbert Grady is perhaps the most interesting scene. In this scene, there is absolutely nothing horrifying that happens, in contrast with the rest of the film. There is no blood, decomposing bodies, dead people, or "shinings" happening. The mere discussion between Jack and Grady is what brings goosebumps to the audience. First of all, the audience knows that Delbert Grady (maybe another name for Charles Grady) was the man who so violently murdered his family years before. The viewers also know that Grady no longer exists, that because Jack is interacting with him he is either a ghost or part of Jack's imagination. What I found most captivating in these six minutes of the film is again the use of contrast that Kubrick uses. The fact that Grady uses such polite and calm language to suggest such horrifying and immoral things to Jack is terrifying. The way that Grady talks to Jack is very reserved - he says "sir" after every sentence he completes, he asks permission to talk about anything that crosses the border between smalltalk and serious discussion, and has impeccable manners. However, when he says that he "corrected" his wife and children is when the audience sees that by the word "correct" he really means "murder." The fact that he uses such proper language to speak about such improper actions makes the audience even more uneasy than before.

How else does Stanley Kubrick achieve fear and anxiety in the two scenes linked above?

The scene that stands out more than the rest, in terms of fear is when Jack is locked in the walk in pantry.  First of all, the first shot shown is Jacks unconscious face being dragged along the floor. The camera is tracking, so his face does not go off center. When Wendy is unable to open the door, Jack is regaining consciousness, she begins to cry because her husband is going insane, and wants to kill her and Danny. The sounds in this scene are in perfect harmony in the sense that you can hear a few different sounds that are going on at the same time, but they come together to instill fear in the viewer.  The scariest part of the scene is when he is yelling at Wendy and he is shown from under. The sound while he is trying to reason with her makes you think that she might let him out, but when you see his face you know its a facade.

The Shining

The Shining is creepy. I have seen it more than once so alot of the moments that the class reacts strongly too, I do not because I know what is going to happen. I think the two things that are key in making the fear in this film are the music/sound effects and Jack Nicholson. The way the music and sounds is qued, it always gets a strong reaction from the audience and makes them jump.

In every film I have seen Nicholson in, he comes off creepy in some way and especially in The Shining...

 

This shot in particular really highlights the fear that Nicholson can instill into his audience without any dialogue.

Another good example of how music creates fear is when Danny is riding through the halls of the hotel and rides past room 237. each corner he turns the music swells, leading the audience to believe that something bad is going to happen and then nothing happens.

 Although we have yet to get to the really scary and suspenseful parts of the movie, the actors and the music have foreshadowed the terror to come beautifully.

The Shinning

So far, Kubrick has gone above and beyond in making the most harmless scenes seem as if there will soon be an enormous surprise around the next corner. This is the quality that makes this film extremely frightening. Kubrick accomplishes this goal by using certain techniques that build suspense in moments of building tension.

One scene in which I see this taking place is when Dick takes Wendy and Danny down to the cellar to see where the hotel stores all of their dry goods. There are two reasons why this scene is scary and they are the music and the camera angle.

The music in this scene is very high pitched as we have heard in past scenes. This sound is screechy and it crescendos over a period of time. This indicates that Danny is "shining", and when we hear Dick's voice talk about ice cream, a question that is repeated in the next scene, we can get a sense that  Dick knows about the Shining also. This music and theme that goes along with it creates fright because it builds on the fear of the unknown. We don't know much about Danny's condition, nor do we know what's coming, indicated by the crescendo in the music. These unknowns are scary to us, and that's exactly why Kubrick uses them. They make the movie scary.

Kubrick also utilizes a low angle as they are in the cellar. When Dick and Wendy leave Danny a little behind them as they talk, the camera goes down to the level of Danny's eyes. This gives the feeling that Danny is inferior, which brings along a feeling that he is scared.

This is just one example of a scene where Kubrick does an awesome job at making the audience scared of nothing.

What makes a movie scary to you?

The Shining

So far, if there is one thing The Shining is good at, it is building tension. It constantly has scenes where you think something is going to happen, through a combination of shot type, music, and color. But (so far), 90% of the time, nothing happens. It certainly keeps you on edge, and I think in the future, when something does actually happen, it will have all the more effect and be more unexpected. So far, I think the most suspenseful and scary scene is when Danny is riding a bike through the halls, and stops at room 237. As usual, it has the creepy music building up in the background, with unnerving high pitched noises mixed in. Also, when Danny is riding, the camera follows him, almost in a subjective POV. This means the viewer is just as clueless as Danny as to what is around the corner, and every single turn has you expecting something to be there. This is also one of the first scenes that actually delivers on the suspense, but only just. Danny stops at room 237, which we already know has some sort of reputation. Danny slowly watches the door, grabs the handle, and tries to open it, and you just KNOW something scary is going to be in there. Not quite, but it does have a brief flash of the two mysterious girls, and they aren't exactly pleasant. That scene builds the tension well, and even gives a little surprise, if not a full blown scare.

The Shining

While I have seen The Shining before, I still find certain scenes suspenseful. One scene in particular that I found disturbing and suspenseful was towards the beginning of the movie when Danny stands in front of the mirror in his bathroom, talking to "Tony," his imaginary friend. As Danny asks Tony questions about the Overlook Hotel, the camera zooms into his reflection in the mirror, from Danny's back right. There is a subtle hint of music playing in the background, just enough that the audience can sense that something dark is quickly approaching. When the camera finishes zooming, Danny says, "Tony, tell me," since Tony refuses to answer him, and Danny's eyes open wide because he is seeing something terrifying in the future. The music escalates in creepiness and volume in this moment and the camera cuts to the elevator flooded with blood and the two little sisters. This foreshadow was created by zooming in on Danny's face to try to get a sense of what is going on in his head at that moment, where his thoughts are consumed by Tony who, while Danny thinks is his friend, is trying to possess him.
Zoom-ins and close-ups (combined with music/non-diegetic sound) are important in this film because they help the audience predict that something bad is going to happen, and usually show a change in the character's expression when the zoom is complete, such as in the mirror scene. The combination of the two camera techniques creates a feeling of suspense because the audience has to wait for the full zoom to happen before something happens, because in that split second where the camera stops, that leaves infinite options for what is going to happen next. Zooming in keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, because it is so important in that moment that they pay attention, since absolutely anything can happen.

When is another important scene where zoom is used to create suspense?

The Shining

We know from the location of the Overlook hotel alone that the Torrance family will be spending the cold winter months very alone and isolated from the rest of society. But Stanley Kubrick does a very good job of depicting the remoteness of the hotel through shots in the beginning of the film that should seem very normal if a family had actually moved into the Overlook for the winter. One scene that especially how secluded the family is is when Wendy and Danny are exploring the hedge maze together. When they were being shown the maze during their first tour of the hotel, they were told that they shouldn't go in there unless they have an hour of time to kill because without being able to see the whole view of the maze, anyone inside could be really trapped in there for a long period of time, just like the family could be trapped inside the hotel for the remainder of their time there.

This specific shot of the film shows how small Wendy and Danny are when they reach the center of the maze, and how much is around them that they have to weave their way out of. There is no one on the outside to see this birds eye view and to help them to find their way out, so Wendy and Danny are truly alone to try to get out of the maze.
How else does Kubrick effectively portray the idea of the complete isolation of the Torrance family?

The Shining

Stanley Kubrick uses the music and use of diegetic sounds to emphasize fear, suspense, and madness.  In one particular scene where Jack is sitting at his desk and typing on his type writer, the camera zooms in very slowly on Jack. The music is suspenseful, high pitched, eerie, and drowns out the back ground noises. The zoom in from behind Jack makes the feeling of the scene very sinister. You can't see what is in front of him except you can see Wendy coming in from the right side. As Wendy approaches Jack the music starts to increase in pitch and volume.

As previously seen in the movie the viewers can assume that Jack doesn't show much compassion towards his family. So when Wendy is approaching Jack it makes the viewers cringe and sit on the edge of their seats. At the very last minute when Wendy approaches Jack the music comes to a very abrupt and sudden high pitched noise as he pulls up his paper from his type writer. As the viewer you can only assume what he might pull up and to have the music heightened so much at this one particular instant makes the viewers jump. Do you think Kubrick should've used such suspenseful music in this particular scene?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRTGVvQosWk

The Shining

While Kubrick uses his music to create most of the suspense in this movie, I found the one time he didn't use music the creepiest to me. The particular scene I found very suspenseful was the first time we see Danny riding his bike through the hotel. This was suspenseful because there was no noise other than the noise his bike made on the wood floor and the noise it didn't make on the carpet. Although you didn't have the typical suspenseful music playing, only being able to hear his bike made the whole place seem even more empty and isolated. As we saw him riding the bike you saw it form a subjective point of view and never knew what was gonna com around the corner. Your anxiety was built up because of the unknown. The camera was also slightly shaky as it was following Danny. It might not have been intentional, but it added a sort of erie effect because of the shakiness. It made it seem like everything going on around Danny was unsettling and not supposed to happen. Do you think the lack of music in this scene was helpful in creating the suspense and feeling of isolation?

The Shining

I have found The Shining so far to be suspenseful and scary, as Kubrick intended. There have been many elements that contribute to making this film this way. The one of the frightening scenes that stood out to me was "Thursday", even though it was very short. Beginning with Wendy and Danny playing in a blizzard, was an interesting way to shoot it, because it was mysterious and difficult to see them which acted as a foreshadow that something bad was going to happen. The music didn't just act as a backdrop of non-diegetic sound but contributed to the scene in revealing how isolated the family truly is. The music volume increases and we begin to see Jack Nicholson's stare as he watches his family play in the snow; the music makes this scene particularly scary as the camera zooms in on Jack's character representing the transformation in himself and the effect of cabin fever. The shining noise comes back which builds the suspense as it zooms that an action was going to occur that would make you jump. Although nothing actually happens, Kubrick does a good job in building suspense and fear with how it is filmed and by adding the shining sound and non-diegetic sounds.

The Shining

One interesting shot in The Shining that we've seen thus far is when Jack overlooks the mock hedge maze in the hotel. Jack is center in the frame and is peering down on the maze. It is evident that Danny and his mother Wendy have a closer relationship than Jack does with either of the two. We have had hints based off of how he treats his wife, he is a recovering alcoholic, and that he had once injured Danny's shoulder. Jack has a fixation on the hotel for he seems to have adjusted seamlessly despite his writer's block. I think a maze in general is an interesting concept, especially in this film since when one enters a maze, there is no way to navigate your way through since there are a lot of different paths you can take, yet only one takes you to the intended destination. This idea can relate to the film since so far we know bits and pieces of the plot but have not really experienced the true "horror" just yet. The symbolism of Jack looking over the maze, and the maze itself might actually be pointing towards clues that will reveal the meaning of the film and what is to happen next between the three family members as well as the possibility of the maze being a part of the plot later on. What do you think that the hedge maze symbolizes? Why is it included?

The Shining

So far in The Shining, the most frightening scene to me was the maze. Everything is foreshadowing and symbolic, from Wendy and Danny being trapped, never able to see around the corner at what's coming next, to Jack studying them from a predator's perspective. Like the birds in Psycho being symbolic of Norman studying his prey before attacking, the extreme high angle into the model maze seems to reflect the same thing. Jack clearly has the power over his wife and child, the idea of which is also compounded when Wendy and Danny in the real maze is overlain to make them appear trapped in the model one.

Additionally, the music in this scene stands out compared to just about any other. Stanley Kubrick tries to trick the viewer with his ominous music and camera angles, implying that the moment of impending doom has finally arrived when there ends up being nothing waiting around the corner. However, the music in this scene, while ominous, isn't intense and suspenseful. It's more patient, almost hypnotic when combined with the zoom into the maze, because nothing really happens in this scene... It's just meant to foreshadow the family's new dynamic and new impending doom.

The Shining

One scene in The Shining that I found particularly suspenseful and scary were the shots of Danny on his bicycle rolling around the hotel lobby. While bicycling, the viewer hears the non-diegetic sound and loud tone of the music building up louder and louder at each turn. I liked how it was filmed from a subjective point of view; it really felt as though we were in Danny's shoes. I also liked that the scene was filmed from a long shot from behind while he was on his bicycle because it also gave the feeling that there was someone watching him and following him around the hotel. Similar to the bicycle scene, in the maze scene, the viewer gets the same feel (subjective point of view). By building up the music with non-diegetic sound and shooting them as a long shot from behind, it really builds up the suspense. It keeps the viewer on their toes and worried about what is behind the next corner. The use of non-diegetic sound and subjective point of view really add to the suspense of the film.

The Shining

Noah Pines
Robbins
11/17/14

All Work and No Play

In horror movies like The Shining, the non-digetic sounds and camerawork are equally important. Stanley Kubrick uses many, unconventional shots, similar to Hitchcock's work. One scene that I felt was incredibly suspenseful, was when we finally see Jack working on his typewriter for the first time in the movie. A deep focus shot of the entire room is shown, making everything look very isolated in the enormous room. Jack has his back to the audience, and you see a figure emerge from a hallway. Both people are in shadow, and the music intensifies as the figure gets closer. The music builds to a loud crescendo as the figure reaches the table; Jack throws his arm in the air... a piece of paper, and the music goes quiet again. Although nothing was said in this scene, the non-digetic sound built the suspense for the audience.

The Shining

How does Kubrick create suspense using music/ sound?

In my opinion, there are many factors that contribute to Kubrick's ability to create suspense in The Shining. The element that caught my attention the most, however, was the use of music and sound to create a sense of anxiety and anticipation of what will soon happen.

In this film, music, as well as sound, is used as a device to create anxiety. By the time about one quarter of the movie is finished, the audience knows that every time a high-pitched sound that drowns out the rest of the movie is heard, Danny is about to foretell something terrifying that will happen in the future. Because the audience automatically associates this sound with what we've already seen Danny foretell (blood down the hall and creepy sisters holding hands,) it automatically fears what Danny will see. Generally, Kubrick also tends to use deeper pitches and minor tones in the musical pieces of the film to create the mood of the movie. Since even the opening credits, the audience hears a (in my opinion) horrifying soundtrack, which indicates that this will indeed be a horror film. 

The Shining

The Shining, a horrifying film produced in 1980, has many fearful aspects. For example, something that makes this film truly a horror film is it’s use of diegetic and non-diegetic sound. However, there was one scene in this movie so far that really stood out to me as scary. The scene in which Danny rode on his big wheel through the hallway. He passes the mysterious room 237 which we previously witnessed a worker telling Danny to never go inside of. I think that the most frightening thing about this scene was how long it was held out. For example, Danny took his time reaching for the door knob, only to find out that it was locked. Another thing that’s scary is how the camera is constantly being tracked forward behind Danny, so we can only see as much as he can. We can’t see beyond the corners, which creates a very suspenseful vibe.

Do you think that the scene was scarier because of the fact that there was no talking, rather 

suspenseful music? Why?

The Shining

The Shining

                One of the hardest tasks to accomplish in writing and filmmaking is how to show something rather than tell it. While it is easy to simply write how someone is feeling, showing it through the scene has a much more powerful effect. Stanley Kubrick does a successful job of this in The Shining. The feeling of isolation is enhanced by the camera angles, diegetic noises, and the separation of characters.
                 In the opening scene of the film, the camera is at a bird's-eye-view angle. Jack's car is seen from way above, with nothing but nature surrounding it. This gives the effect of isolation because he is the only car or person for miles. The only diegetic noises in the film so far (aside from the dialogue), have been the sound of Danny's bike, and Jack slamming the ball against the wall. Since these two sounds are the only thing going on in the huge hotel, they echo and seem much louder than they should. This gives off the feeling of loneliness because the scene is only filled with noises the characters make, not from other people or things moving around. Finally, the feeling of isolation is shown through the separation of Danny and Wendy from Jack. Danny and Wendy are often shown exploring the hotel grounds, whether playing in the snow or searching through the maze. Jack is never with them, he is either in his study or playing with the ball. This shows how Jack is removing himself from his family and putting himself in a state of isolation.
               How else do you think Kubrick shows isolation throughout the film so far?

The Shining

The movie The Shining does a good job at making scenes more intense with the use of music or dietetic sounds and unique angle placements. One of the scenes that I found particularly creepy compared to other scenes was when the mom and son are in the maze.

This scene is terrifying for a few reasons, one being the fact that in the maze, they have no idea what is around each corner or where a dead end could be. What makes this sequence more intense is the diegetic sound in the background playing. The mom is exclaiming underneath it "Isn't this so beautiful" but her words are drowned out by creepy noises and almost scratch like sounds. The director does a good job at giving the scene a different vibe than what the audience would feel if the sound wasn't there.

Another shot that stood out to be in this scene was when Jack is up above pounding a tennis a ball across the room and then suddenly heads over to a replica model of the maze. As he is looking at it, the camera zooms in and it becomes a bird-eyes view of the actual maze with his wife and son. It turns into him staring down at them, like he is plotting his future plans against tormenting them.

The reason the mood is so suspenseful from inside the hotel is the fact that throughout the film Jack hasn't been in a shot with his wife and son at the same time other than the car ride. This shows that he is slowly becoming isolated away from them and they are possibly beginning to look like pray or possible targets.

Jack looking down on replica maze

Real maze

The Shining

A pivotal scene in The Shining is the one in which Wendy "breaks Jack's concentration". In my opinion, it is in fact one of the most disturbing, because it is really the first time we have seen Jack exhibit any signs of violence, although we have seen him in frustration over his apparent writer's block.

Kubrick once again uses a technique in which there is no score, only the dialogue of the characters. This draws the viewer in, and forces them to pay attention. Although we felt uneasy before, (thanks in large part to Nicholson's eyebrows) we now begin to have a horrible feeling of dread every time we see him. This is helped by the fact that the next shot featuring him is absolutely bone-chilling.

Do you think that Nicholson convincingly descends into madness? Or is he simply too unsettling from the beginning?

The Shining

In the Shining there is great use of zoom and music to create the feeling of suspense. A scene that stood out to me with suspense was when Danny, the little boy, was on his tricycle going down the halls. He does this often but there is one scene where he stops after passing room 237. At the beginning of he scene there is no music expect for the sound of Danny's wheels on the floor. As he gets closer to the room the music builds very slowly. The camera follows him consistently from behind. Once he stops right at the door, the camera shows from his (low) angle the room number. The camera follows Danny as he does to the door and tries to open it. The music stays at the same tone and volume however a slight acceleration in almost a 'voom' sound when there is a vision of the two sisters in blue dresses behind the door. The Danny goes back to his tricycle and the camera stops following him as he speeds away down the hallway. This was very suspenseful for me because I also recalled before one of the workers warned Danny not to go there. Therefore, it was more interesting and suspicious as to what was in there. Creating a focus in curiosity for the audience while watching this specific part.

http://www.curzoncinemas.com/library/films/3147/make-mine-a-double--26-room-237---festen-/

What do you think was the purpose of this scene?

The Shining

There is no doubt that director Stanley Kubrick has mastered the art of creating suspense in his film, The Shining, but what is interesting is how he does this. For me, what has made the film scary so far is the element of foreshadowing. Kubrick often drops hints at what will happen throughout the film that leave you on the edge of your seat. Along with music, foreshadowing helps build the suspense and thus makes the movie scary for viewers.
One scene in particular where the use of foreshadowing aids in building suspense is when the viewer can confirm that something sinister will happen with the main character, Jack. His wife and young son are playing in the snow laughing and having fun. He is sitting inside the hotel looking at them through the window. But what makes this scene interesting is the face that Jack makes. He is looking at them in a malicious way, almost as if he's evil. This is a contrast from how he acts in the beginning of the film, which makes this scene scary for viewers. Because the viewer is aware of Jack's change starting to occur from the previous scene when he yells at Wendy for bothering him, this scene only solidifies this theory, that in fact he is different from how he is in the beginning of the film. Also, his face here is shot with an extreme close up shot. You are able to analyze just how he is different now as opposed to before. For example, you can now see the stubble that has grown on his face most likely from typing day in and day out. Something else is that the background behind his is blurred, and is a similar color to the sweater he is wearing. This only helps the viewer focus on Jack in this scene, showing that he is, if not, the most important character in the film, and to look out for what is to come of him. These elements help build the curiosity within the viewer. These foreshadowing techniques is what ultimately builds suspense.
But what could some other scenes be that help built suspense this far along in the film? Is foreshadowing a definitive way to create a movie to be "scary" all the time? Why or why not?

The Shining Part 1

Scott Yarmoff
Mrs. Robbins
Film Analysis period 3
11/17/14

The Shining Part 1

I have seen this movie before and can tell you that if you don't like horror, it's only going to get worse from here. We haven't seen a thing in class yet. Up to this point, I would say the scariest part would be when Danny is biking around the hotel and finds room 237. The scary part isn't when he arrives at the room but rather when he is biking through the hallway. Eerie music picks up as Danny rides through the hall which would normally just slightly build until something horrifying pops up. The music and the fact that the audience can't see around the corner before each of Danny's turns adds to the suspense that anything can come up. This sequence had happened once before with nothing coming out of it, so the audience is forced to believe that something will happen this time. Kubrick keeps the audience on the edge of its seats again.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3t60oY0TbTU

The Shining

A scene among those that we have so far watched in The Shining was the scene that depicted Danny riding his toy bicycle around the hallways, stopping only at the ominous room 237. The camera closely followed Danny as he pedaled through the various hallways, limiting the audience's view of what he was seeing until he had already rounded the corner. This setup, mixed with a variety of elements to make this a scary scene. The music was quiet, but eerie, it also enabled us to hear Danny's pedaling, reminding the audience that Danny is effectively alone in the hotel at this point. The more he pedals down the hall the more the suspense grows during this scene. When he reaches the room, the audience is reminded of the fact that he was told by the psychic Dick Halloran not to enter the room under any circumstances. The suspense of the scene reaches it's highest point as he reaches for the doorknob, and the flash of the two creepy twin girls doesn't alleviate the situation at all.

The Shining

Gottschalk 1

Lauren Hope Gottschalk

Mrs. Robbins

Critical Analysis of Film and Literature

18 November 2014

The Shining

It is easy to say that thus far all parts of The Shining are scary in their own way, yet one scene seems 

more frightening than the others. It is understandable that young Danny Torrance will do anything to 

keep his mind occupied. Staying in a ginormous hotel, without playmates, without getting to leave  

the premises is maddening enough. It has been seen so far that he enjoys playing outside with

his mother and bike riding down the long hallways of the Overlook Hotel. There is a scene in 

the film where Torrance is biking down these hallways one after the other. Part of what makes this

part of the scene scary is that it is shot so the viewers seem like they are with Torrance. Also,

Torrance keeps riding the bike on carpet then on wood which is loud and adds to the suspense of the

scene. There is also low and eerie music playing, and no one knows what the next hallway will

bring Stanley Kubrick seems to be playing with the audiences emotions because in the end there is

nothing in each hallway that Torrance visits. The fear of the unknown as was also seen in Psycho 

when Detective Milton Arbogast begins to ascend the stairs of the mansion. Another part that makes

this scene scary is that Torrance abruptly stops in the middle of the hallway when he sees room 237.

There is a rack focus and a over the shoulder shot of Danny who is not in focus and room 237 which

 is in focus. In a previous part of the film Dick Hallorann had told Torrance that he should never enter

 room 237. This may leave the audience feeling curious and a little afraid of what lies in room 237.

Torrance continues to remove himself from his bike and tries to enter room 237. This is frightening

 because there could be something dangerous and terrifying in that room. Yet the door is locked and

Torrance cannot enter. The door being locked resembles another idea of fear of the unknown.

Why did Kubrick lock room 237? 

Psycho

Pschyo was enthralling. I really liked it. I thought it was a great thriller and really kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. I don't really consider it a horror movie, but more of a thriller.

Alot of it is on the actors. Anthony Perkins does a great job of playing a innocent looking person with such a polar opposite side about him. His acting is also very complicated beause he is playing two different personalities and had to differentiate who did what: Norman or Mother.

Although the Actors did alot, obviously Hitchcock works some serious magic behind the camera. His ability to explain things just the camera and no dialogue is exceptional. One scene in particular is when Marium is getting ready to leave her hotel and run away with the money, the camera focuses on the money on the bed and then her and then the suitcase. Just by doing that, the audience knows that she is running away with the money and no dialogue was needed.

The music was also key in adding the suspense that the film had. I think the most recognizable theme is whenever Norman or "Mother" jumps out with the knife when he/she tries to kill someone.

The last thing I thought really worked was the twist in the end. The way the psychiatrist explains how Norman's mind works and then when the camera cuts to Norman and it's clear that he is 100% Mother.

Psycho

In the classic thriller Psycho, Hitchcock approaches society’s idea of scary in a very interesting way and uses many different techniques to portray horror. The one tactic I picked up the most was his use of music in the film. To me, the reoccurring music that played whenever something suspenseful was happening in the film was the scariest part about it. Right when we heard that music, we knew that something bad was bound to happen. The most prominent use of music to me was when the detective was going upstairs to look for Mrs. Bates (Norman’s mother). The suspenseful strings were playing in the background the entire time he slowly walked up the stairs. This is when the audience knew something would happen to him, but the terrifying part is: when will it happen? Hitchcock did a great job with keeping the audience at the edge of their seats. Finally, when Norman came out with his knife dressed at his mother, a loud eruption of music broke out (and made me literally jump). I thought that was the scariest part of the entire scene because of the shocking aspect of the music and how we did not expect Norman to come out at that time. I think that music really enhanced the horror of this thriller.

Do you think that music was effectively used in this film or was it distracting? Do you think that the reoccurring suspenseful music was a good choice?

Psycho

In Hitchcock's Psycho, he approaches "horror" in a thought-provoking way. In comparison to many current horror films, Psycho stands out for its artistic creativity and conceptual plot. This was one of the first horror films to ever focus on the aspect of paranoia. While watching, from the very first moment where the audience was introduced to Norman, it is clear that something is "off" with his character, especially by the way he gets defensive about his "ill" mother. As the plot progresses, and our main character is murdered, hints are dropped to convey the true identity behind Mrs. Bates. For example, when the audience discovers that there had been an incident between Norman and his mother ten years ago when he felt abandoned to his mother's partner. It is said that Mrs. Bates had died years ago, so how could his mother be the figure in the window? I found it quite captivating to have a plot that was so unpredictable with sudden deaths and a main character (Norman) who is hiding something. Norman's sickness combined with his obvious paranoia of people coming around him and his "mother" only leads him to commit several murders all being blamed on his mother. This insanity is an interesting way to portray a "villain" or "bad guy" considering it is a mental disorder that he has put on himself. Did you consider this film to be predictable? What components did Hitchcock use to achieve or to stray away from this idea?

Psycho

Scott Yarmoff

Mrs. Robbins

Film Analysis Period 3

11/11/14

Psycho

Multiple Personality Disorder is when one body and brain goes back and forth between two or more personalities. Norman Bates in this film had a self-made case of Multiple Personality Disorder. He made it to preserve the illusion that his mother was still living after he killed her and her lover. It takes a special level of crazy to achieve this type of action. It's screwed up to a point that not only are his personalities aware of the existence of the other, they can communicate. What's worse is that Norman seems to be so alone (in reality) and occasionally feels an attraction to a guest, which makes his "mother" jealous, so "she" kills the person, leaving Norman as alone and confused as before. He was the one, however, who caused this whole chain to begin, so anyone could definitely argue that it was all his fault even if he was out of his mind during the murders. I got the impression that Norman and his mother got along well before he killed her, so if he loved her so much, why would he kill her just because he's jealous of another man?

Also, this doesn't relate but I'm curious, how does Marion hear Norman and his mother arguing? Is he just speaking in two voices?

Psycho

The film Psycho featured a variety of interesting camerawork, from both the fluidity of the camera simulating the involvement of the audience in the film, and the interaction of characters with the audience (In Psycho most notably the final look Norman Bates gives the audience in the asylum).

Alfred Hitchcock used the camera to direct the course of the film, especially in Psycho the camera moved like a human eye, sometimes watching on (often in surprise, suspense, or horror) and other times following frantically as the story went on. The moments of pause and focus were largely on facial expressions, the eyes especially. Both Norman's insanity (first in the parlor scene) and Marion's death (The drain fading to her empty eyes) are displayed beautifully through the camera's focus on their eyes.

The moments where the camera was moving around however were often to force the audience to remember something, or to put them in a moment of suspense. One of my favorite moments where this happened concerned the death of Arborgast, the private detective. Though yes, a murder had already taken place and it was an eerily quiet scene as he climbed the stairwell (all foreshadowing something), I was still surprised when I first saw it. Simply because though there was music that was just before the murder, it was very sudden much like when Marion was murdered. That combined with the sudden cut to an overhead shot that left us seeing a perfectly unaware detective suddenly getting stabbed to death, needless to say it was surprising.

Psycho

In class, you asked us if we thought the first or second murder scene in Psycho was more suspenseful. Initially I thought that the second scene was, because the music suggested that something was about to happen, but then I realized that because of this, it was kind of obvious and therefore less exciting. Also, because a murder had already happened on the property by the "woman" who lived in the house the PI walked into, the audience was completely expecting the second murder. Looking back to the shower scene, no music was played until the "psycho" came into the bathroom and killed Marion, which created generated more of a shock to the audience because no one saw it coming. It was eerily calm in the bathroom for a while, as Marion was innocently taking a shower. Some people may have saw it coming but I did not until the camera was on the door behind the shower curtain and then it all happened. The point of a thriller is to be sitting on the edge of your seat the whole time waiting for the next big thing to happen, so in a way I was viewing it that way in this scene, because usually something happens in the shower, in any movie. It's just a classic position of being completely vulnerable so that anything can happen and you can't escape. If it was just a little part of the plot, like if Marion was just taking a shower to wash the day off, then the movie might just have shown Marion getting out of the shower, but it was an important scene as soon as Marion flushed the evidence of her transaction down the toilet.

What other factors make a scene suspenseful?

Psycho

Psycho is not necessarily the scariest movie today, but at the time it was like no other movie before. The shower scene is undoubtedly the most famous part of the entire film. I think one of the biggest reasons that scene stuck with people is because of how "real" it felt. When people are taking showers, they are at their most vulnerable. Trapped in a small area with no clothing or protection, you feel very exposed and trapped. Also, a shower is a place everyone goes. It isn't some creepy mansion or forest. The killer wasn't some monster, it was a regular person. Everything felt plausible, and the realer a horror or thriller movie seems, the greater impact it will have. Audiences after the movie would jump at a shadow moving behind the curtain for months. Also, the score played a huge role in the fear factor. The sound was sudden, violent, and harsh on the ears. It still remains one of the most iconic musical cues in cinema. There was one shot in particular that was very unique, when the camera transitions from the drain to Marion's eye. What is the significance of that?

Psycho

Psycho per say wasn't the scariest movie known to most people, but it was the fact that it was a psychological horror movie. Hitchcock does a good job with turning a basic human into a psychologically messed up man where it's easy to believe that he can exist on earth. What made it scary to viewers was the fact that it was a realistic horror that can happen in real life. It's easier for the viewers to picture a psychologically disturbed man who kills, but doesn't realize that he's killing. Norman suffers from multiple personality disorder which allows him to switch from being Norman Bates to his mother.

Hitchcock uses the unknown and suspense to create the scariest parts of the movie. When the viewers first meet Norman you don't think that he could be a serial killer who has two personalities. Hitchcock waits until the very end to reveal that Norman isn't just one person. The use of this psychological disorder is what scares the viewers the most because it's abnormal and very unusual.

Compared to other horror movies such as Paranormal Activity, Jeepers Creepers, and Friday the 13th it's much less scary, but in a sense that it's not graphic with blood and craziness every second of the film. Norman Bates is a character that gets inside of the viewers heads and creates the fear that we would normally feel in other horror movies.

Do you think that Norman Bates would be more terrifying having two personalities or just one?

Psycho

Noah Pines

Hitchcock's Usage of Unusual Shots

Alfred Hitchcock was an incredible filmmaker, and is still today regarded as one of the best directors of all time. After finishing watching Psycho, it was very obvious to me that Hitchcock took advantage of many unusual camera movements to enhance the viewing experience, making the audience feel more like they were in the scene, watching everything.

The first unusual shot is when the camera zooms in on a window, then passes through a crack, into the room as a couple is getting dressed after sex (another unusual scene to see in a movie). This shot gave the effect that we were just floating into this scene. (This camera movement has been imitated many times, most notably in two Mel Brooks movies, involving the camera smashing through the glass of a window as it tracks too far forward.) Hitchcock also uses lots of extreme high angles to achieve this effect.

Two other unusual shots occur during the shower scene. The first one is when you see Marion showering, and you see the silhouette of Norman Bates appear through the shower curtain. This a very scary moment, because the moments leading up to it are full of suspense. No music is played, only natural sounds are heard, making it feel like you are right there in the scene with Marion. The second shot is after the stabbing, when water is seen going down the drain, and the image dissolves to match Marion's open eye.

Why did AH choose to have the drain shot match up with Marion's eye?

BONUS: Here's a clip from Mel Brooks' High Anxiety (a film devoted to spoofing the movies of Hitchcock), which is a direct parody of the shower scene from Psycho.

http://www.movieweb.com/video/VIemyffhiS5Chh

Psycho

Psycho is without question a classic masterpiece of horror. The entire film makes the viewer incredibly nervous and in some scenes, terrified. It has no doubt inspired several of the countless amount of horror movies being released today, most of which are regrettably sub-par. The surprise reveal that Norman Bates was the killer all along is a brilliant plot twist, and one that no doubt shocked audiences across the world. However, in the midst of all of this genius and hype, I feel that something important has been overlooked. During "Mother's" final monologue, she reveals that she was never the killer, and that it had always been Norman. If we are to believe this, then it virtually erases all of the action in the plot. We are initially led to believe that "Mother" is insanely jealous of her son, and will kill any woman he is attracted to. The reveal at the end of the film seems to contradict this. It wouldn't be a problem, except for the fact that Norman happens to kill all of his victims while dressed as "Mother". If it is his normal persona committing the murders, then why does he do this? Do you think Hitchcock had a vision behind this, or do you think it was just for plot convenience?

Psycho

After watching the film Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock something that was unclear for me towards the end was if we should have felt bad for Marion or not. As our main character it was tough to get a read on Marion, but I think Hitchcock was trying to show that crime is payed with crime.

In the beginning of the movie when Marion is driving we are constantly reminded she has a conscience as she continues to replay the consequences in her head, making her hesitant to keep on traveling. I think her pulling over because of the rain was her morals pleasing with her to give this rash decision some more thought. Consequently, she does decide to make the trip back to Phoenix when she figures out how much she owes out of the 40,000.

When Marion steps into the all white shower her innocence reappears and is ready to make the trip back from where she came. This white background reflects that she has made a 360 change in her life but was this enough? Clearly, Hitchcock didn't believe that she was worthy of leaving the Bates Motel to make up for her mistakes.

I asked myself if I was in control of the movie would I let Marion survive or not, so I reviewed everything she did up to that point. The answer that came to me was of course she should of had the opportunity for reconciliation. A quick decision to escape with 40,000 dollars which came with visible self questioning and guilt made the audience surprised when she was killed. I also believe she was a good person because of the reactions of her sister and the fact her boss wasn't pressing charges.

All White background

Psycho

Psycho is a frightening story about a hotel where multiple people suddenly disappear. Through the entire film, there is a conflicting message about the good and the evil inside of us, and when which chooses to come out.

This theme is obvious as we monitor the multiple personalities within Norman Bates battle in conflict of each other. What is less obvious is that this theme is also imbedded throughout other parts of this film.

For Norman, it is a constant struggle for him to see the good above the bad, because as it was revealed in the end, his mother's personality is inside of him. In the above clip, we see the actual Norman, describing how hard it is for him to contain mother, or his "bad" side. Because he has morphed her persona into an murderer. For Norman, this makes it difficult for him to fight off the urges that are formed from his mothers "jealousy". When his mother comes through, I believe this is when he choses the bad over the good.

This theme is seen earlier in the movie when Marion Crane decides to steal the 40,000 dollars for herself. She continues to have thoughts to herself about whether it was a good decision. This decision to steal the money was an example of the bad inside of her taking over, in a less extreme way than in Normans case. The good inside her finally comes out when she makes the decision to return to her life before she goes into the shower. It just so happens that she never has the chance to actually persue her new plan.

Are there any other moments where the good and bad are in conflict within the characters?

Psycho

The film Psycho, released in 1960 by director Alfred Hitchcock, still remains as one of the most popular thrillers of movie history. One of the most compelling themes throughout the film that gives it so much hype is the use of music in relation to plot. Leading character, Marian while showering there is no use of non-diegetic sound. However, once the murderer which we find out to later be Norman, opens the bathroom curtain, a spike in music and loud non diegetic sounds are heard. The decision to not play the loud music before she was stabbed was actually a lot more powerful than the suspicious anxious music usually played before something bad happens. The avoidance of non-diegetic sound actually makes the viewer feel as though he or she is actually there, while most of the time the non-diegetic sound can be distracting or take away from the legitimacy of the scene. Another instance where non-diegetic sound is used is when the detective is climbing up the steps of Norman's house, and while slowly climbing, we hear slow violin instrumental playing in the background. Although I mentioned that the avoidance of non-diegetic sound before the murder in the previous scene with Marion was very effective, I actually think the use of nondiegetic sound in the detective scene is very effective as well. The reason being is that, while Marion is in the shower, we can see Norman through the curtain and know the murder is seconds away from happening. On the other hand, with the detective, although we can most likely guess that he will be stabbed within moments, we cannot see anything else but him in the shot, therefore we are left much more curious about when the stabbing or murder will happen. Therefore, the non-diegetic music does a great job at building up our suspicion. In your opinion, is the use of non-diegetic sound effective or distracting? When is it effective? When can it be distracting?

Psycho

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, is one of the most horrifying movies of all time. It had a level of suspense that made the scenes leading up to the murder scarier than the murder itself. In the first murder scene you don't hear any music but you see a dark shadowy figure in the left corner of the shot. Even though you don't hear suspenseful music right away, you do hear it when Norman or 'mother' pulls the shower curtain open.

The way Hitchcock uses that sudden loud music makes you jump from your seats even though you knew it was coming. 

The other murder scene with Arbogast was suspenseful because you didn't know what was going to happen. You knew as he was creeping around the house and the sudden switch to seeing a door start to creep open and the music slightly playing until the part where Norman walks out and the music gets sharp again like the first murder scene. This adds to the suspense because you start to expect something bad to happen but don't know when or what it is so you're left at the edge of your seat with your hands slightly covering your eyes just enough so you can see the screen but you can quickly cover up.

Do you think his use of loud music right when the killer attacks is effective enough? Or do you prefer the way horror movies have music going before going on when nothing bad has happened yet?

Psycho

When it was first released in 1960, Psycho was considered one of the scariest movies of all time, and it certainly was one of the scariest for it's time, being one of the first movies that exposed such a dark view of humanity. Before Psycho, most horror movies told stories of the supernatural and of monsters that couldn't ever happen, but Hitchcock brought a new story to the table by taking the monster that someone would usually have to physically fight and placed it inside of Norman Bates's head. Norman himself then became the illusion of a monster, which was scarier than a real monster to most people because when we first met Norman he seemed like a totally normal guy, maybe a little jittery and jumpy, but normal nonetheless. This would make the movie scarier because of the fact that Norman has two personalities living inside him, and you never know which one is going to come out and attack, but besides that, he appears as a normal man running a motel.

Psycho was certainly very scary for it's time, but do you think it still has the qualities that would scare most moviegoers today?

Psycho

Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was created in 1960 which was considered the beginning of the horror film era. At this time it was considered the scariest film of all time, because of all it's suspense due to eye-line matches, and music.

The shower scene was definitely the scariest scene in the film and the most suspenseful due to the way it was shot and the music that played during. The scene at a length of three minutes included medium shots, and extreme close ups. The score consisted of all string instruments that gave the scene an eerie and suspenseful lead into the murder and a consistent feeling of freight during the murder.

Specifically this shot was the shadow figure we began to see through the shower curtain which increased the suspense level in the scene and foreshadowed that something bad was going to happen.
What considers a film horror? Does this live up to today's standards of horror or a thriller?

Psycho

The Use of Birds in Psycho

There are several instances in Psycho when birds are prevalent in the scene, leading the viewer to believe that they are more than just a coincidence. First of all, the leading lady's last name is Crane, which is especially symbolic after she is found by Norman and the bird photo on her wall is knocked down in his short-lived panic. The picture falls to the ground, just like Marion in the bathroom. Notably, when Lila and Sam check into their motel room, the photos on their walls are of flowers, not birds.

Another example is the entirety of the parlor scene, including the conversation between Marion and Norman. One of the first things out of his mouth is "You eat like a bird," which begins the implication that Marion herself is the metaphorical bird. This idea is slightly more concrete when Norman is shot from a low angle about halfway through their conversation (1:50 in the video clip). There is one of his stuffed birds behind his head, looking down at Marion. This seems symbolic of Norman stalking Marion like predator and prey, just like his beloved birds do. Norman stuffed birds because of their passive nature, foreshadowing his killing of the innocent. 

Even though Norman was acting as his mother, do you think he intended to kill Marion from the beginning as the birds would imply, or did mother really just take over in an act of jealousy induced rage?

Psycho

Psycho

        The most horrendous aspect of horror films is the fear of the unknown. In the film Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, there are a lot of unknowns. After Marion Crane was stabbed, it almost felt like a mystery because all of the characters were trying to figure out where she was while the viewers were trying to figure out what Norman Bates was hiding. It turned out that Norman was trying to preserve his deceased mother's spirit by taking on her personality. In the final scene, Norman's insanity is intensified by the camera techniques. The camera slowly zooms into Norman's face while we hear his mother's creaky old voice. The music also enhances the feeling of insanity because it is high pitched and slow, which leads to a creepier tone rather than suspenseful. The lighting is neither low key nor high key, which enables us to see his entire face. Norman also breaks the fourth wall, which is the first time we see this in Psycho. It is eery because it seems as though he is looking directly into your eyes as if to say, "you're next". This is the last shot of Norman in the film, so the audience never finds out what happens to him. As the shot dissolves from his face to the shot of Marion's car getting pulled out, you can see some of Mrs. Bates skull on Norman's face, which again shows how truly messed up he is.

      Another time insanity is intensified is when Marion Crane is driving after she stole the money. She begins to hear conversations in her head and the suspenseful music picks up. After a while, the lighting gets dimmer and she begins to smile, similarly to the way Norman did at the end of the film. Although Marion and Norman were both driven a little insane, Norman became out of control. In what other ways were Norman and Marion portrayed similarly throughout the film?

Psycho

The film Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock (1960) was towards the beginning of the horror film era which is why its made a significant impact of thrillers today. One of the most impactful techniques that put a major significance on the film was the use of anticipation. Hitchcock used repeating eye match camera movement and music to create this feeling. In my opinion, I believe the scene that used this most impact fully is when Marion's sister Lila is walking up the hill towards Norman's house. 

(http://www.thingsinmovies.com/the-psycho-house-in-psycho/)

The camera goes from the perspective of Lila to eye match on the house multiple times as the music builds as she is getting closer. This was an anticipated moment where the audience almost can't wait to see what is inside. Throughout the whole film it has been such a mystery and audiences usually fear the unknown greatly in horror films. This scene could have been looked at as not very noteworthy however it stood out to me and had a great impact. 

What other scenes stood out to you in the aspect of anticipation in Psycho?