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?