Psycho

Psycho



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG3-GlvKPcg

Background
This movie has two halves. In the first half we see Marion Crane steal money and flee to be with her adulterous lover. She is murdered half way through the film which shocks all the audience. The second half is about Norman Bates trying to cover up the killing committed by his so called 'mother'.  Hitchcock use the device of a McGuffin is the stolen money. The end of the film Hitchcock appeared on screen and asked the audience not to give the ending away .

Analysis of Shower scene
The shower scene is one of the most famous scenes in cinema history. There is very fast editing and the discordant soundtrack by Bernard Hermann echoes the knife entering the body. In 1960 the scene was shocking and Janet Leigh the actress claims never to have had a shower.
This infamous scene rivets the viewers with guilty glimpses that reveal nothing, though many viewers may think recall differently, further exemplifying Hitchcock's brilliance for audience manipulation. This scene also horrifies with its brutal stabbing which is seemingly viewed from the killers point of view.

Thrillers
In this thriller there is no hero. Thrillers are usually villain driven plots. Norman bates is the central character for the second half of the film. He is unusual villain in that he appears so normal and likable.
Thrillers have specific devices such as:
Suspense: Marion Crane buys the car with the police watching
Red herring: We think Norman mum is the killer
Cliff Hangers: Is Marion sister going to get killed in the basement at the end?

Alfred Hitchcock
This film was made in 1960 and directed by Alfred Hitchcock. As often happens in Hitchcock's films there is a blonde woman. Hitchcock chose blonde woman (Janet Leigh in this film) to be victims in his films because they look more innocent and any blood or danger seems worse when happening to them. In this film Marion Crane is brutally murdered.