Monday, November 7, 2016

"Psycho" - A Conceptual Analysis

"Psycho" - A Conceptual Analysis
Written by: Cameron J. Smith


Starring: Anthony Perkins, Janet Leigh, Vera Miles, John Gavin.
Directed by: Alfred Hitchcock

    First and foremost, this film is cinema and horror gold! I have liked and enjoyed every film we have collectively watched thus far, but this one has to be my favorite. Anyone reading this can argue that the film is out of date, or even laughable when it comes to the murder scenes -- or, just because it's a pre-2000 black & white movie. I, however, would take these facts into consideration: A) This was (arguably) the first slasher film, so stabbing scenes were in their infancy; B) This film was groundbreaking for it's time! On the list of classic movies that stand the test of time, this easily makes the list. Critically, the acting is great, the dialogue flows well, it's aesthetically beautiful, the cinematography is great, the non-diegetic score by Bernard Herman is perfectly fitting (and chilling), and the main characters are very intriguing; most of all, however, it is to this day extremely haunting, and the film's highlights come at the most unexpected of times.

    What I really want to look at, however, is the concepts of the film and how they correlate with us and our world. While the second half (to me) was somewhat more juicy than the first half, this first half contains great dialogue, comic relief, imagery, and insight into the mind of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh). Throughout Marion's various interactions with other people, we see these hypothetical scenarios played out in her head, permeating her state of mind after she steals the $40,000.00 from her employer. One of the most famous (and meaningful) lines of the film which takes place during the conversation between Crane and Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) is "we all go a little mad sometimes, don't you?" While this line is made clearer in the second half of the film, it holds true to Crane, as while she doesn't appear as a wicked or immoral person, she decides to steal the $40,000.00 under of her own freewill and uses the money for her own aspirations. She is seen/heard by the audience playing out hypothetical scenarios out in her head as if they are real and lets her thinking permeate the moment.

    I am not trying to nitpick or overthink aspects of this film -- as many movie nerds attempt to do. Rather, I only want to come to a clear, cohesive analysis of this film and include the parts of the film that hold weight and are meaningful to us (the audience). To my understanding, this film represents the idea of the public/personal personas, and that only one can take over our mind. The big twist of this film is that Norman Bates is a split personality of himself and his deceased mother, which is truly as my friend Gerald Mallison calls it: "the twist that shocked the world." Furthermore, you can argue that this somewhat ties into Marion Crane as well. The character of Crane appears (to me) as a proper, physically attractive, and working woman who has good goals and ambitions in store for her future. However, she goes "a little mad" and steals the $40,000.00 to pursue her ambition of getting married to her partner Sam (John Gavin). Another quote I found interesting and meaningful was from Marion's sister Lila (Vera Miles): "Patience doesn't run in my family, (Sam)." Despite Marion's sweet disposition, she has a side of her which causes her to be "the first customer to high-pressure a salesman," fake her identity, and "eat like a bird."

    In case you're wondering, the answer is yes -- I wrote down a lot of quotes during my critical viewing. Some of the best lines in the film come from the dialogue between Crane and Bates during their dinner in the parlor full of stuffed/preserved birds by taxidermy master himself, Norman Bates. I've already mentioned one (you should be able to guess it), but another I loved is again from Norman when referring to his mother: "she's as harmless as one of those stuffed birds." Considering that Alfred Hitchcock's next film after this one discussed was The Birds, that quote seems pretty ironic to say the least.

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