The 1960s slasher film ‘Psycho’ set new precedents for both filmmaking and the entire horror genre. The film depicts the harrowing story of Norman Bates, a serial killer with a murderous split personality disorder and Marion Crane; a woman with a guilty conscience and the tale of her gory end. The overall feeling of fear that looms over the film heavily correlates with the filmic devices; from the choice to use black and white entirely, down to the angle of the lighting. Each frame is very thought out and paired all together, creates the desired dark effect. In this text I will be discussing the use of color and lack thereof, the music and sound effects and the use of lighting and angles.
Although they were still being integrated, colored movies were coexistent at the time of the release of ‘Psycho’ and the black and white picture was an orchestrated choice made by the team behind the screen. This decision puts ‘Psycho’ apart from many other movies of its kind and makes the iconic scenes even more easily identifiable. The use of black and white instills the desired fearful approach by casting darkness and shadows on the cast and set. Black and white is widely perceived as more eerie, for example, teenagers’ fear of the dark. The absence of color makes it appear more solemn and sinister, so without even seeing the intendedly scary parts - you might be more expectant of them, than in a film of the same caliber, in color. Hitchcock has since said that one reason he shot ‘Psycho’ in black and white, was because he thought that some of the scenes might’ve been ‘too much’ for some of the audience if they’d been shot in color. This may sound excessive because the film is relatively tame by modern standards, but it should be noted that ‘Psycho’, in its time was quite racy for its time. For example, it was the first American movie to show an actress in her underwear. The use of black and white in ‘Psycho’ creates a haunting image and is a crucial part of the creation.
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The importance of music and sound effects in film is immeasurable and ‘Psycho’ is no exception. The rapid screeching of violins and the crescendos in the music add enormously, to the discomfort made by the visual aspect. The intense composition of sound builds tension and suspense for the viewer and creates a truly terrifying atmosphere. Even if you were to shut your eyes to eliminate the visuals and solely listen to the auditory components, the music could still create that coveted sense of fear. The entire soundtrack was written for strings, which in the industry at this time, was associated with romance. In the famous shower scene, it begins with just the sound of heavy rainfall from the shower head. Following this, in the climax of the scene very intense, high pitched, repetitive music begins, creating a heightened awareness and layer of tension as it’s so disruptive and agitating. This soundtrack makes the scene immensely more frightening as it’s so apparent, and in some ways imitates screaming, which we are wired to associate with terror. Without the score in ‘Psycho’, the film would be considerably less powerful and wouldn't convey half the fear and tremendous emotion that it does.
Finally, comes the use of angles and frames in ‘Psycho’. The large variation in angles and camera placement; all tie together in very creative ways and undoubtedly play a role in the effectiveness of the unsettling horror portrayed in the film. Under Hitchcock’s direction he’s said that he wants to treat the camera as if it's not one. In attempts to give the shots a sort of ‘human quality’ he often set it up for the camera to pan around the room allowing the plot to reveal itself visually by closing in on objects that explain plot elements. This can give the audience the feeling of being involved in uncovering the story. In one scene, Norman takes a picture frame off of the wall in his office to reveal a pervert’s peephole. As he peers in, we cut to his point of view as he watches Marion undress. The shift from objective camera to subjective camera (POV) not only plants us inside his perspective, but also forges a subliminal feeling that we’re complicit in watching and perhaps feel a link to the crime. Another technique used is ‘montage’. This is used very effectively in once again; the famous shower scene. In this scene specifically, montage is used by stringing a sequence of rapid, short clips and combining them with equally fast and overwhelming audio on top. This technique creates an aggressive, heart-racing scene. What many audience members fail to not realize is that in the duration of the scene you never actually see the knife make impact. The impression of actual violence is done with quick editing, and the proof of this convincing camera play is evident in the fact that we know that she's dead. Following the fast-paced murder is a series of longer close-up clips and slower, more emotive music. These clips now show the shower stream, the draining blood and water, a limp hand and lastly the lifeless eye of the now deceased Marion Crane. This gives time for the viewers to mourn and process the thing they've just witnessed. The use of these devices are the core of the overall efficiency and effectiveness of ‘Psycho’.
In conclusion, the use of filmic devices in ‘Psycho’ is an integral core to the overall cinematic experience and adds enormously to the lingering fear that engulfs the film. There are many reasons why ‘Psycho’ was such a classic when it was released and how its managed to remain a classic, to this day. Hitchcock used new film making ideas and successfully experimented and incorporated different techniques.
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