Cinematic Techniques In Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
Subtlety Jillian Miller
The Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho broke box-office records when first introduced in 1960. Hitchcock’s cinematography involving the skillful use of black and white film enabled him to effectively play with shadows and silhouettes. These devices are used throughout this movie to influence and manipulate the audience into various states of comfort and terror throughout the film. It is the clever use of duality in human nature and the associated environments that surround the main character that makes Psycho a true American cinema classic. Psycho opens with an extensive view of Arizona that highlights the spacious scenic background …show more content…
This movie was written after Hitchcock had done North by Northwest, which used vivid colors and color technology that was then available. Instead, Hitchcock’s use of black and white provided a device to add suspense that could not be achieved in color. For example, the stuffed animals at the Bates Hotel look more sinister in black, and cast scary shadows across the screen. Additionally, lighting is used as a device to create shock. Towards the end of the movie Marion’s sister Lila enters the Bates fruit cellar looking for her sister. In this scene she discovers the actual corpse of Norman’s mother. In the fruit cellar, the body of Norman’s dead mother is brought to life in a creative device by Hitchcock. The dead body is shown with a laughing face and eyes moving. When Lila wildly waves her hands, she continuously hits the low hanging light bulb in the cellar. This effect causes the light bulb to sway and creates a series of terrifying dancing shadows. The eyes of the corpse look realistic, but in actuality Hitchcock is skillfully using the light in the room to animate the corpse and makes them appear
The Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho broke box-office records when first introduced in 1960. Hitchcock’s cinematography involving the skillful use of black and white film enabled him to effectively play with shadows and silhouettes. These devices are used throughout this movie to influence and manipulate the audience into various states of comfort and terror throughout the film. It is the clever use of duality in human nature and the associated environments that surround the main character that makes Psycho a true American cinema classic. Psycho opens with an extensive view of Arizona that highlights the spacious scenic background …show more content…
This movie was written after Hitchcock had done North by Northwest, which used vivid colors and color technology that was then available. Instead, Hitchcock’s use of black and white provided a device to add suspense that could not be achieved in color. For example, the stuffed animals at the Bates Hotel look more sinister in black, and cast scary shadows across the screen. Additionally, lighting is used as a device to create shock. Towards the end of the movie Marion’s sister Lila enters the Bates fruit cellar looking for her sister. In this scene she discovers the actual corpse of Norman’s mother. In the fruit cellar, the body of Norman’s dead mother is brought to life in a creative device by Hitchcock. The dead body is shown with a laughing face and eyes moving. When Lila wildly waves her hands, she continuously hits the low hanging light bulb in the cellar. This effect causes the light bulb to sway and creates a series of terrifying dancing shadows. The eyes of the corpse look realistic, but in actuality Hitchcock is skillfully using the light in the room to animate the corpse and makes them appear