Psycho Analysis - [Film 2017]
 

Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, is an American Thriller/Horror Film released in the United States September 8th, 1960.  The film was based on the book, ‘Psycho’, written by Robert Bloch.  Psycho is now often compared to the greatest of films and is the first film where high levels of deviant behaviour was accepted among the film industry.  This is important as it first set the standards that films after then followed.

 

The cultural context of Psycho takes a major presence in the film.  Since the film was placed in 1960’s America, we can compare the events in the film to the way people saw right and wrong in that time.  A rather important scene in Psycho is one where ‘Marian Crane’, our main protagonist from the beginning of the film, makes the decision to steal the envelope carrying $40,000 and keep it for herself as she flees the city, leading us to the more intense narrative of the film.  

 

Firstly in the scene of 00:11:05, we are taken to the bedroom of Marian Crane where the she has the envelope of money on the bed.  As Marian enters from the left of screen, the camera tracks and focuses onto the envelope laying on the bed.  On top of track, we can hear the non-diegetic music begin playing as we are shown the $40,000 on the bottom-left intersection on the rule of thirds.  The camera angle is set slightly higher than a generic mid-shot to make it seem as if we were looking down on the envelope showing it’s neutral stance but having the envelope of money represent greed within Psycho, which our protagonist is later then punished for falling victim of.  From time to time Marian turns to glance at the envelope as she is frantically packing a suitcase full of clothes creating an anxious-like ambience as she is preparing to sin.  The constant focus of the envelope in this scene foreshadows the action the main protagonist, Marian, takes and characterises her as a victim of earlier-said greed.

 

This scene set in the bedroom is an important one as this is where the dilemma in the narrative and in our protagonist begins.  The mise en scene connotes ‘sinful intentions’ as her clothing has changed from the white underwear she has at the beginning of the film to the black underwear she now wears.  This theory is called ‘Binary Opposition’ as bright lights and the colour white connotes innocence and good whereas the colour black connotes evil and guilt.  Looking at the background we can see that ‘Marian’s room is that of a stereotypical late 1900’s household from the; lampshades, cupboards, photo frames, wallpaper, furniture and curtains.

 

The economic aspect of cultural context is a valid mention here as during 1960s America each dollar was worth much more than it is worth today.  Having said this, $40,000 would have been worth so much more back then than it is worth today, allowing us to understand why ‘Marian’ would give into her greed as she needs the money to marry the man she loves.  We know this because at the beginning of the film, Psycho, the context and dialogue of the narrative explains that ‘Sam Loomis’ was paying off his debts before being able to make his divorce case.  Wanting to leave his current wife for Marian, leaving Marian in the case where her finances are now very important and connected to her love life.  By taking the money,

‘Marian’ is in the situation which can be compared to that of Romeo and Juliet as she leaves everything to be with her love.

 

The following scene, Marian is in her car driving towards the edge of the city when she is stopped at a red light and her employer spots her whilst crossing.  He begins to smile and wave but after a few steps turns around and frowns at her.  This could be the director’s way of showing ‘Marian’s change is character as before she had been a single woman working as a secretary with no faults in record but as she falls victim to greed and takes false action, she is looked at as criminal.  Allowing to give the audience a sense of anxiety with this scene by showing that ‘Marian’ thinks that she is being suspected, it begins to foreshadow events in the future that take a toll on Marian’s life as punishment.  A message to 1960s America that if you sin, you will be punished.  In this case the sin isn’t just of the stolen money but also the affair with a married man.  As this scene plays, diegetic sound of car exhaust is played on top of track but as George Lowery, Marian’s employer, turns to frown, non-diegetic orchestral music is clean-cut on top of track.  

 

With all this taking place, the mise en scene is mostly dark from the ceiling of the car.  Marian is barely off-center to the right where it seems to be the most dark, again showing off the theory, Binary Opposition.  Not quite Chiaroscuro but we can still relate this to Marian’s current characterisation.  

 

From timestamps 00:11:05 ~ 00:13:45, the previously mentioned scenes took part in and gave the audiences a sense of Psycho’s narrative, creating the introduction to the film.  Since the film, Psycho, is of the Thriller Genre it is hard to accurately find it’s psychographics and demographics as thrillers normally cover a variety of the groups.  All in all, Psycho was one of the first of its genre that had been successful in the 1900s, creating the new standard for most genres altogether.  Psycho showed the media that violence was a particular aspect that could be exploited for people’s entertainment.