NeverShowerAlone:TheArtofSuspenseinHitchcock’s Psycho
Filmsofthehorrorandthrillergenresaresomeofthetopgrossingfilmsinhistory It’sno surprisethatmanyfilmsthatrelyheavilyontheuseofsuspenseandcinematictensiontakeafter thefilmsofAlfredHitchcock.AlfredHitchcock’sstrategicuseofcinematictechniquestocreate suspenseandtensioninhis1960film, Psycho,werenotonlygroundbreakingcinematic innovations,buttheyespeciallypushedtheboundariesofcensorshipinplacein1960’s Hollywood.Inthispaper,Iwillrecountthehistoricalsignificanceofthecreativeandtechnical choicesmadebyHitchcockwhencreatingthisfilm.Hitchcock'schosencinematicandnarrative elementshaveimpactedthefilmindustry’sapproachtosuspenseandthrillmorethananyother filmmaker'sattemptsatthesegenresandarestillseenclearlyinthecontemporaryfilmindustry. Hitchcockaccomplishesthisinanumberofways,themostprevalentbeingmusic,strategic cameramovementandcinematography,andthewithholdingofinformationfromtheaudience. Thesecinematicinnovationshaveproventobeverysuccessfulandsetintomotionanewwayof approachingthrillersandhorrorfilms.
Hitchcock’s1960film, Psycho, beginsbyfollowingMarionCrane,playedbyJanet Leigh.Crane’sbossacquiresahugesumofmoneyandtrustsCranetodeliverittothebank,in loveandnotthinkingclearly,Cranetakesthemoneyandruns.Shebeginsherroadtriptoseeher lover,playedbyJohnGavin,butcatchestheattentionofacoponherway.Shetriestolaylow, stoppingatBatesMotelforthenight,whereshemeetsNormanBates,playedbyAnthony Perkins.Batesshowsherkindness,butCraneisalreadyonedgeassheisontherun.The infamousshowersceneshowsCranebeingstabbedtodeathbyamaskedfigure,wethensee BatespanickingandrunningtocleanupthemessofthemurdererandthendumpingCrane’s bodyandbelongings.Meanwhile,thepeopleCranehasleftbehindstarttonoticeher
disappearance.AprivateinvestigatorishiredandmakeshiswaytoBatesMotelaswell, howeverheismurderedbythesameindistinctcharacter,whowenowbelievetobeNorman’sill mother Normandisposesofhisbodyaswell,meanwhileCrane’ssister,Lila,andherlover,Sam, takechargeoftheinvestigation.TheycontactthelocalsheriffanddiscoverNorman’smotheris longdeceased.TheytakeonBatesMotelthemselvesandLilamakesherwayuptothehouse wherethemotheriskept.Aftersearchingthehouseandhidinginthebasement,shediscoversthe decayingbodyofNorman’smother.Norman,wearingawigandanightgown,attemptsto murderLila,butisstoppedbySam.Batesisarrestedandtheaudiencelearnsviathe psychiatrist’sdiagnosisthatBatessufferswithmultiplepersonalitiesinhismindduetoimmense childhoodtrauma.Hismother’spersonalityislivinginsidehim,asheisdeeplydisturbed.The filmisconcludedbyhearingtheinternavoiceofthemother,whileseeinganimageofBatesin confinement.
ThefirstcinematicelementthatcontributesgreatlytothebuildingofsuspenseinPsycho istheuseofmusicandveryspecificfilmscore.Thisismostlyvisibleinthepieceofmusicthat promptsthefirstknifemurderscene.Thisispartoftheiconicshowerscene,whereCraneis stabbedtodeathbyNormanBatesinthemotelshower Thebrisksoundofrushingwateris interruptedonlybythisspecificpieceofscore,whichhasbecomeastaplesoundtocreate suspenseandasenseofdangerinmanyfilmsafter Psycho. Thispieceofmusicalsoresurfaces throughoutthisfilm,raisingthestakesandpromptingtheaudiencetofeelfearfulandtense.In thebook“Hitchcock’sMusic,”authorJackSullivanwrites“Themomentthemusicstarted,with itsslashingdissonanceandmanicpulse,audiencesknewtheywereinforastomach-churning roller-coasterridetheycouldnotgetoffunlesstheyleftthetheater.”Thispieceofmusicquickly becameaclearsignofdanger,alwaysresultinginheightenedtensionincinema.Thismurdercue
isonlyoneexamplehowever,ofHitchccoksandcomposerBernardHerrmann’suseofmusicto amplifythemoodoradddramatotheactionof Psycho. Recurringmusicalelementsarealso usedtoamplifytheinnocenceofMarionCrane,thedramaofCranebeingontherun,andthe suspenseandmysteryoftheothercharacterstryingtofindher Thereareoftensceneswhere thereisnodialogueatallyetthemotivesanddesiresofthecharactersarecompletelyclear,due tothestrategicmusicandcinematictechniques.
Specificcinematictechniquesincludingcameramovement,cameraangles,andlighting arealsousedtoamplifytheintensityandsuspenseinHitchcock’sfilms, Psycho beingoneofthe mostnotable.Hitchcock’suniqueabilitytomanipulatetheaudienceandinaway,directthem, createsaterrifyingstorythatonesimplycannotturnawayfrom.Theaudienceisprimedinto feelingsympathyforallcharacters,evenwithamurdererpresent,itseemstherearenoreal villains,justpeoplewhoaredisturbedormakemistakes.Cinematographycontributestothisby usingspecificpoint-of-viewshotstogivetheaudiencethatchancetoexperiencetheaction throughtheeyesofthecharactersatrisk.Thisfurtherpersonifiesthecharactersandbuildsthe audience'sconnectionandtrustwiththem.Thistrustisthenmanipulatedbyanglesandcamera movement.Forexample,therearemanyshotswherethecameralooksuponNormanBatesfrom alowangle,establishinghisdominanceandpower Thisleadstheaudiencetotrustthatheisan imminentthreattoMarionCrane.Thistrustisbrokenwhentheaudiencelearnsthatitishisill motherwhoismurderingpeopleandheissimplycleaninguphermessanddoinghisbesttocare forher.ThistrustisthenmanipulatedyetagainwhenitisrevealedthatNormanBates’motheris longdeceasedanditwasNormanallalong.Thisisallrevealedwithoutanarratorormuch dialogueatall.Point-of-viewshots,specificangles,andeyelinematchcutstellmostofthestory, whiletheactorsaresubjecttotheworkofthecamera.Justasspecificmusicdoes,theuseof
silencebuildsuncomfortabletension.Weoftenseeacharacterlookaroundaroom,spot something,reactaccordinglyanddramatically,andthencuttowhattheywereobserving.Thisis averysimpleyeteffectivewaytocommunicatetheaction,motivation,andemotionalresponse evokedinthegivenscene.AuthorKendrickJameswritesabouttheeffectsofprimingandwhyit workedparticularlywellinthecaseofHitchcock’s Psycho inhisarticle“DisturbingNew Pathways:PsychoandthePrimingoftheAudience.”
“Moviegoersin1960hadbeenprimedbyclassicHollywoodnarrativesthatwere traditionallylinearwithonlyminimaluseofflashbacks,littlestylisticembellishment,and arelianceonshot–reverseshotdichotomies.Whenaudi-encesenteredamovietheater, theywereprimedtoexpectcertainthingsfromyearsofmovie-goingexperience”(James, 2010)
Jameswritesthistogivecontexttothetimeoftherelease,whenthesecinematicelementswere fairlynewandoutsideofwhatwastraditionallyseenintheaters.Jamesalsowritesthatitwas intentionalthatthebeginningofthefilm,whenweseeMarionCranewithSamandtakingoff withherboss’smoney,waslongandwasaredherringofsorts.Thiswasagain,apriming methodtosendtheaudiencedownapathofunexpectedactionandtensionwithlittlerelease. Themosticonicsceneinthismovie,formanyreasons,istheshowerscene.Inthisacne, themaincharacterMarionCrane,isstabbedtodeathwhiletakingashower.Thisisawild momentinthefilmitself,aswellasinfilmhistory.Theaudiencehasjustspenttheentirefirst partofthemoviegettingtoknowCrane,understandingherthoughtprocessandmotives,literally hearingthethoughtsinherhead,andnowshe'sdeadandatthebottomofaquarry.A combinationofthehushedandconsistentsoundoftherushingshowerwater,theshakier point-of-viewcameraapproachingCrane,thehighanglesmakingCraneappearweakand
vulnerable,thequickandrhythmiccutsaddingchaosandfeartothescenethatmakethisthe frenziedmurderscenethathasbecomesowell-known.Itthenbecomesclear,withaboutanhour leftinthemovie,thatsheisnotthemaincharacterwethoughtshewas.Shenowservesasthe mainmotivationforalltheotherpeoplelookingforherorlookingtocoverupwhathappened. Sheisstillamaincharacter,butsheisamaincharacterasabodyatthebottomofapond.Thisis amajorturningpoint,promptingtheaudiencetofigureoutwhatthisfilmisreallyaboutnow thatsheisgone.Theselegendarycinematictechniquesandnarrativeelementsworktogetherto createsuspenseinthisscene.
Withtherulesofcensorshipfinallybecomingflexible,Hitchcocktooktheopportunityto playwithsuspense,surprise,andfearin Psycho Thisfilmnotonlyredefinedthegenreofthriller andhorrorfilms,butitsetanewstandardforfilmsofallgenres.Italsoservedasanexampleof theartyoucancreateevenwithlowerbudgetsandlittleinspirationinyourownproject. Psycho notonlyhadhugesuccessatthetimeofitsrelease,butithasalsobecomeacriticallyacclaimed classicaandablueprintforthrillersandmanyfilmswhoaimtoplaywithsuspense.Author DavidThomsoninhisbook,“TheMomentofPsycho:HowAlfredHitchcockTaughtAmerica toLoveMurder,”statesthisaboutthereleaseofHitchcock's Psycho.
“Itwouldgrosssomethinglike$15millioninitsfirstrelease,andthatmeanteventual earningsofatleast$4milliontoHitchcockhimself.Itwasalotmoresuccessfulthanhis recenthits:RearWindowgrossed$5.7million,NorthbyNorthwest$6million,ToCatch aThief$4.5million,andTheManWhoKnewTooMuch$4.1million.”(Thompson, 2009)
Hitchcockshowsmasteryincreatingcinematictensioninmanyways.Itisvisibleinhis choiceofmusic,strategiccameramovementandcinematography,andthewithholdingof
informationfromtheaudience.Thesecinematicinnovationshaveproventobeverysuccessful andsetintomotionanewwayofapproachingthrillersandhorrorfilms.Theimpactof Hitchcock’sinnovationsin Psycho, aswellashisotherfilms,havehadlastingeffectsonthefilm industrytoday TheseelementsandtechniqueshavefullymanifestedincontemporaryAmerican film,specificallyintheHorrorandThrillergenres.
Hitchcock,Alfred,director. Psycho.Universal,1960.
Kendrick,James.“DisturbingNewPathways:PsychoandthePrimingoftheAudience.”The JournalofPopularFilmandTelevision,vol.38,no.1,Taylor&FrancisGroup,2010,pp. 2–9,https://doi.org/10.1080/01956050903293014.
Sullivan,Jack.Hitchcock’sMusic.YaleUniversityPress,2006.
Thomson,David.TheMomentofPsycho:HowAlfredHitchcockTaughtAmericatoLove
Murder.BasicBooks,2009.