Psycho

The basic plot for Psycho, or as much of it as I've seen, is that Marion Crane has stolen money from her boss, is running away, and stays at a motel. In this motel she meets Norman Bates, the motel owner, who lives with his mother and loves taxidermy. When showering, Marion is repeatedly stabbed and dies.

There are some amazing generic thriller aspects in this film.
Bates love taxidermy -stuffing animals - but especially birds. He thinks they look the most beautiful out of all animals. His name is Bates, and he is almost like bait, to draw people in. Crane is known as a beautiful bird, and so it is like she is the bird, taking the bait, which is soon to be stuffed. It connotes that Marion is going to have the same fate as the birds, which adds to the constant tension.
Bates even says, "You eat like a bird." Birds, like her, are passive.

At the start of the film, when Marion is still innocent, and hasn't done anything wrong, she wears white underwear. After commiting the crime, she wears black underwear. This shows how she has changed as a person, and her moral code has plunged. Shes been tempted by the money which she thinks can buy her love.

There are frequently low angle, tilt shots of Bates, his hotel and its déco. This makes everything seem more threatening, and more surreal. They also have lit from a low angle, making the shadows bigger, more surreal and threatening.

It has a suspensive soundtrack.
Its shot in black and white, film noir, making it darker and more nightmarish
Cinema is voyeuristic - the zoom into the hotel, makes us feel as though we are watching and imposing. Bedroom window shot connotes this.
It has the deviant femme fatale.
The cheap motel is an unglamerous location - where many people cheat secretly from their wives etc.
The music mirrors a heartbeat.
Regular use of close ups - mainly of the money, Marions face and hands and car mirrors.
Almost silent, use of diagetic sound.


In our thriller, we used Psycho's idea of wrapping the money in newspaper. Also we have tried to use low lighting, to get similar distorted shadows.