CGA- Unit 4 Storytelling Essay.

Analyzing the film Psycho (1960) in terms of the relationship between story and structure, camera movement, editing, and order of scenes.

Anastasios-Odyssefs Ntinopoulos

Introduction This essay will analyze the film Psycho (1960) directed by Alfred Hitchcock. The essay focuses in the storyboard of the film and the film techniques that have been used in the movie. Camera movement, editing and order of the scenes will be investigated in order to produce an overview of the techniques that have been used. The technique of voyeurism in terms of plot and storyboard will be discussed. The McGuffin plot device will be discussed in terms of plot and how is being successfully used in the film Psycho (1960). Furthermore the montage editing of Alfred Hitchcock will be discussed and analyzed. Comparisons with other movies, Pulp Fiction (1994), Rear Window (1954) will be done in order to be fully understood. The sources I will use are: Film Analysis: Vertigo, Psycho, and the Birds, Movie analysis: Voyeurism in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, Cinema Studies : Key Concepts, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho : A Casebook. Main essay Alfred Hitchcock is the director of the film Psycho (1960). Alfred Hitchcock was a British film producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and thriller genre which many of his film were. His techniques still remain very innovative and he has remained one of the best directors of all times. Psycho tells the story of a woman, Marion Crane who runs away with the money of a customer. She ends up in a motel where she meets Norman. She is murdered in the motel in the famous shower scene. After the murder there is an investigation about Marion who has been missing where in the end Norman ends up in jail. In Psycho (1960) the story is divided in two parts. Hitchcock used the McGuffin technique in Psycho and in other movies he produced. The McGuffin technique is used successfully in Psycho (1960). It is a plot device technique. When Hitchcock uses the McGuffin technique he gives emphasis to something that is the main aspect of the story but as the storyboard continues and plot evolves the audience is immersed to the story and the incidents that has been happening. As a result the audience forgets the main thing and the main aspect of the film in which the story have started and continues to be hooked up with the storyboard. The McGuffin is a motive that gives to the story something to start but it has not a very significant role in the plot and in the overall storyboard of the film. The McGuffin technique is often and most times used in thrillers. Hitchcock used the McGuffin plot device successfully in his movie. Basically, the MacGuffin is something that the story line is built upon, but it has no significant purpose. The MacGuffin is a technique in Hitchcock's development of the plot in many of his films, but its use is perfected in none other than Psycho. (Yahoo, 2005). In Psycho (1960) the first part is a different story than the second part. Hitchcock used the McGuffin technique in the first part with the 40.000$ Marion stole. In the second part the McGuffin technique works with the detective carrying an investigation about Marion who has been missing.

Figure 1: The McGuffin successfully used with the money. Figure 2: The McGuffin successfully used with detective.

In the first part the McGuffin is achieved with the 40.000$ that Marion has stolen. Even that the story starts with her going away with the money she stole the audience completely forgets it as soon as she enters the motel up to the point she is murdered in the shower. In the second part of the movie where there is the detective hired the McGuffin is achieved by using the detective for finding Marion but in the end the result is completely different from what have been introduced from the beginning of the second part (Second part after Marion has been murdered) as a key point of the story. The same technique of the McGuffin is being used in the movie Pulp Fiction (1994) directed by Quentin Tarantino. The McGuffin is being used with the suitcase. It implies that something is inside the suitcase but nobody gives emphasis about what really is. Its just a clue that has been given to the audience in order for the director to continue the plot and the storyboard as he wants.

Figure 3: The McGuffin achieved in Pulp Fiction (1994) with the suitcase.

Another aspect that distinguishes Hitchcock for his movies is that in Psycho (1960) and later many other directors elaborated his techniques is the voyeurism that distinguish his scenes. In Psycho there are scenes where the characters are being watched or being followed. This seems obvious in the scene where Marion is being watched by Norman in the scene where he is looking her through the hole in the wall while she is getting undressed. Hitchcock zooms in Norman face and the camera shifts angle to Normans point of view. This isnt the first time Hitchcock uses voyeurism in his film.

Figure 4: Norman looking Marion through the hole in the wall.

Voyeurism gives to his characters and to the storyboard something to be distinguished from everything else. With voyeurism Hitchcock can spot and make visible to the audience certain things he want to point. Voyeurism distinguish his characters and offers an ambiguity to the storyboard. As we watch Psycho it is as if we are true voyeurs, looking from far away and close up and in uncomfortable positions, that we have to turn away from the screen. (Johns, 2008). Another example is in the scene where Marion with her boyfriend kiss each other in the beginning of the film the camera dives from the window and looking through the couple. When her boyfriend recalls his divorce the camera reveals the buildings behind the windows. A technique of voyeurism which possibly implies how their privacy is being invaded. Another example of voyeurism is in the scenes where Marion is being undressed. First with her lover and after in the motel where she has committed the crime of taking the money. Hitchcock gives emphasis to his character by changing the bra she wears. He changes her identity in the audience eyes, he makes her from good to evil by changing the color to black in her bra after she has stolen the money and ran away.

Figure 5,6: Marion with a different bra on two different scenes.

Voyeurism is also used in Hitchcocks film Rear Window (1954). The main theme of the film is voyeurism and questions what we are able and allowed to see with our eye. The whole film is based on voyeurism .

Figure 7: Scene from the film Rear Window (1954).

Hitchcock used montage editing in his movie Psycho (1960). A rapid succession of cuts splicing different shots together to make a particular meaning or indeed create a feeling (such as vertigo, fear, etc.). First employed by the Soviet school, they have become incorporated into avant-garde or art cinema. (Hayward, 2000:78). Hitchcock elaborated this technique in his film Psycho (1960) in the famous shower scene. The shower scene is a great example of montage editing where approximately 70 camera angles where used for the final result we see in the screen. Montage editing was first introduced by Eisenstein. For Eisenstein, montage was a dynamic, political form that allowed the director to construct effects that would energize the viewer. (Kolker, 2004:242). Hitchcock successfully used montage editing in the shower scene in Psycho (1960) and achieving the best visual effect and also achieving to manipulate his audience with the power of the scene. Montage editing consists of many shots in different angles in order to create on the viewer an intense feeling about the scene he is seeing.

Figure 8: The frames from the shower scene in Psycho (1960).

In Psycho (1960) Hitchcock uses non ordinary camera techniques. In the beginning of the film he is moving the camera across the skyline of Arizona in random spots until he stops in the window of Marion and her lover. He also uses objects as mirrors or Normans birds to focus as

they know something , in order to imply that they are watching him and they know something about him.

Figure 9: Hitchcock shooting from the birds angle.

By shooting from an angle that is not regular, in our situation from an angle that we are seeing clearly the bird watching Norman he achieves ambiguity to the audience and focuses on things that have a mysterious connection with the characters and maybe want to imply something. Another great example of Hitchcocks film technique is the transition he makes from one scene to another. In the famous shower scene he transits from the blood swirling to Marions eye successfully.

Figure 10,11: Blood swirling transition to Marions eye.

His transitions in relation with his filming technique and with his camera movement create the perfect atmosphere for a suspense horror film. Conclusion Hitchcock and his techniques still remain innovative until today and he has remained as one of the best directors of all time. His voyeurism , his ambiguity and his techniques that his films are consisted of (in our situation Psycho) have remained as one of the best ones in their genres. He pioneered in many film making techniques and he successfully suspense the audience. His techniques are very interesting and still remain effective in modern cinema. Many directors have used his techniques in terms of film shooting and in terms of storyboard and plot successfully. Illustration List: Figure 1: Psycho (1960): The McGuffin successfully used with the money. http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/28/28_images/psycho_cash.jpg (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 2: Psycho (1960): The McGuffin successfully used with detective. http://www.fernbyfilms.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/snapshot20090107075335.jpg

(Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 3: Pulp Fiction (1994): The McGuffin achieved in Pulp Fiction (1994) with the suitcase. http://i.crackedcdn.com/phpimages/article/5/8/4/52584.jpg?v=4 (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 4: Psycho (1960): Norman looking Marion through the hole in the wall. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/f7Q7pxtR5ps/TY6vYecgWnI/AAAAAAAAABE/1WPzMjYX6X4/s1600/psycho%2B2%2Bojo.png (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 5: Psycho (1960): Marion with a different bra on two different scenes. http://filmdirectors.co/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/psycho1.jpg (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 6: Psycho (1960): Marion with a different bra on two different scenes. http://filmdirectors.co/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/cap094.jpg (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 7: Rear Window (1954): Scene from the film Rear Window (1954). http://www.meldoesirony.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/10_large.jpg (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 8: Psycho (1960): The frames from the shower scene in Psycho (1960). http://filmdirectors.co/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/psycho_montage.jpg (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 9: Psycho (1960): Hitchcock shooting from the birds angle. http://www.visualsoc.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Psycho_39_44_Screenshot.png (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 10: Psycho (1960): Blood swirling transition to Marions eye. http://okinawaassault.files.wordpress.com/2011/03/vlcsnap-2446548.png (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Figure 11: Psycho (1960): Blood swirling transition to Marions eye.http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_N0TSGcQUzgU/S5GDBqOEjhI/AAAAAAAACsc/wM7R8_kiXtc/s6 40/psyeye.jpg (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Bibliography: Yahoo, (2005), Hitchcock Film Analysis: Vertigo, Psycho, and the Birds. http://voices.yahoo.com/article/12808/hitchcock-film-analysis-vertigo-psycho-birds-9897.html (Accessed: 28/2/2012). Johns, Kate (2008), Movie analysis: Voyeurism in Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. http://www.helium.com/items/1180582-psycho-movie-norman-bates-janet-leigh-hitchcockthriller-movies-famous-directors-the-birds (Accessed: 28/2/2012).

Hayward, Susan (2000) Cinema Studies : Key Concepts. USA: Routledge. Kolker, Robert Phillip (2004), Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho : A Casebook. USA:Oxford University Press