1

It is impossible to recreate the experience of the audiences who first flocked to see Psycho, unsure of
what they were about to witness. Even if you have not already seen Psycho, you may well have heard a
great deal about it – even its ending – but before you watch it in class, try to describe what expectations
you have of the film.

TASK:

1. What ideas does the title 'Psycho' bring to mind? What emotions does the title create in you –
excitement, dread, curiosity? Try to explain your response.

2. Look at the poster for the film on the cover of this guide. What do you notice about the lettering in
the title graphics? What effect does the word 'psycho' have on you? Does it add to your expectations of
the film? What does it suggest about the mind of or behavior we can expect from the person it refers
to?

3. Psycho was released in 1960. Do you expect that it will be old fashioned? In what ways?

2
 ALFRED HITCHCOCK - DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER

When you hear the name Steven Spielberg, what kind of film would you expect to see? If you can
answer this question, you will understand the similar power that Alfred Hitchcock had over the cinema-
going public in 1959, when he decided to make Psycho, his 47th film. Hitchcock’s directing career started
in 1922. By 1959 he was one of Hollywood’s best-known personalities. His films often contained a short
personal appearance by him as an extra, sometimes carrying or wearing something that drew attention
to his size or made him look silly. In Psycho he is the man in the Stetson standing on the street, who
glances at Marion Crane as she returns late from her long lunch break with Sam. His television program,
Alfred Hitchcock Presents, was amongst the top ten shows then being screened and his humorous, but
rather twisted introductions to these Sunday night mystery dramas, further increased his reputation for
the unusual and the macabre.

The book by Robert Bloch based on the real-life killings of psychopath Ed Gein in Plainfield, Wisconsin,
had already been rejected by Paramount Studios as ‘impossible to film ‘, when Hitchcock paid $9,000 for
the film rights. Paramount were horrified that Hitchcock should consider Psycho suitable material, and
did everything they could to put him off; even claiming that there was no Paramount studio space
available for him to use. Hitchcock was determined to film Psycho and came up with a financial formula
that even Paramount could not refuse. He agreed to pay for the film himself and give up his usual
$250,000 director’s fee. He even arranged to make the film using facilities at Paramount’s rival studio,
Universal International. In exchange, Paramount agreed to promote and distribute the film and give
Hitchcock sixty per cent ownership of the final negative.

3
 K1937.
THE FILMING OF PSYCHO

There were actually 78 separate camera set-ups needed for the shower scene and it took seven days
to film. Among the technical headaches were the problems of keeping pieces of moleskin glued to Janet
Leigh (Marion) to prevent her appearing nude; filming the head-on shots of the water pouring out of the
shower (solved by blocking some of the central shower holes and using a long lens to prevent the
camera being soaked, although the camera crew were less fortunate) and filming ‘Mother’ from inside
the shower. The walls on each side of the shower were detachable to enable the crew to film Marion’s
demise from every possible angle.

4
 K K
THE FORM OF PSYCHO

When a work of art such as a film like Psycho is said to have form, it is the overall relationship, the
shapes and patterns created by the various elements that make up the film, which is being referred to.
One reason for Psycho’s popularity is the fact that it is a very complex film, it is full of links and
connections, and because of its intricate form it’s usually possible to see something new each time you
watch it.

THE STORY STRUCTURE

The idea of starting the story with a woman escaping with money, who comes to a sticky end in a motel
shower, was in the original Robert Bloch novel, but it was Hitchcock’s screenwriter Joseph Stefano who
really recognized the shock potential of this story structure. It was he who decided to devote nearly a
third of’ the film to her and her problems, getting the audience on her side, only to bump her off and
leave everyone unsure of where they were or with whom to identify.

CHARACTERIZATION
The people we see on screen in Psycho are characters created at first by a writer and then interpreted
by actors cast to play the roles. This may seem a
painfully obvious point. But the fact that their
performances can convince or move us is a tribute to
the lines they are given to speak and their capacity to
represent their characters effectively.

What this means is that they present the formal

elements that make up a character - voice, expressions,
body language etc. - in a consistent and meaningful
way. If’ Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) began winking
at us or kept reminding us that he was not really a
murderer, then we would quickly cease to be involved
in the drama of his situation and probably start to laugh
at these Monty Python-like developments.

Task

Look at the following point-of-view shots.

5
Remember that at each moment we are meant to feel we are
seeing things through the eyes of a character. What emotions do
we experience alongside them and how do the shots contribute
to our feelings for the character? Are we made to experience
sights that implicate us, make us share the guilt or voyeurism of
certain characters?

SHOT: EMOTIONS CHARACTER/AUDIENCE SHARE:

Marion's view of the stolen

Marion's car window view

6
7
 K K
REPETITION

Hitchcock planned every part of Psycho long before the filming began and little that is in the film is there
by accident. To give a story shape, a director may often include repetitions; events, themes or even
objects that keep turning up. Psycho is full of such repetitions or motifs. Motifs are often a helpful way
of discovering the deeper meanings of a film and Psycho is no exception. For instance, what significance
can you spot in the change of Marion’s underwear before/after her crime?

One of the most significant motifs concerns the theme of double-ness and centers on mirror images.

Task
Fast forward through the film and watch the following scenes in

which mirroring occurs:

 Marion packing her bag

 Marion in the second-hand car lot's

lavatory

 Marion's view of her eyes in the rear

view mirror as she drives
 Marion as she checks into the Bates’
Motel
 Arbogast as he questions Norman
about Marion's disappearance
 Lila and Sam as they check into the Bates’ Motel
 Lila in Mrs. Bates' bedroom
At each of these moments ask yourself what the character is
thinking, planning or pretending to be, just as a double image of
them is on the screen. What is the big difference between Lila's
reaction to her mirror image and Marion's response to hers?
What does this reveal about their characters?

8
Assessment Questions:

1. If Psycho were made today, in what ways do you think it would it differ from the original?

2. Do you think Psycho is a better film for not showing us everything and leaving some things to our
imagination? Why or why not?

3. Choose ONE of the following film-making techniques and explain how Hitchcock’s use of this
technique enhanced the film.

 Perspective
 Sound
 Color

9
Name________________________________ Due date:____________

Multimedia Study of Horror

Bates Motel serves as a contemporary prequel to the genre-defining film, Psycho, and promises to give
viewers an intimate portrayal of how Norman Bates’ psyche unravels through his teenage years.

Directions: After viewing the first episode of Bates Motel, make connections between the events in the
show and those that come to transpire later on in Psycho. You should focus on plot, the development of
Norman’s character, and the intricate relationship between Norman and his mother (and how she helped
to forge the person he was to become).

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

10
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

11
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

12