Research task 3: Psycho Notes

Task 1:

Instructions: Write AGREE (A) or DISAGREE (D) for each of these statements.

If you DISAGREE, please write a short response as to why you disagree with the statement.

Level 1: Do these things actually occur in the film?

1)    Marion’s behaviour at the car yard arouses suspicion. A

2)    Marion stops at the Bate’s motel because it is raining. A

3)    Norman does not live alone. D - His mother is imaginary as a personality.

4)    Norman’s parlour is full of stuffed birds. A

5)    The shower scene is an example of montage. A

6)    The shower curtain makes a useful shroud. A

7)    Norman covers for his mother’s crime because he loves her. A

8)    Norman is extremely open and helpful when Arbogast calls. D - He killed Arbogast

9)    Arbogast is seen climbing the stairs from a birds-eye or crane shot. A

10)    Lila is really persistent in following her intuitions. A

Level 2: Thinking more deeply about the film…

1)    Marion’s real motive for taking the money is so that she and Sam can marry. A

2)    At the time of her death, Marion was about to return and “face the music”. A

3)    Norman’s comment to Marion “we all go a little mad sometimes” suggests he understands her situation. D - More of a way to coax himself into gaining certainty that he isn’t the only mad one.

4)    Norman is alerted to the grisly crime when his mother returns home covered in blood. A

5)    The lengthy clean-up after the murder helps build suspense. A

6)    There are other unsolved crimes in this town. A

7)    Lila’s loud scream saves her from certain death. A

Level 3: Thinking beyond the immediate visuals of the film…

1)    The birds in the parlour behind the office are a significant visual symbol or icon. A

2)    “A boy's best friend is his mother” gives us a good understanding of Norman’s relationship with his mother. A

3)    Our identification with Norman starts at that moment when the car pauses and ceases sinking into the mud. A

4)    A modern film maker would not use the ending that Hitchcock did (i.e. the psychiatrist talking to the audience). D - This film caused a lot of modern films to be based off of it.

5)    The use of black and white film stock enhances the thematic concerns of the film. A

6)    The money is the Macguffin in the film. A

Task 2: PSYCHO LINEAR PLOT STRUCTURE

Exposition

An exposition sets the scene, establishes, foreshadows, shows the style or genre. Used as an introduction. Establishing shot to pan and zoom. Text giving date, time and place. We see that Marion Crane is not exactly a “good girl”. Heaps of foreshadowing ”this was the last time”. Sam has an ex wife and is in debt as he has to pay alimony until she remarries. Opening of blinds suggests a new light. Marion sleeps with Sam (a divorced man). Even though they are not married, which was frowned upon at the time.

Catalyst

The catalyst in psycho is the money. The buyer of the house gives the idea of buying off unhappiness. She was meant to deposit it into the bank and instead goes and takes the $40,000 cash and runs away. She is thinking of a better life with this money. She could live with Sam, help him with alimony, and start a better life with him. With this we see the transition of white to black in her clothing which symbolises the change of her innocence.

First Turning point

The first turning point of the film is the shower scene. This is a mini climax where Marion is killed in the shower by Norman dressed as his mother. During this we have fast tempo music to show terror and the visual of blood. This is an external conflict between two people. A technique to show an external conflict is cutting between two characters, they also need to be framed to show separation. The shower curtain is used to create a false sense of security. A lot of graphic match is used in this scene. We only hear the shower and nothing else. We see a silhouette behind the shower curtain while she looks away. It all happens very quickly and we see the mother. We see the graphic match of her mouth compared to the shower nozzle and the drain. We then see a dark liquid fall down the drain. making the audience assume it is blood. She is killed off on her early even though we think she is the main character. This provides a new focus as the audience follows her through the story.

Second Turning Point

The second turning point of the film is when detective Arbogast’s death. This is another mini climax that drives the narrative. Arbogast walks into the house to talk to the mother of Norman about Marion’s disappearance. We hear ominous music of a low stringed instrument play. He takes a brief look at the downstairs area and then decides to go upstairs. We hear more ominous music as he walks up the stairs and when he reaches the top, the “mother comes and stabs Arbogast and he falls down the stairs while we watch as a third person. When he reaches the bottom of the stairs there is more stabbing then proceeds to fade.

Climax

The climax of psycho is when Lila and Sam go to the bates motel looking for Marion. When they go into the bates house Lila goes downstairs and turns the chair to find the dead grandmother. We hear the psycho motif as Norman dressed as his mother runs in with a knife and then Sam rushes in behind to save her from getting killed. This is the moment where we see the conflict that Norman suffers from. This is a crucial point in the show as the audience understand in full what’s happened but there’s still some mystery towards a motive and why he is dressed at his mother.

Resolution & Epilogue

The man gives the psychology analysis, we find out at the same time as the characters do. Split personality disorder. When “she” starts talking it isn’t the mothers voice, it is Norman’s voice imitating his mother. His appearance is very feminine such as crossed knees, the wrapping around of the blanket. The music is eerie violin music to create tension. When it dissolves, we see the transition of both Norman and his mother.

Task 3: EXPOSITION

1. What is ‘exposition’?

- Exposition is a comprehensive description or explanation to get across an idea. It is the writer's way to give background information to the audience about the characters and setting of the story. Establishment of the movie,  opening of the movie, style - genre- codes and conventions, foreshadowing clues, setting - where, when, who, theme.

2. What is the role of exposition in a film?

- It helps set the scene for the audience. Gives them a little background information and helps them understand what’s going on or has happened previously to affect what’s happening now. It establishes a setting and gives context. It also foreshadows some events from the film.

3. Opening credits: discuss how these are effective? (Consider colour, font, sound/music, pace etc.)

- stressful music stress the audience out sets the tone and style of the movie, black and white lines - jail barcode contrast- binary opposite - normal bates split mind - black and white, very long credits, the lines are slicing through the screen - Marion gets sliced and maybe the lines shows violence - dissolve into the actual opening.

4. Examine how the exposition contributes to the narrative in the film ‘Psycho’.

- It starts off the film where it introduces us to the main character and the storyline where Marion is in the middle of an affair and she wants to run away and marry the man she was with at the hotel room. It shows us the setting of the movie and where it takes place.

EXTRA QUESTIONS

How many titles are displayed during the opening sequences to the film?

- there are 3 titles in the opening sequence. These are not the cast.

What images are prioritised in the opening sequence? What connotations do the images carry?

- Bars and light and dark tones, connotative of entrapment and confinement. They could have connotations of shutter blinds or prison bars.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset?

- The music is unnerving and fast paced which disturbs the audience in the way required by thriller movies in order to ‘thrill’. The opening sequence is also in black and white film, indicating to the audience that the movie will be a different viewing experience to what they are used to.

How does the film establish an enigma from the outset? / What strategies are used to ensure the film appeals to its target audience?

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How has technology been used effectively? You might want to consider camera angles, transitions and editing techniques, sound/music.

- The transitions are done using the bar imagery, slicing across the screen and separating it into sections of white and black, establishing a main theme in the films, the division of Norman’s psyche, and the binary opposites of Norman and his mum.

How is genre reinforced through symbolic and technical codes from the outset and how does this appeal to its target audience?

- The music is unnerving and fast paced which disturbs the audience in the way required by thriller movies in order to ‘thrill’. The opening sequence is also in black and white film, indicating to the audience that the movie will be a different viewing experience to what they are used to

How has technology been used effectively?

- The transitions are done using the bar imagery, slicing across the screen and separating it into sections of white and black, establishing a main theme in the films, the division of Norman’s psyche, and the binary opposites of Norman and Marion.

Task 4: EPILOGUE

1. What is ‘epilogue’?

The section of a story occurring after the resolution which details the fate of the characters after the conclusion of the film.

2. What is the role of the epilogue in film?

- to answer unanswered questions, to give the finale and conclusion it is also the last shot of the movie so it is very important to the audience so that they can take something away from the movie.

3. What is ‘internal conflict’

- an internal struggle within the character’s mind, in which Norman Bates is having the internal struggle with his mum, where she takes over the body and kills people and leaves ‘Norman’ to clean up after her.

4. What are some conventional ways to show ‘internal conflict’ in the film

- one technique is to use a voice-over, like when Marion was driving in the car, zooming onto the characters (a close up) and to see what they’re doing, through sounds, lighting and camera. This is also used at the end of the film when Norman is sat in the cell and is ‘mother’ is talking showing his internal conflict with his mother.

5.    Discuss how the epilogue is presented in ‘Psycho’ through technical codes - camera, mis-    en-scene, sound, dialogue…)

- voice over, the voice of Norman as mother “mothers voice”, the way the blanket is wrapped around him like an old lady and the way he adjusted the blanket is very feminine, the lighting is interesting here, the music to show tension and uneasiness where the story is not over yet to make the audience feel uncomfortable, dissolve from Norman bates face to the skull to the car, to show that these killings are not because of the killings and that it was Norman’s internal conflict with mother. it is also shown through the devolve of Norman to the skeleton showing that Norman and his mother have then become one now.

6.     Examine how the epilogue contributes to the film ‘Psycho’. (Discuss in relation to a narrative theory you have studied).

- The epilogue is not necessary to the films plot but it does give us some extra information  about Normans character and shows how damaged his mental state is at this point. It makes the audience feel uneasy as the movie does not end in a happy ending, shows to the audience that there could be more happening as we see the car being pulled out of the swamp place, so we know that the murder was not motivated by the money.  

Task 5: TURNING POINT

1. What is a ‘turning point’ in a film narrative?

The point in which the film changes direction of the plot in some way. We don’t expect Marion to be killed so early in the film as she is supposed to be the main character.

2. Why is the ‘shower scene’ considered a significant turning point in ‘Psycho’?

The ‘shower scene’ is the point in ‘Psycho’ in which the focus of the film changes from Marion’s theft of the money to the search for her after her death (essentially a change from a crime thriller to a mystery thriller). It is also the point where the protagonist changes from the heroine Marion to, in some ways, Norman.  The equilibrium, which had been disrupted when Marion stole the money, had essentially been righted when Marion decided to return the money, in the shower scene, it is fully overturned with her death, allowing for the plot to continue in a slightly different direction. It also only uses diegetic sound so it seems like a normal shower until the murder occurs when the loud music starts too.

3. What is ‘external conflict’?

A conflict that occurs between characters-usually a fight or confrontation of some kind. However, there is no way for Marion to try and fight mother she was just murdered. There was no fight.

4. Discuss how conflict is shown in the shower scene

The conflict occurs after the build up of tension that happens with Norman’s silhouette as ‘mother’ being seen through the shower curtain. The tension breaks with the climax of the scene, the mother stabbing of Marion. The sequence in which he stabs her is heavily edited to allow for the audience to be convinced that they had seen her be murdered without breaking the censorship rules of the time. It is not graphic and is very choppy editing so no one sees anything they are not supposed to. The sound effects also contribute to this and, combined with the alarming soundtrack, the fear that Marion is feeling is effectively communicated. There is one clear shot of the knife which helps with clarity in the scene because the heavy editing could confuse the audience. There is also a graphic match of the water and blood ‘swirling’ down the drain and Marion’s lifeless eye. This affirms to the audience that Marion is dead, as her ‘life’ has drained out of her.

Task 6: CHARACTERISATION

1. Briefly describe the character of Marion Crane

Marion Crane is a single woman living with her sister in 1960s America. She works as the receptionist for a realtor which, for the time, was a relatively rare thing as women generally went from living with their father to living with their husbands and therefore did not need to earn for themselves. She has a rather well paying job as a realtors assistant which was rare for the time. She is also secretly in a sexual relationship with a divorced man who lives in a different state which, while technically not an affair, was still culturally frowned upon as the Christian ideal of sex before marriage being a sin was widely perpetuated.

2. How is Marion Crane presented in the film?

Visually Marion fits the ‘All American’ stereotype; she’s blonde, with quite natural beauty and she wears very classic silhouettes. The camera is generally at her eye level or slightly angled up at her, giving her a subtle importance in some scenes and portraying her as unthreatening. As a character she is outspoken and relatively confident, she is also curious and asks Norman arguably sensitive questions about his mother where other women might avoid the possible confrontation. Marion is framed next to the harmless song birds whenever birds are a part of the props of the scene, furthering her unthreatening nature.

3. Briefly describe the character of Norman Bates

Norman’s character entirely revolves around his psyche. It is revealed that his personality is split into two, one being the docile and bashful Norman, and the other being the aggressive, shrew-like ‘mother’. The ‘Norman’ side of the personality is heavily emotionally reliant on the ‘mother’ personality while the ‘mother’ personality is unwillingly physically reliant on Norman. Norman has always had severe issues relating to his mother, stemming from her seeking a toxic level of control over him, which resulted in him murdering his real mother and her boyfriend. Due to this, Norman expects his ‘mother’ to experience the same level of jealousy towards women he is attracted to that he experiences towards men his mother was attracted to, causing the ‘mother’ personality to murder any such women that Norman comes in contact with.

4. How is Norman Bates presented in the film?

Physically, Norman is quite unthreatening, he is not muscular and he doesn’t wear suits that could have given him the appearance of intellectual superiority. When the ‘Norman’ personality is at the forefront of his mind, the camera stays around eye-level, giving him no visual power, presenting him as calm and not dangerous. However, when he gets angry and tends toward the aggressive ‘mother’ personality, the camera drops to quite a low angle, portraying him with a lot more power and danger. Depending on which side of him is more prominent in the moment, Norman is framed with either docile birds (however never the dainty songbirds aligned with Marion) or birds of prey that are generally stuffed in the position of a bird ready to attack. The internal conflict of the different personalities trying to take control manifests itself in the form of stuttering.

5. Discuss the binary opposites within the narrative

The binary opposites of Norman and Marion are demonstrated less as ‘good’ and ‘evil’ and more as predator versus prey, with Norman being the predator and Marion as the prey. However, there is a different opposition within the characters, with Marion being independent and Norman being inherently dependent on his mother.

Task 7: SYMBOLS AND MOTIFS

Analyse how motifs and symbols are used in ‘Psycho’

Throughout the film ‘Psycho’, an array of symbols and motifs are used, including the stolen money, Norman’s stuffed birds and the house looming over the motel.

THE MONEY

The money is representative of Marion’s ‘sins’, being the reason she commits a crime. For the first third of the film, this money is the main motivation for the protagonist, leading to Marion’s being in the Bates Motel. During this time, she is continually hiding the money from various people; the police officer in her car, the car salesman in the bathroom, and finally in her motel room in a newspaper, demonstrating her desire to hide away the sin she committed. Finally, after her murder, the camera pans from her dead body to the money, an indictment of Marion, visually telling the audience that her murder was, in some ways, a punishment for her crime. After this, the money is basically removed as an active plot element, being ‘buried’ along with Marion, showing how the sins she committed in life have been essentially rendered irrelevant due to her murder.

THE BIRDS

Norman’s birds are a relatively obvious symbol representing the inner nature of the characters they are framed with. This is most obvious in the dinner parlour scene, with Marion being framed with small songbirds even when the angle of the camera and the tone of her voice make her seem intimidating in the moment, showing that despite how she is acting in the moment, by nature she is not dangerous. In contrast to this, Norman is framed with only large birds, both docile birds and birds of prey. In the shots where he is by the docile birds, Norman is not necessarily being directly threatening, but the birds are still large, demonstrating that he is dangerous even if he is not acting so in the moment. In the shots where Norman has been angered in some way, usually because his mother has been threatened, the camera shifts to framing him with birds of prey, usually poised like a bird about to attack. This is Hitchcock’s way of showing the audience that Norman, despite being seemingly a weak man under the thumb of his mother, is actually inherently an aggressive and dangerous man-the first real indication that the evil ‘mother’ character is Norman.

THE HOUSE

The house symbolically presents the villainous nature surrounding the motel. In the first shot of the motel, it is presented as a rather generic, quaint motel. However, after Marion has been checked in, she overhears Norman’s mother screaming at him and, upon looking out the window, she sees their house, up on a hill, and encased in shadows. It is at this moment the audience feels that something is off about the motel. While a lot of this is due to the aggression in the mother’s voice, it is also due to the imposing nature of the house. Whenever the house is seen from then on, even during the day, it is unnaturally dark, with the only light coming from the window that is later revealed to be the window in the mother’s room, as if she is constantly looking at the motel.

Task 8: Narrative theory

Vladimir Propp Theory- 7 common character types

THE HERO

In every story there is a major character with whom the reader will normally associate most strongly and who is the key person around which the story is told.

Although this person is often a hero in some sense, they may also take another form, such as a victim or a seeker after some treasure or knowledge. Or maybe they are all of these.

THE HELPER

The Hero is supported in his or her quest by a Helper, often a wise old man or magician, who appears at critical moments to provide support.

Other helpers appear along the way as friends or random people who act pro-socially to support the Hero.

THE VILLAIN

The sharpest contrast against the hero is the villain, who struggles directly against the hero. This is the clearly bad-guy person such as Darth Vader in Star Wars. The Villain typically is morally bad, highlighting the goodness of the Hero.

The Villain may seek to prevent the Hero from achieving the goal or may quest after the same artefact.

THE FALSE HERO

A variant on the villain and a potential complication within the plot is the False Hero, who appears to act heroically and may even be initially mistaken for the real Hero.

The False Hero will try to steal the Hero's thunder, grabbing the credit and perhaps trying to marry the princess instead. The False Hero is thus an usurper, a thief perhaps of the worst kind, who plays on people's good nature to boldly steal in broad daylight.

The False Hero may also gain the respect or other control of the Princess's Father, thus frustrating the Hero's ability to gain the hand of the Princess.

THE DONOR

The Donor is a person who gives the Hero something special, such as a magical weapon or some particular wisdom. They may typically be Gods, Oracles or Wise Persons, although they may also be as simple as gatekeepers.

This role may be combined with that of a Helper. The Donor may also be capricious and not easily swayed and may not give up their gift without setting the Hero another task, from a simple riddle to a whole other quest.

THE DISPATCHER

An early role in the story is that of the Dispatcher who sends the Hero on the mission. This may be a family member such as a mother or father. It can also be the Princess's Father, who gives the Hero a set of quests to be completed before he gains the hand of the Princess.

The Dispatcher may also be combined with another role, for example the False Hero who then trails along behind (perhaps disguised as a Helper).

THE PRINCESS

The Princess may take two forms. First, she may be the object which is deliberately sought by the Hero, perhaps finding where the Villain has taken her. Secondly, she may be the reward, such that after completing some other mission, he gains her affections or hand in marriage.

The Princess may be seen very little in the story, perhaps appearing only at the end, or may be an integral character, for example where she accompanies the Hero on his mission, where he may win her heart by the courage and determination of his actions.

The Princess may be wooed by many, in particular by the False Hero. When we see the Princess being won by the False Hero we may rail and rant in frustration as we see her falling unwittingly into her clutches.

Task 9: Research Essay

Psycho is a Thriller film with many scenes of tension and suspense. One that I will look at is the scene directly after a murder where Norman Bates disposes of the body that Mother killed. The movie creates a lot of tension in this moment through slow movements and the slow pacing of the backing track. The long violin notes complement the movements. There are also several parts where suspense is created only to be identified a second later as Norman forgets something and remembers it, such as the news paper left on the side table next to the bed. The sounds made are also all very deliberate as the audience can hear the mop, cloth, and towel all being moved and placed as it almost overlaps the music and is the main focus. This scene mainly covers a lot of tension aspects and very little suspense aspects as this follow a violent stabbing where previously, there was suspense. This is good formatting of the plot because otherwise there would be no avail to the suspense generated.