'Psycho' (1960) - Film Review

Figure 1: Psycho (1960) [Poster] Imdb

This review analyses Alfred Hitchcock’s well-known horror slasher film Psycho (1960), explicitly looking at the music produced for the film, specifically used in the infamous shower scene, and how this then went on to influence future horror films. Referring to the works of Brigid Cherry and her book Horror (2009), Stephen Robb’s article entitled ‘How Psycho changed cinema’ (2010) looking at how Psycho had an influence on later films, Adam Scovell’s writings ‘Analysis of Sound and Music in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) – Part 1’ (2013), Kevin Zimmerman’s ‘Remembering Hitchcock’s Psycho’ (2010), and lastly Bruce Isaacs article The great movie scenes: Hitchcock’s Psycho and the power of jarring music (2018). This review will explain the importance of music within Hitchcock’s film, and how he used this to engage the audience, then looking at how this was later implemented into later films, and how this ultimately changed the modern cinematic experience.

Psycho tells the story of Phoenix secretary Marion Crane, who embezzles forty thousand dollars from her employer’s rich client, goes on a run to escape, and finds herself checking in to a remote hotel, ‘Bates Motel’. During this time she meets Norman, a man who is under the domination of his mother. This domination eventually leads to Marion’s unfortunate murder in her hotel room bathroom, but who is to blame? (Needham, C. (N/A))

Hitchcock’s Psycho was a film far beyond its years. Although Hitchcock’s had to capture his film in a way to avoid censors, and cut out any real graphic violence, Hitchcock was still able to strike fear into audience. This is arguably through the use of music that would enhance each scene, to evoke and manipulate the thoughts and feelings of the audience. Psychos notorious shower scene (see fig 2) is a prime example of Hitchcock’s ability to enhance the viewers experience through the use of not only iconic camera angles, but music that would keep with the narrative.

Figure 2: Psycho Shower Scene (1960)

The scene was a very new concept, not only was Hitchcock surpassing censors by capturing the scene in such a way that avoided nudity, and gore. But it was also strange to have the main character killed so early on within the film. This is foreshadowed throughout the film in terms of music.

Throughout the first quarter of the film the sections of music are never resolved. This leads in to the tension within the shower scene, “Psycho succeeds in building this tension because these fragments (of music) are not entirely reconciled.  Marion Crane’s death just before the first hour creates a fundamental imbalance in the film.” (Scovell, A. (2013)) By using music to build up this tension and foreshadow the main event of the film, Hitchcock is really connecting the audience to the music, as the audience is audibly hearing somethings bad is going to happen before the characters, do. This is suspense of keeping the viewers on edge, is one of Hitchcock’s most notable technique ‘s used throughout his films.

However, the music is not only used to foreshadow Marion’s murder in the shower but was also used in the scene itself, giving an audible experience of her death along with the films visuals. “Bernard Herrmann slams shut the music’s subjective window and the score provides, instead, the aural kinetics of her death.” (Scovell, A. (2013)) This is highlighted upon removing the audio from the scene, as it has a completely different tone to the scene.

Figure 3: Passing Censors (2017)

This was even tested when the film first came about in the 1960s, as audiences were given the chance to watch the scene without the music, and even though the stabbing of a watermelon can be heard, it didn’t have the same impact. The first version played without music and only a mild reaction came from the audience. Yet, music was then added in the second showing. "It was only with the second version, with the music added, that people just leapt out of their seats - especially when the shrieking violins started," says Mr. Brooke. (Robb, S. (2010)).

These shrieking violins created just the effect on the audience that Hitchcock desired, becoming iconic and almost cliché within horror. “Psycho, of course, is renowned (and much emulated) for its screeching violins over the shower scene… With long eerie sequences that culminate in a sudden orchestral or operatic climax, such music operates in conjunction with the images of cinematic horror: just as each screech of the violin strings in the shower scene of Psycho corresponds to the stabbing action of the knife.” (Cherry, B (2009)) By connecting the violin sound to the visual stabbing, Hitchcock enhanced the whole experience for the audience, by heightening their senses as the music would work in harmony to result in a much more chilling experience, allowing Hitchcock’s to manipulate how the audience was feeling. Hitchcock's ability to subtly manipulate the audience through music, became essential to horror cinema.  This subjection of such subjective states, is why Psycho has been so influential on the postmodern horror film. (Cherry, B (2009)).

With Psycho’s music becoming a way to enhance the viewers reception of the film, this technique then suddenly became one that many horror film directors wanted to recreate. "Herrmann’s experimental score became an instantly recognisable classic that had a huge influence on the horror cinema of the 1970s and 1980" (Isaacs, B (2018)). This especially being true in terms of Jaws (1975)

Figure 4:  Jaws Opening Scene (1975)

In 1975, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws hit the cinemas, the main theme for the film created by John Williams was heavily influenced by Pyscho. The music in the film, is used for high-tension moments, really influencing the audience’s overall reaction, Similar to the shrieking violins, the almost heartbeat like music builds up the suspense once again for the audience as they know something bad is going to happen while the characters do not.“(Psychos’) Influence can particularly be seen in films that use music to evoke a sense of menace and heighten sudden shocks, such as Jaws.” (Robb, S (2010))

Williams uses the Psycho music influence to building suspense, however switches to more of a horror-type underlying theme at different moments. Which highlights how postmodern composes could easily influence Hitchcock's use of audio into their work to create the same type reaction to the horror. “It’s almost as if there are two kinds of genres being played within that movie, the more suspense, Hitchcock-type movie, and then switching to more of a horror-type mode,’’ (Juul, M (2015))

However, it could be argued that by Hitchcock having as much of an influence as he did. Then changed the whole of cinematic experience. With his techniques of using the audio to manipulate the audience, suddenly became an expected technique, within films. It became second nature and made sense to have the audio and music heighten the emotions of the audience at different points within film. "It’s difficult to imagine the true impact of the film and its music on its original audience since its constant deconstruction has almost become a part of the modern, cinematic experience itself." (Scovell, A (2013)) By this becoming common it creates a struggle for audiences to realise the importance of what the music is doing within film, making it hard for many to understand the significance of how the music affects us at high tension moments.

In conclusion Hitchcock used music to heighten the overall emotional and physical experience on the audience who watch Psycho by using the music to foreshadow, later build tension and enhance the visual aspect of his films. This then changed the way audiences viewed horror within cinema, having realized the importance music cold contribute to how the film is received, allowing films such as Jaws to want to emulate that same effect. Which could be argued changed the way any film uses music, as now it is understood that music is there to draw the audience deeper into the narrative, allowing for more of an immersive experience.

Illustration list

Figure 1: Psycho (1960) [Poster] Imdb. (1960). Psycho (1960). Available: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/  Last accessed 25/01/2019.

Figure 2: Psycho Shower Scene (1960) - Cavendish Press. (2016). We all go a little mad sometimes: Psycho shower scene is cinema's scariest sound. Available: http://www.cavendish-press.co.uk/news/post/41/we-all-go-a-little-mad-sometimes-psycho-shower-scene-is-cinemas-scariest-sound.aspx Last accessed 24/01/2019.

Figure 3: Passing Censors Lunn, O. (2017). 10 things you (probably) never knew about the shower scene in Psycho. Available: https://www.bfi.org.uk/news-opinion/news-bfi/interviews/psycho-shower-scene-alfred-hitchcock  Last accessed 25/01/2019.

Figure 4:  Jaws Opening Scene (1975) Pop Nonsense. (1975). Chrissie’s Last Swim. Available: https://map.pop-nonsense.com/listing/chrissies-last-swim/ Last accessed 24/01/2019.

Bibliography

Cherry, B (2009). Horror. 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon, OX14 4RN: Routledge. 69-70.

Needham, C. (N/A). Psycho (1960) Plot. Available: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0054215/plotsummary  Last accessed 25/01/2019.

Robb, S. (2010). How Psycho changed cinema. Available: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/8593508.stm. Last accessed 23/01/2019

Scovell, A. (2013). Analysis of Sound and Music in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) – Part 1. Available: https://celluloidwickerman.com/2013/12/16/analysis-of-sound-and-music-in-alfred-hitchcocks-psycho-1960-part-1/. Last accessed 23/01/2019.

Zimmerman, K. (2010). Remembering Hitchcock’s Psycho. Available: https://www.splicetoday.com/moving-pictures/remembering-hitchcock-s-i-psycho-i. Last accessed 23/01/2019.

Isaacs, B. (2018). The great movie scenes: Hitchcock’s Psycho and the power of jarring music. Available: http://theconversation.com/the-great-movie-scenes-hitchcocks-psycho-and-the-power-of-jarring-music-97325. Last accessed 23/01/2019.