psycho analysis

Psycho, what makes it an effective horror?

after watching Alfred Hitchcock’s masterpiece psycho, I feel that I have learned a great deal more about what makes a scene scarier and what increases tension in the build up to the films various murders. Both of these would help greatly in making our horror opening, which, in a slight reference to psycho, features a murder in a bathroom.

the iconic bathroom scene, undoubtly psychos scariest and most memorable moment, is very useful in researching murder scenes. It lasts 45 seconds and in this time not once can a knife be seen entering Marion crane, leaving a great deal to the viewers imagination. All that is shown if thrusting actions from the concealed murderer, Marion screaming and falling out the bath she's standing in and blood (actually chocolate syrup, as it shows up better in black and white) running down the plug hole. To further add to the drama and horror of the scene, the also iconic music (composed by Bernard Herrmann) plays. The string orchestra and amplifies the tone tenfold, and after watching the scene again without music, its dramatic effect is lessened considerably.

Another, less powerful reason why the shower scene is scary is due to the fact that the killer has infiltrated and killed in a place where most people feel safe. Somewhere as innocent as a shower adds an incredible amount of fear to scenes like this. Such a technique is also used to great effect in a nightmare on Elm Street, where beautiful sunny suburbia and the world of dreams and terrorized by the iconic Freddy Kruger.

The same can be applied to the murder of private detective arbogast at the top of the stairs in bates’ mansion. With the terrifying music, his death is harrowing as mother leaps from her concealment in her room to stab him, sending him tumbling down the stairs. In reality without the music, things are far more different. Mother doesn’t so much leap from her hiding place as she hops round the doorway and mildly jogs up to him before halfheartedly stabbing him a few times. It is even more apparent that almost all of the fear that psycho gives the audience is generated from its chilling musical score.

How will this help our horror opening?
Researching psycho will help out with our project in a large number of ways. For example, it has shown me an effective way to have a character being stabbed without showing a knife plunging into skin. It has also proved that a large amount of fear is generated by powerful music and sound effects. This can make even the tamest scene scary to almost any audience.

The shower scene: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8VP5jEAP3K4
aborgasts murder: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsgDP31v2LE&feature=related