Review of Psycho

Tucker O’Brien Professor Prescott LCS 121 12:00

Psycho’s Roller-Coaster Ride

Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho has been keeping audiences on the edge of their seats for 50 years. It is a one-of-a-kind movie and revolutionized the way suspense films would be created and produced for years to come. Many critics have published essays discussing and interpreting the many memorable scenes throughout the movie. The critics claim in their essays that Hitchcock engages its audience by taking each of them on a sensory, emotional, and psychological roller-coaster ride.

Hitchcock created powerful images in Psycho that leaves a lasting impression on its audience. Specifically these images first target the viewers’ senses. A scene that attacks the senses is when Marion is driving on the highway when she has bought a new car with some of the $40,000 she stole from work. The audience can clearly see that Marion’s mind is not on where she is going or what she is doing. The sights and sounds presented are very powerful. Marion is constantly breathing heavy and sighing which shows how stressed she is about her current predicament. Along with her sighing, her eyes are shifting from side-to-side as if she is searching for somebody to catch her and reprimand her. The audience can also hear what is going on in Marion’s head because her thoughts are being spoken aloud. They can hear what Marion thinks her sister Lila, her boyfriend Sam, and what her boss Mr. Lowery are saying to each other as they all question what has happened to her and the $40,000. Another powerful scene is when Marion finally begins to see the sign for the Bates’ Motel. While she is driving, it becomes dark and begins to rain heavily. She can barely see through her windshield even with the wipers wiping at full-force. The only image she can see is the eerie glow of the neon from the Bates’ Motel sign. This powerful sight stimulates the audiences mind and leaves them with an ominous feeling of...