TASK 5 - OPENING TO 'PSYCHO'

Psycho is an Alfred Hitchcock film of the psychological thriller sub genre and is about an affair that goes terribly wrong. Themes include money, crime, corruptibility and voyeurism.

This close up shot of the woman (with her in the centre - rule of thirds) creates an element of suspense, mainly due to her worried facial expression. This would make the audience question why (she is nervous) and where she is going, as there are no clues to this other than her expression and no speech. The blurred background adds to this, making it even unclearer as to where she is going and why, the only thing the audience know is that she is feeling very uneasy and vunerable. The audience at this point are concentrating solely on her due to the framing of the shot, even the car behind seems to centralise her as a focal point.

Hitchcock uses pathetic fallacy as an omen, and as a device to panic the audience. The heavy rain outside blocks Marion's view, and the headlights from the cars leave her disorientated, making the scene even more tense. By doing this, Hitchcock is inferring that as a woman, she should not be alone as she is too fragile, and in danger. This is a common convention of such thrillers, and Hitchcock said himself that characters like Marion make better victims, more than likely meaning they can easily be perceived by the audience as vunerable, and in this scene the viewer is also left wondering whether she is a menacing(direct connection to the large sum of money she is carrying) antagonist or the fragile, feminine protagonist that just happens to be caught up in something dangerous.

The framing of this shot contributes to the understanding of her character, with part of the shot being taken up by a diagetic light from a car, and the other being absorbed by darkness, perhaps signalling some ambiguity in her personality or activity. 

Hitchcock uses other cinematographic devices to create suspense, for example in the opening scene when Marion is in her flat (with the packet of money on her bed) the camera zooms in on the money, focusing only on the package itself. As soon as it does this, the orchestral music plays suddenly, shocking and scaring the audience. This heightens the overall tension within the scene, as well as the developing intrigue of the viewer. The music carries on, so this can be identified as a point in which the suspense is heightened, and later on it becomes a motif. It plays when Marion is packing her bag, signifying danger, and the audience are able to identify more underlying tension as the story unfolds little by little, the slow pace of the scene helps grab the audience's attention. In this particular scene it acts as an omen, the intention being to add to the tense, unsure atmosphere.

The opening pan shot establishes to the audience the setting, and as the camera zooms in, the text starts to appear on the screen. The further the camera zooms in, the more information is disclosed. It shows the day first (as seen above) and then the time (making it more specific and precise). The overall intentions of this zoom (and the text) could be to slowly give out information, the more perceptive of the audience would also pick up that more information is disclosed as the camera gets closer to the window, but when we reach outside the window everything is dark, showing secrecy which we later find out is the affair between Marion and Norman. The text also helps the audience familiarise themselves with the setting, making them feel comfortable. An intention of this could be to lure them into a false sense of security, as there is still an element of suspense and mystery as the camera zooms in on the window and the viewer is unable to see in, a clear juxtaposition to the initial pan shot and text, establishing when and where.

In conclusion, Hitchcock's direction for the opening of Psycho not only gives the audience a clue about the characters and their potential journeys but also establishes the setting and mood, something vital in all openings.