Psycho

Throughout the years, many directors have been making movies that seem to "scare the hell out of people". From thrilling to just suspenseful scenes, Alfred Hitchcock explores different techniques to ensure that he captures the audience's attention.

The characters in Hitchcock's films play a very important role in creating the tensions and twists, causing that heart stopping moment where you just want to yell at the TV.

He uses the characters like strategically placed chess pieces, knowing exactly when to make his move. Alfred Hitchcock was a very scared person in life, which ironically led him to be one of the greatest directors for thrillers and perhaps horrors. "I'm not against the police, I'm just afraid of them" is a quote from Hitchcock that leads you to believe the characters in the movies he directed, were what he would be afraid of in real life. Alfred Hitchcock expresses his fear of the police in Psycho when a police officer finds Marion Crane sleeping in her car. The officer looks extremely intimidating and you start to think that maybe he is the psycho. This thought is soon juxtaposed when Marion is at the car yard and the same police officer who had spoken to her earlier, stops his car across the road, gets out and just stands there watching her. We later find out that he is not the psycho and Marion finds herself sheltered by the lonely and secluded Bates Hotel. Here we are introduced to Norman Bates, a shy, nervous but very friendly young man. You would never guess, and end up shocked when you realise that he is the psycho.

The sounds and camera angles of this film are the key to the feeling of suspense. The sounds of the violin make up most of the soundtrack for Psycho. Although the soundtrack is very repetitive and slightly annoying, it gives you a sense of anticipation when it played throughout the movie. The screeching violins are always played when you least expect them to, catching you off guard. As said by Alfred Hitchcock, "There is no terror in the bang, only the anticipation of it." The camera angles also play an important role in this movie. When Lila, Marion's sister, goes to find Mrs Bates and talk to her, it seems to take Lila forever just to reach the house, with the camera switching back and forth from her face, then to the door.

"One must never set up a murder. They must happen unexpectedly, as in life." - Alfred Hitchcock.

The world famous shower scene is the first death we witness. We seem to watch Marion for a long time before the psycho's shadow is seen. Her death is a long and painful one, with many screaming and