Alfred Hitchcock has been arguably one of the best Horror/Thriller directors in Hollywood since he started making films in 1923. He has 46 notable nominations and 6 Oscars to prove it. Hitchcock is known for using overdramatic and loud music along with extreme camera angles. A great example of this is his movie Psycho, which is one of his best horror movies since it was released in 1960. Psycho stars Janet Leigh as Marion Crane and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, who owns the Bates Motel alongside his mother, located just off of what used to be the main highway.
One of the most interesting aspects of this film is that they kill off the main character only a third of the way into the movie. Early on, Marion Crane is introduced to us as she is talking to her boyfriend about how he owes his ex wife a lot of money. She steals $40,000 from work, buys a new car and is on her way to deliver the money to him. Marion ends up sleeping at the Bates Motel because it’s raining and late and it’s not safe to drive. After an evening of dinner and conversations with Norman, she goes to her room and takes a shower while Bates argues with his mother. At this point, she is brutally (and notoriously) murdered in the shower. By whom? You’ll have to watch to find out!
Many say the movie was perfectly cast compared to other horror movies in the 1960s. The way Janet Leigh portrayed the role of Marion Crane was excellent and Anthony Perkins’ way of making Norman Bates his own was nothing short of amazing. The featured actors also did very well with a cast of Vera Miles playing Lila Crane, Marion’s older sister, and John Gavin playing Marion’s loving boyfriend, Samuel. Both of them did a very good job portraying their characters and putting the whole movie into perspective as the two of them run the investigation to find Marion.
The last thing to point out is the importance of the “mise-en-scene” in the film. Mise-en-scene is best described as the extra aspects of the movie like the props, scenery, music and direction such as camera angles. In the shower scene alone, Hitchcock used 77 different camera angles, most being close ups and extreme close ups. As for other aspects of mise-en-scene, he used what they used to call rear projection (rear projection was what they used to do outside scenes before green screens were a thing), which was put into the driving scenes.
Another aspect of the film that many appreciate is its use of props. You can clearly see a difference in the rooms when Lila is investigating the house. Norman’s and his mother’s rooms are drastically different. Norman’s room is very child-like and bland while his mother’s room is beautiful and PERFECTLY PRESERVED! The last aspect of Mise-en-scene to talk about is the music, the creepy and chilling music that Hitchcock decided to put in the background of the film. It adds that extra spooky element and was perfectly placed.
Overall, Psycho is one of my personal favorite horror movies ever. It’s creepy, it’s weird, it’s got the best plot twist ever and Hitchcock’s directing makes it all the better. If you don’t like horror movies, however, this may not be your cup of tea. If you love horror movies, especially the more modern ones, you may be a bit disappointed by this film. I would give this movie a solid 5/5. Hitchcock’s use of mise-en-scene and the actors’ performances made it what it is and that is why it is still one of the best horror movies to date.