Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho"

Paper Summary:

This paper analyzes Alfred Hitchcock's masterpiece of suspense, the film "Psycho." The reviewer describes the innovations, taboos and transgressions that Hitchcock explored in this film. Additionally, the paper discusses the emotional states of fear and horror that the film inspired, and how Hitchcock enticed his audience by giving them just enough information to lure them into the world of the protagonist, Norman. The paper also discusses how Hitchcock promoted his film prior to its release. The reviewer concludes that in "Psycho," Alfred Hitchcock lured his audience into the forbidden, made them uncomfortable but at the same time made them enjoy the brief experience of unspoken transgressions as seen in the film.

From the Paper:

" When Norman purposely gives Marion the key to room number 1 so he can watch her through a peephole in the office, Hitchcock is enticing the audience with another transgression, voyeurism. The audience is forced into this secret world, forced to participate in Norman's forbidden thrill as he watches her undress. Such scenes resulted in much criticism. For example, a letter to the New York Times claimed that Psycho was "deliberately calculated to stimulate the jaded appetites of the middle-aged and arouse the worst latent instincts of teen-agers," suggesting that the transgressions depicted might be contagious (Hendershot). "

Sample of Sources Used:

• Hendershot, Cyndy. "The Cold War Horror Film: Taboo and Transgression in The Bad Seed, The Fly, and Psycho." Journal of Popular Film and Television. March 22, 2001. Retrieved December 22 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• Kirshner, Jonathan. "Alfred Hitchcock and the art of research." PS: Political Science & Politics. September 1, 1996. Retrieved December 22 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.
• McGilligan, Patrick. Alfred Hitchcock: A Life in Darkness and Light. Regan Books. 2003. Pp. 578.
• "Psycho: Alfred Hitchcock's Screenplay." Retrieved December 22 2006 from: http://www.paradiselost.org/psycho.html
• Schaffer, Bill. "Cutting The Flow: Thinking Psycho." Senses of Cinema. April 2, 2000. Retrieved December 22 2006 from: http://www.sensesofcinema.com/contents/00/6/psycho.html

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