Now that we've (1) gotten a handle on film space, film time, and film sound and (2) seen the first few minutes of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, it's time to formally begin class.
Your first job is to review the opening scene. View the video from minutes 1:55 to 4:55.
CLICK HERE for the video.
Now, in the comments below, dig in with what you're experiencing. In other words, what elements of film space, time, and sound does Hitchcock use, and for what effects does he use them? Be specific. Refer to your notes. You must publish at least one comment bellow in which you identify one element/technique and analyze the effect that it creates.
You may, as always, post additional comments and/or reflect on your peers' comments for extra credit.
Please be thoughtful and thorough. Use correct grammar, spelling, etc.
When watching the film, I noticed a lot of high-angle close-up shots on Marion. This subtley lets the audience know something bad is going to happen to her later on. Also, the intense background music was a dead giveaway of this too. When she is hearing the thoughts in her head, it made her more likeable because we as an audience know that what she did was bad, and she realizes it. But there is no time to turn back because the police is on her tail. I noticed a lot of low-angle medium shots of the police officer to let audience know that he is against our lead. The pacing is really fast so far, but it is strange because nothing too exciting has happened yet other than she stole a car, and there has not been much compression of her driving which leads me to believe we are not going to see her for very much longer.
ReplyDeleteHave you seen the movie before? Because you nailed it. Well done.
DeleteI agree, the movie foreshadowed a lot. You knew something bad would happen just the way they agled a shot or played background music.
DeleteIn the first scenes of the movie, Alfred Hitchcock establishes the setting quickly through his use of the panning establishing shot which later zooms into the window. The use of a wide shot along with the establishing shot creates a feeling of anonymity within the enormity of the city. The anonymity he creates through the establishing shot also foreshadows how the plot is going to play out. His use of background music makes scenes intimate in addition to adding a sense of danger as he uses it for emotional shifts quite often. When both of the main characters are in the bedroom in the hotel the music along with the smooth pans, tilts, and zooms that are shown at 3:16 give the viewer the opportunity to establish himself in the scene as an observer. These shot and music techniques add another layer of involvement when watching the movie which further enhances the quality of the movie. He also uses periodical jump cuts as well as superimposing shots in order to establish the setting and keep the movie flowing.
ReplyDeleteTo what jump cut are you referring?
DeleteWhen I watched the opening scene of “Psycho”, I already felt this creepy vibe from the background music in the opening credits. When the establishing shot craned down to the window, the music gave a mystic type of feel to the scene. When the camera went to a zoom through the blinds it gave the impression that something in the next scene is not quite right. Once in the room, it seemed like the dialogue was asynchronous sound. The vocal sound didn’t fully match with the mouth movement which kind of through me off a little bit. But besides that, I think the 1st scene showed the audience a lot about the main character and what kind person she really is.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Hitchcock made it seem like something was off without having to use an oblique shot, but instead uses intense non-diagetic music to make us feel that way.
DeleteIs there an invisible wipe as we go through the window? I'm not sure... It is cool how it all appears to be one unbroken shot.
DeleteThe opening scene of "Psycho" is definitely one that needs to be seen to understand the movie. The feeling I got from the opening scene was really creepy. The establishing shot in the beginning set the scene for us and the background nondiagetic music that plays gives the feeling of suspense and not just regular suspense but more of an uncomfortable feeling. The zoom through the window into the room gave the impression that somebody was watching them, though, we know that isn't true, it was just away of giving the scene that creepy, suspenseful, and uncomfortable feeling. The opening scene is full of different camera angles that make it seem like something is just not right, the slow zooming, and the tilt shots gave the opening scene the suspense. At the end of the day, the opening scene was very important in not only understanding the movie, but setting the tone. Alfred Hitchcock does an amazing job of constantly making us feeling uncomfortable. For instance at the car dealership, Hitchcock is constantly cutting shots in between Marion and the cop to give us the uncomfortable, nervous feeling that Marion was having. Along with the internal non-diagetic sound while in the car, and other moments, Hitchcok's ultimate goal is to make us feel the way Marion feels, and that's nervous, and constantly worried about what may happen next. I feel that's the genius behind the horror of this movie.
ReplyDeleteYou said "the zoom through the window into the room gave the impression that somebody was watching them, though, we know that isn't true, it was just away of giving the scene that creepy, suspenseful, and uncomfortable feeling."
DeleteWRONG! There IS someone watching them. US. Hitchcock makes us into voyeurs Into peeping toms. We are dirty pervs peeking in on an illicit lunch break. Hitchcock makes us criminals by his use of the camera. Can anyone think of an example from another film that does this? Makes the audience feel dirty? Makes the audience perform illegal acts by viewing the film?
Nice post, though.
DeleteThe opening scene of Psycho explains many facts and details. The way it starts is with the establishing shot and shows us with a decoupage edit going from the city of Arizona through a window into what appears to be a small bedroom. What I like about this room is how "shady" it appears the minute you go through the window. For example, the room is only lit by the windows that are mostly covered with shades and the close-up and medium shots appear tilted at times which adds a unbalanced effect. Also, the backround music adds a sort of saddness to it that makes the scene quite moody and powerful. The pace of the scene moves right along too like the dialogue for instance.
ReplyDeleteWhere exactly is the decoupage edit?
DeleteThe decoupage edit is when the camera goes from outside in the city to the building and the edit happens when we go through the window into the bedroom.
DeleteExactamundo. Nice catch.
DeleteWithin the first couple scenes of watching Psycho you get a variety of feelings. The establishing shot made it seem as if it just took place in Arizona, but using suspenseful, non-diagetic music, Hitchcock made the tension grow. I realized also, that he used a lot of internal-diagetic dialogue when she imagines what they are saying. By using this technique we see how she’s changed mentally, since stealing the cash and how she keeps having flash forwards, in a way, instead of flashbacks. Overall I feel that within a couple scenes that he has made us feel as if we are in Marion’s shoes and feel the same anxiety that she has.
ReplyDeleteI think that the first scene where the camera pans into the room sets up an uneasy feeling of someone is watching them or that the characters are doing something wrong. Also Hitchcock uses paranoia to put the audience on the woman's side. An example is when the samee police officer pulls up when she goes into the auto shop. The audience hates this feeling of uneasiness and needs to release. So far the suspense of the film has not stopped. It is still building and building.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with that. I felt uneasy in the beginning of the movie and I have been getting a bunch of other feelings. The suspense is very high and it keeps me on the edge of my seat.
DeleteThe movie psycho was a horror movie that lacked horror until the scene when she got murdered. All the movie did was play scary back ground music and get reaction shots of the subject until the murder scene. The scene of her driving was not realistic and had to many reaction shots. The idea of a creepy vibe from the back ground music was not there except for the opening scene because the back ground music would play at every day moments until the every the murder scene. The scene of the murder was unrealistic and was pretty easy to see that it was faked. Because of the fact the murder scene was unrealistic it made the scene lake horror unlike actual horror movies. The mother didn’t seem like a psychotic killer till the scene of the murder, she was more like an old hag. The son who sadly dominated by his mom at 25 was a pervert that didn’t know how to talk to a women. Last but least the girl was an idiot who just had sex with her boyfriend and then stole money from her boss stupidly and then wanted to make things right and so happened to lake realism to realty.
ReplyDeleteDefine "actual horror movies" and give some examples.
DeleteThe Devil's Rejects (2005)
DeleteHigh Tension (2003)
Resident Evil (2002)
Mother of Tears (2007)
Pontypool (2009)
The Mist (2007)
Drag Me To Hell (2009)
Let The Right One In (2008)
The Descent (2005)
Martyrs (2008)
"Saw" (short film)
Saw
Saw II
Saw III
Saw IV
Saw V
Saw VI
Saw 3D
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (20030,(1974)
Horror movie: A movie with a lot of blood, gore, and torture to make you pee your pants.
Tut tut, Ali. You have so much more to learn...
DeleteIn the opening scene in “Psycho” the camera flies into the room and you don’t really realize what is happening at first but then you see the 2 people on the bed and you get this feeling of unease. The camera continuously moves around but it stays at an eye level shot for the most part and so pretty much it is leaving the audience to do just one thing, figure out who these characters are and what their importance to the film is. Personally I really enjoyed the opening scene and I fell like Hitchcock did a good job at making us think about the film and feel like we are apart of the film.
ReplyDeleteFrom the start of the movie, I instantly got kind of creeped out because of the music in the beginning. The music gave a vibe on what to expect of the movie and how it was going to flow. Hitchcock made an establishing shot from the start when he zoomed in the window, blinds, and then into the room slowly. The camera moved around the room and it almost seemed as if it was a handheld shot because of the unsteady movement of the camera adjusting. Also, it made us as the audience get a feel for it and made us seem as if we were actually there. Also, there was full shot because most of the time in the opening scene, the 2 characters were very close up and made us just focus on them; it's also a two shot.
ReplyDeleteI feel, without the background music, the movie would't be worth watching! You wouldn't get the anxious feeling whenever the music cued to you something was wrong, so it would just be boring. For example: when Marian was driving and she saw her boss walk across the street in front of her at first I was like; "Who's that dude?" But when the music came on I knew something was wrong and put two and two together that he was her boss. (The guy she stole the money from.) Also, I noticed there was a oblique shot when she had the money on the bed! This gave me the feeling that something was definitely wrong, or out of place. (I'm not sure if it was a oblique shot specifically, or the angle of the bed, but it looked enough like a canted shot to me to pass.)
ReplyDeleteCan anyone think of other examples where the music plays such an important role in the storytelling - where the music is almost a character in itself?
DeleteI think Star Wars background music has become very important in their story stelling. Mission Impossible is extremely famous for its music and the feeling it brings.
DeleteIn the beginning of the movie, it starts out with an establishing, aerial shot of Phoenix. The camera pans right and dissolves into shots that get closer and closer to the ground. It continues this pattern until it reaches a motel building. The camera then cranes downward into a window in the building. As all of this is happening there is creepy background music that continuously goes down in pitch and loudness, and gives you an unsettling feeling. The camera enters a room through the window and we see the two characters, one in bed and one standing. They walk around the room talking, mostly with direct cuts. There are also some following shots and pans as they move around the room. It is mostly in medium, eye level shots.
ReplyDeleteAfter the establishing shot in the first moments of "Psycho", the next scene in the hotel is a direct cut. There are no match cuts. I think this gives the audience a feel of being a character standing in the hotel with the other characters. The audience is not up close in the characters faces but looks from afar as if they are a third person present in the scene. And of course the famous background music is impossible to miss or not leave the audience feeling a build up of tension and suspense.
ReplyDelete"The audience is not up close in the characters faces but looks from afar as if they are a third person present in the scene." Good call.
ReplyDeleteThe beginning of the movie starts off with and establishing shot. After that there is a direct cut to the next scene in the hotel. This is a good way to start the movie so your audience is not confused were it is taking place or what is happening. I noticed that there was a lot of high angle shots witch gives the audience a third person view point. Having a third person view point helps the audience get to know the characters. When seeing that this was in a bad hotel room you understand the Marian is not wealthy by any means. Then the next scene is her walking into work when her boss tells her to go deposit the money you almost know that she is going to steal it.
ReplyDeleteThe movie starts with a great establishing shot and keeps a feeling that something will go wrong. The movie has a third person view point that follows the main charater around. Maintaining good eye level shots while some to add emphasis have low angle shots. The music is very important in the sense that it makes you feel the way the character is feeling
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning of the movie it is giving you an overview of the city and all the buildings, then the camera finally zooms into one specific window and it has the effect like your literally going into the room because the way the camera goes inside, slowly looks around, then finally focuses to marian and sam where you get to know about the characters personality. The nondiagetic music in the back round makes the entire movie a lot more interesting because it sets the mood and sort of tells you what's going to happen, and it builds suspense. For instance when she sees her boss and his client crossing the street while she's in the car about to ditch town and their eyes meet, the music starts building that tension and you know what she's feeling inside.
ReplyDeleteI agree, but the reactions on the characters were over done.On how they acted and spoke. Like the reaction shots on Marian were over dramatic.
DeleteI loved how at the beginning of the movie it started out with an establishing shot and goes straight into an iris shot. I thought that was a great way to start a movie. Right after the iris shot the camera panned to the right. One would think the characters would be right by the window, so panning to the right made the film more interesting. Most of the shots were medium shots and two-shots, which works because it shows the characters chemistry at the same time.
ReplyDeleteI think in this short film i saw a lot of full shot's of the two characters and how they were the strongest point of this clip. Close up shot and also eyelevel shots all made it very intersting and intense to watch the clip.I think the full and close up shots make the film more understandable , because it gives power to those who are in the film.
ReplyDeleteThrougout the movie, there were a lot of close-up shots. I think they did this to show the reactions and thoughts of all the characters. The nondiagetic background music, played a big role in this movie. Without the music, the movie wouldn't have really been as good. The music added a creepy, uncomforting effect. The offscreen sound of Norman and his "mom" added mystery. In the movie, I think Marian never took up the whole screen comparing to other people. I think they did this to give power to the other characters.
ReplyDelete