Physco
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Year Made: 1960
Country Of Origin: USA
Physco is filmed in Black and white using noir lighting creating tension for the audience, a tribute to 1940’s noir thrillers. The opening shot of through there window using point of view shots creates feelings of privacy, watching the characters live their lives without them knowing, this effect is used very effectively through the window in the beginning scenes. This opening scene introduces us to our femme fatel with the use of sex, black underwear and secret relationships with her commitment phobic lover we get the impression she is a bit of a whore.
The use of her underwear also reflects her personality, before she runs away; she is wearing white underwear and when she packs to run away she is wearing black underwear, her morals are plunging just as fast as her lingerie, representing her femme fatel figure.
In these scenes, Marion crane has the stolen money thinking it will buy her happiness, in these scenes there is the use of diagetic sound and image only to create the bad feelings of tension built up.
The use of the close ups in the car and the music’s beat that gets faster representing her heartbeat and the shot of the policeman driving adds to the tension in her running away. Repeated close ups of the stolen money build tension, the voice over while Crane is in the car could be represented as Marion’s guilt or the truth of the crime that been committed.
Marion falls victim to her sins in the motel shower, high angle shots are used to conceal the murderers identity. The only diagetic sound of the shower and rain build tension.
As she is stabbed through high camera angles and the mis-en scene on the surroundings etc, we see she is very helpless and is soon dead with blood running down the plug hole then turning into a shot of her eye is very eerie.
The fallen bird picture of Norman’s symbolises the certain death of Marion Crane.
This shower sequence is a popular generic feature to a thriller film.
Marion Crane pays the price for her wrong doings; she is a reference to ‘Fox’ in ‘Wanted’ who also pays the price for her sins although ends up killing others then herself but still remains a victim of a tragic end.
I thought this film was very thought provoking and enjoyable, I would give this film a 9/10.
Physco is filmed in Black and white using noir lighting creating tension for the audience, a tribute to 1940’s noir thrillers. The opening shot of through there window using point of view shots creates feelings of privacy, watching the characters live their lives without them knowing, this effect is used very effectively through the window in the beginning scenes. This opening scene introduces us to our femme fatel with the use of sex, black underwear and secret relationships with her commitment phobic lover we get the impression she is a bit of a whore.
The use of her underwear also reflects her personality, before she runs away; she is wearing white underwear and when she packs to run away she is wearing black underwear, her morals are plunging just as fast as her lingerie, representing her femme fatel figure.
In these scenes, Marion crane has the stolen money thinking it will buy her happiness, in these scenes there is the use of diagetic sound and image only to create the bad feelings of tension built up.
The use of the close ups in the car and the music’s beat that gets faster representing her heartbeat and the shot of the policeman driving adds to the tension in her running away. Repeated close ups of the stolen money build tension, the voice over while Crane is in the car could be represented as Marion’s guilt or the truth of the crime that been committed.
Marion falls victim to her sins in the motel shower, high angle shots are used to conceal the murderers identity. The only diagetic sound of the shower and rain build tension.
As she is stabbed through high camera angles and the mis-en scene on the surroundings etc, we see she is very helpless and is soon dead with blood running down the plug hole then turning into a shot of her eye is very eerie.
The fallen bird picture of Norman’s symbolises the certain death of Marion Crane.
This shower sequence is a popular generic feature to a thriller film.
Marion Crane pays the price for her wrong doings; she is a reference to ‘Fox’ in ‘Wanted’ who also pays the price for her sins although ends up killing others then herself but still remains a victim of a tragic end.
I thought this film was very thought provoking and enjoyable, I would give this film a 9/10.
2 comments:
Avoid "us"....instead: The voyeuristic point of view shot of the hotel window introduces Marion Crane. Her deviance is connoted by her state of undress and her black underwear. It becomes clear she is having a lunchtime rendevous with her commitment phobic lover.
......Marion eventually pays the ultimate price for her deviance in that she meets a gruesome fate in the motel shower......connect the concept of Marion as femme fatale (traditionally a product of misogyny) with Fox in "Wanted".
Yu could write up some notes on the similarities and differences between Marion and Fox.
More research please...any problems see Mr Seal.
Mainly reflecting basic understanding of film language in research into thriller films.
Overall assessment of research into similary texts indicates basic understanding, thus Level 2: 10/20. Rachael needs to focus on media language and concentrate on focusing on independent research.
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