Psycho as a Horror Film

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Psycho as a Horror Film 'Psycho' could be described as either a horror or a thriller. To be a horror, films should be scary, gruesome and generally be about what you see, like violence and a lot of bloodshed. Thrillers are mainly more about what you think, because they mainly make you think about the plot and who the killer is and their motive. There is more suspense to make you think about the storyline in depth aswell as watching it. One of the reasons that this film made the top ten films of all time is because of the way suspense is built. The suspense is built, using different mediums. The music lets you know what kind of mood the scene has. The full string orcraster is great for the high-pitched mood setting to make everyone sit on edge. The high pitched strings create a stabbing noise suggesting death. Because they make a stabbing kid of noise that makes you think someone/something is being stabbed. The lighting portrays the characteristics of the person. Like when Marion and Norman are in the room behind his office eating sandwiches the light is shinning all over Marion's face. This is suggesting that Marion is innocent, warm and friendly. Norman who is sitting across the room is half covered in dark shadows. This darkness suggests that Norman is sinister, cold and that there's more to him than what meets the eye. As we find out later in the film, Norman is his mother so that being half cast in shadows represents the two of them. The good and the evil of the two characters. Even though this film is in black and white it gives you the feeling that even though you cant see in colour and what you cant see at all, is... ... middle of paper ... ...ar would you describe 'Psycho' as a horror film?" Well this film isn't full of gruesome blood and guts and their isn't an unrealistic killer. There is a lot of suspense and a killer that seems believable. This leads me to think that this film is more of a thriller than a horror. But then this film doesn't really make you think because you suspect Norman of killing Marion because his mother is an old invalid and I we know this because Norman said she needs him around because she isn't very able, and there is no one else is about. Even though Norman's mother killed Marion it was still Norman under his mothers disguise so it wasn't really Norman's mother just what Norman thought to be his mother. So to answer the question 'Psycho' is a horror/thriller hybrid. But it tends to lean more to the thriller side of the hybrid.

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