Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho
Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho has been commended for forming the
archetypical basis of all horror films that followed its 1960 release. The mass
appeal that Psycho has maintained for over three decades can undoubtedly be
attributed to its universality. In Psycho, Hitchcock allows the audience to
become a subjective character within the plot to enhance the film's
psychological effects for an audience that is forced to recognise its own
neurosis and psychological inadequacies as it is compelled to identify, for
varying lengths of time, with the contrasting personalities of the film's main
characters. Hitchcock conveys an intensifying theme in Psycho, that bases itself
on the unending subconscious battle between good and evil that exists in
everyone through the audience's subjective participation and implicit character
parallels.
Psycho begins with a view of a city that is arbitrarily identified along
with an exact date and time. The camera, seemingly at random, chooses first one
of the many buildings and then one of the many windows to explore before the
audience is introduced to Marion and Sam. Hitchcock's use of random selection
creates a sense of normalcy for the audience. The fact that the city and room
were arbitrarily identified impresses upon the audience that their own lives
could randomly be applied to the events that are about to follow.
In the opening sequence of Psycho, Hitchcock succeeds in capturing the
audience's initial senses of awareness and suspicion while allowing it to
identify with Marion's helpless situation. The audience's sympathy toward Marion
is heightened with the introduction of Cassidy whose crude boasting encourages
the audience's dislike of his character. Cassidy's blatant statement that all
unhappiness can be bought away with money, provokes the audience to form a
justification for Marion's theft of his forty thousand dollars. As Marion begins
her journey, the audience is drawn farther into the depths of what is
disturbingly abnormal behaviour although it is compelled to identify and
sympathize with her actions.
It is with Marion's character that Hitchcock first introduces the notion
of a split personality to the audience. Throughout the first part of the film,
Marion's reflection is often noted in several mirrors and windows. Hitchcock is
therefore able to create a voyeuristic sensation within the audience as it can
visualise the effects of any situation through Marion's conscious mind. In the
car dealership, for example, Marion enters the secluded bathroom in order to
have privacy while counting her money. Hitchcock, however, with upper camera
angles and the convenient placing of a mirror is able to convey the sense of an
ever lingering conscious mind that makes privacy impossible. Hitchcock brings
On July 13, 1900 Joseph Aschs’ new building plans in New York City are approved and by January 5, 1901 the building is complete. In 1906, the eighth floor of the Asch building is bought by the Triangle Shirtwaist Company who opens a factory there. Three years later, a letter is sent to the management of the Triangle Shirtwaist building from a fire prevention expert. He suggests they that a discussion about evaluating and enhancing safety measures. Unfortunately, management does not take the letter seriously and “the letter is ignored.” (Linder, “Triangle Shirtwaist Fire Trial”) The inhumane work conditions in the factory led to the decision of twenty-five ILGWU workers to declare strike against th...
The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire most of all impacted all forms of industry, and changed the way workers worked. Along with the legislations that impacted women and children, laws also centered on the safety and well being of all workers. One of the main reforms and changes came through the formation of the New York Factory Investigating Commission, or the FIC: a legislative body that investigated the manufacturers for various infractions. They were based on protecting the workers: both their rights and their lives. The FIC investigated countless factories and “enacted eight laws covering fire safety, factory inspections and sanitation.” The FIC was highly focused on the health and safety of industrial workers, making reports and legislation that focused on “fire safety, building construction, machine guarding, heating, lighting, ventilation, and other topics” and on specific industries like “chemicals, lead trades, metal trades, printing shops, sweatshops and mercantile establishments.” Thirteen out of seventeen of the bills submitted by the FIC became laws, and “included measures requiring better fire safety efforts, more adequate factory ventilation, improved sanitation and machine guarding, safe operation of elevators” and other legislations focused for specific establishments.” Fire safety and new fire codes such as “mandate emergency exits, sprinkler systems, and maximum-occupancy laws,” such as the Fire Prevention Act of 1911, were put into place to limit the likelihood that another fire like the one at Triangle would occur, or be as drastic and deathly. Other organizations like the Joint Board of Sanitary Control “set and maintain standards of sanitation in the workplace,” as well as actually enforcing these stand...
Disasters can be so impactful; some can forever change the course of history. While many at the time thought this story would soon pass, and with it all the potential bad publicity, the story of the Triangle fire spread quickly, and outraged many people. On a beautiful spring day in March 1911 when 146 workers lost their lives, a fire would prove it could do what years of reformers had failed to do, get the government on the side of the workers. I would argue that the fire largely impacted the country. Specifically, the Triangle Fire ended up changing New York’s interconnected political and economic scene, and spurred on the creation of stricter safety codes. For the first time owners would hold responsibility for their actions. Max Blanck and Isaac Harris; being indicted for manslaughter was proof of this. Social change seemed to be spurred as well; the general public and newspapers would come back the workers of New York. Large institutions would suffer as well. Tammany Hall would be feared less and less by waves of new immigrants. The largest change brought about by the blaze would be legislation. Twenty-five bills, recasting the labor laws of the state
Hitchcock has characteristics as an auteur that is apparent in most of his films, as well as this one.
Rowe, Lawrence. "Through the Looking Glass: Reflexivity, Reciprocality, and Defenestration in Hitchcock's"Rear Window"." College Literature 35.1 (2008): 16-37.
As the paradigm in which this curiosity is exposed inhabit the human being, that voyeurism that uncounted of us have inside. Hitchcock is able to use this element to catch the spectator, building a devilish and fascinating tale of suspense set in a microcosm. In which there reflects the intimate and daily life of the current man, where the protagonist observes from his window. The viewer sees what Jeff (the protagonist) observes, has the sensation of being the protagonist, observing through his window.
Gestalt therapy is an experiential and humanistic form of therapy that embraces awareness, freedom and self-direction. Gestalt therapy focus on the “here and now” and allow clients to be more self-aware and to accept their feelings in order to ease distress. Gestalt theory maintains that wellness encompasses taking responsibility for one’s self and being connected to others.
“He [Norman] only half-existed,” the psychiatrist stated after taking a look at Norman himself (Psycho). Norman Bates is a character in the movie Psycho, whose mental illness caused him to turn murderous. Psycho is not the only film that uses a mental illness to produce a villain. The Joker from the Batman series is diagnosed by the viewers to be psychopathic, and he is known to be a mass murderer. From the 1960 film to modern movies, many producers create their villains with mental disabilities. Because the mentally ill are portrayed as villains, this causes the viewers to classify them as capable of turning monstrous and harming those around them. This stereotype leads to the vilification of all those with a mental illness. Producers create
Los Angeles in Blade Runner has advertisements covering every building, ships flying in the sky projecting the news, and screens showing media on every surface possible near the streets. Replicants are imported with memories of actual humans to give them a since of humanity and understanding. This allows the robots to have a foundation to build their understanding of emotion on and interact like a self-conscious human. Except the mass media cannot pull the Nexus-6 robots into the pit of misconception and virtual reality that most of the humans have fallen into. As you watch the movie all the humans are emotionless and bleak because they rely on technology too much in their lives. Their conversations are held mostly over the phone and they use technology every second of the day. The robots show more facial emotion and connection with each other. Borgmann writes that “Information about and for reality used to mediate between humanity and to produce a distinctive kind of world”(Borgmann 23). The robots clearly still have the ability to do this while the human’s emotions have faded away because the distance between information and reality is blurred. Replicants are “more human than human” because they have the ability to distinguish reality from virtual reality and this has led them to still keep in touch with moral values of community and a sense of
There are four crucial scenes of this film in which Hitchcock shows a change in perspective and identity through the mise-en-scène. Hitchcock’s signature motifs, style, and themes are conveyed through the mise-en-scène.
Upon seeing the gross amount of health and safety issues in the building, the investigation escalated and the Legislature created a group of 9-person to Investigate thoroughly to find what needed to be changed. They studied issues related to the health and safety of workers, the condition of the building they worked, and existing and additional necessary laws and ordinances. After investigating thousands of establishments and interviewing hundreds of witnesses, the Commission issued their report including recommendations for Laws. The Commission’s proposal led to what is called "the golden era in remedial factory legislation.” During the years 1911 to 1914, new laws put in place to reform the state labor code and were authorized. After New York enacted these safety laws, other U.S. states echoed New York’s trailblazing legislation. These laws were covered and to improved sanitation conditions such as improved eating and restrooms and, fire safety which included an increase of emergency exits, installation of firewalls, and easy access to fire extinguishers, alarm systems, and automated sprinklers. The Commission took it even further in their investigations and included the 36 laws to the child labor codes, the prohibition of night work, and the beginnings of minimum wage. Until the New Deal 30 years later, these labor laws and building codes
Industrial reform began days after The Triangle Waist Company fire, beginning with the Committee of Safety, Tammany Hall legislators, and the founding of the Factory Investigating Commission. The Committee of safety’s goal was legislative reform. They were upset by the social and political support that was not received after the fire. The committee was made of the public that investigated factory conditions in hopes to get legislation passed to protect factory workers. Middle and upper class business men and women pushed for legislation to improve factory life, Tammany Hall legislators decided to reassess the situation. Democratic Party leaders Alfred Smith and Robert Wagner, being politicians, changed their views to become the party of reform. The founding of the Factory Investigating Commission (FIC), led by Smith and Wagner of Tammany Hall legisl...
We are all aware of sugar, the sweet delicious substance commonly used in food and beverages, but table sugar is not the only sugar there is. There are many artificial sugars that many people now-a-days aren’t aware of. In this research paper I will be identifying four different types of synthetic sugars which are: Saccharin, Aspartame, Sucralose, and Sodium cyclamate. Synthetic sugars, or artificial sweeteners, have both positive and negative effects that can either make a big impact in our body or a small impact. Synthetic sugars can be used in many ways but are most commonly used in regular everyday foods and beverages or they can be mixed with other artificial sweeteners. Synthetic sugars tend to look very similar to real sugar so sometimes it may be hard to distinguish them with the naked eye.
Norman Bates is arguably the most unforgettable character in the horror genre. His movements, voice and aura at first radiate a shy young man but transform into something more sinister as the movie Psycho (Hitchcock, USA, 1960) progresses. How has the director, Alfred Hitchcock, achieved this? Norman Bates was a careful construct: the casting, body language, lighting and even the subtle use of sound and mise-en-scène created the character.
The first step is to understand the effects of sugary drinks on the human body. Daines states that, “Many factors contribute to obesity, but there’s one pernicious one: added sugar” (632). Consumption of sugary drinks alone has held an increasing placement in our daily eating routine. As stated in A Tax That Invests in Our Health, “We consume about 300 calories more a day than we did 30 years ago, and most of those calories come from sugar-sweetened sodas, energy drinks or fruit-flavored drinks” (632).