Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho: A Great Horror Film

Psycho It was one of those long, dreary school days where I did not want to be in class, especially not my boring Fine Arts class. We were learning about films and their cinematography. My teacher started off the class by showing us the famous 1960 film “Psycho” by Alfred Hitchcock. When the black and white film came up on the screen, I thought that it was going to be tedious and hopelessly long, but I was wrong. Psycho is a great movie for any individual that enjoys horror films. The setting, the plot, and the cinematography are just a few things that make Psycho a great horror film. One reason why “Psycho” is a great horror film is because of the setting. Most of the suspenseful scenes occur at a motel that is owned by Norman Bates and his mother, Mrs. Bates. The motel is set off an old highway in California. The famous shower scene took place inside the motel. This scene is very famous because after Marion, one of the main characters, gets stabbed after showering, many people become afraid of taking showers.

Alfred Hitchcock manipulated the lighting throughout the movie to create shadows. The shadows in the movie created more suspense for the audience. For example, in the shower scene, the audience could not see who the killer was. The only thing that the audience could see was the killer’s shadow and the victim being stabbed. The 1960 film was shot in black and white. The audience grew fear of the killer after seeing the blood go down the shower drain. Many individuals considered that part of the scene to be bloody and gruesome. Also, Alfred Hitchcock made the audience feel horrified in the scene where Mrs.Bates finally shows up. The audience can only see Mrs. Bates’ back until her face is revealed. In this scene, Hitchcock builds up suspense by zooming the camera into Mrs. Bates’ horrifying dead