Socio-Cultural Context

If I were sent back 43 years ago and were able to view the premiere screening of Psycho … I’d probably be horribly anxious for the next couple of weeks. However for what reasons?  Consider how far American cinema had progressed in the 20^th century. Color had just been introduced along with the concept of having digetic audio to accompany the films. In addition America was now dealing with issues of censorship and innovative “creativity” which had never been seen before. Psycho was a combination of everything that wouldn’t be tolerated because of the constrictive hold via censorship. It was as scandalous as the May-Irwin Kiss because it entailed taboo ideals such as demonstrating illicit sexual relationships, gory murder scenes, women’s lingerie, and also revealed in a behind the scenes documentary “the flushing of a toilet”. Such concepts were new and intimidating to an isolated culture and Hitchock focus primarily on exposing a unique identity for American culture.

In “Hitchcock’s America” the article focused on how the director, originally born in London, was captivated by American culture and incorporated in his films “a sustained, specific, and extraordinary acute exploration of American culture.” Psycho ultimately answered questions of how far could film go in terms of visuals and narrative to affect the general audiences. One of the most famous scenes, and possibly overly discussed and parodied, is the knife stabbing scene. Not only did the scene define itself in terms of expressing a gory murder scene via reaction shots but also Hitchcock made the main character sympathetic with the audience and killed her 1/3 of the plot in. Ultimately it was the audience who was able to piece the ideas of the story together (connecting the stabbings shots as well as noticing the switch in protagonists) and regard it as an amazing contribution of it’s time. Nevertheless, it also proved a valid point Hitchock was trying to express. American audiences were evolving and now individuals could grasp reality and not the “modified censored” version Holywood studios were trying to convey.

The geographical context of the film isn’t that significant except for all the effort that was placed into the Bates Motel. The Motel was situated somewhere along the west (ie California) and hidden away along a sparingly used highway. The concept of having a distant and isolated area for the murder scenes adds more to depth and mood. A large mysterious house lurks behind the motel and Marion spends her night hiding away from the police emphasizing her rational of loneliness and foreshadowing her desire to return back to society and her lover.

Psycho was regarded as a classic because it borrowed ideas from  other gruesome and gory films. It went as far as delving into the thriller genre and even creating a sub genre of “slasher” recognized for the bloody-sharp instrument combo. The entire narrative was inspired the story of Ed Gein who did unspeakable atrocities to unsuspecting women and thus cannot be considered as primitive.

As a work made for a specific audience Psycho gained both positive and negative remarks. Most critiques deplored Hitchcock’s dramatic change in film content from previous work as well as the methods taken to advertise his film. Audiences went as far as to complaining about the film and personally writing a letter to Hitchcock. I found out that a girl actually admitted to not being able to shower after seeing Psycho. To which Hitchcock responded, “send her to the dry cleaners.” Psycho was a great movie for it’s time, being one of the first films to push the limits and provide for a more unique and creative vision of film.

"Your child will be ready this Thursday."

            In terms of culture Hitchcock demonstrated American perspectives on the average citizen through the characterization of Marion. The audience is first introduced to her post her lovely steamy scene with (Mr. Hunky) Sam as what is believed to be the main complex of the plot being revealed : him not being able to settle down. We are then given a glimpse of her orderly life as a secretary which builds more to the idea of her innocence. However, everything begins to change when she decides to steal 40,000 in an attempt to help her lover. This transition from good to evil was very symbolic for Hitchcock as he emphasized it as well in the color changes in her bra. The moment she meets Norman the audience is led to believe that it will end up as a love triangle between Marion and the two men. When in reality, it was the culture at the time that made audiences believe this notion because what catches everyone off guard is the death of the character to whom they gained sympathy for. Psycho truly embodied the thriller genre into his film and provided the psychotic capabilities of the average American individual.