Psycho Opening and Closing.
ANSWER
In Alfred Hitchcock’s 1960 film “Psycho,” the opening and closing scenes are pivotal in establishing the film’s tone, themes, and overall meaning. These scenes serve as bookends, formally and thematically, and contribute significantly to the audience’s understanding of the movie.
Opening Scene: The film’s opening scene has several distinctive formal elements. It begins with the cityscape, panning down to focus on a specific building – a hotel. The camera zooms in through a window, revealing Marion Crane and her lover, Sam Loomis, in a post-coital conversation. This opening scene is marked by its voyeuristic quality, as it invades the characters’ privacy, setting the stage for themes of surveillance and invasion of personal space throughout the film.
The significance of this opening scene lies in its introduction of Marion Crane, who will become the narrative’s central character. Her actions, decisions, and eventual fate are all foreshadowed here. Additionally, the scene establishes the film’s unsettling and suspenseful atmosphere, which is a hallmark of Hitchcock’s work. It primes the audience for the psychological and narrative twists that will follow.
Closing Scene: The closing scene of “Psycho” is equally distinctive in its formal elements. It features an extended monologue by a psychiatrist, Dr. Richmond, who attempts to explain the psychological motivations behind Norman Bates’ actions. This scene is visually static, contrasting with the dynamic and suspenseful sequences that precede it. It is also expository, providing a psychological analysis that aims to demystify the enigmatic character of Norman Bates.
The significance of the closing scene is multi-fold. Firstly, it explains and rationalizes the film’s earlier events, providing a pseudo-scientific explanation for Norman’s behavior. However, it also leaves room for ambiguity, as it does not entirely absolve Norman of guilt. This ambiguity reinforces the film’s overarching themes of duality, blurred lines between sanity and madness, and the complexity of human psychology.
Moreover, the closing scene acts as a thematic bookend, paralleling the opening scene’s voyeuristic element with the psychiatrist’s analysis, akin to a psychological intrusion into Norman’s mind. It underscores the film’s exploration of the invasion of personal boundaries and the inherent darkness that may lurk beneath the surface of seemingly ordinary individuals.
In conclusion, the opening and closing scenes of “Psycho” are integral to the film’s overall meaning and impact. They establish the movie’s tone, themes, and atmosphere, acting as formal and thematic bookends. These scenes exemplify Hitchcock’s mastery of suspense and psychology, leaving the audience unease and contemplation long after the film concludes.
QUESTION
Description
Here is the reference citation for the film. This is the only source you need to include in the reference page:
Hitchcock, A. (Director). (1960). Psycho [Film]. Shamley Productions.
I have provided the youtube videos of the opening credits, opening scene, and closing scene of the Psycho film for you below. The link below the videos along with the attached handout have been provided to give you an idea of what formal elements of film are so you know what to focus on:
https://beverlyboy.com/filmmaking/what-are-the-for…
Please do not include an introduction or conclusion since this is going to be a part of a much larger paper.
Please answer the following based on the 1960 version of the film Psycho.
2. Opening and closing. What are the distinguishing formal elements of the opening and closing
scenes of the film? What is the significance of these scenes for an understanding of the meaning
of the film? How do the opening and closing scenes act as bookends (formal and/or thematic) for
the film? Discuss with reference to Bordwell and Thompson’s comment that “A film does not
just start, it begins and “A film doesn’t simply stop; it ends” (about half page of
text about 160 Words Times New Roman Size 12 Font Double-Spaced APA Format Excluding the Title and Reference Pages).
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