Analyzing Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho

“A boy’s best friend is his mother.”​

“Psycho.” It was Hitchcock’s first horror film, and arguably his biggest hit. Old-day viewers were shocked and stunned at the sheer content of the film, and that effect, luckily, still holds on today.

Right from the start, the viewer gets a sense of unease, which is more than likely due to the mesmerizing soundtrack and great cinematic shots. Alfred Hitchcock himself said that “33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the music,” which is no over exaggeration. Every single piece in “Psycho,” which were all conducted on string instruments, all elevate the horror of the film.

However, the strongest aspect of “Psycho,” is, of course, its most famous: the horror. A feeling of unease was planted right at the very start of the film, and it continued to grow as it went on.

One root of this terror seems to connect back to our everyday lives: a blind spot on the stairs, a mysterious figure faced away from you, and, most prominently, the shower. The beautifully voyeuristic shots and cinematography only heighten these unforgettable scenes.

Alfred Hitchcock wasted no effort on “Psycho;” he went to astronomical lengths to keep his film a surprise. For example, he bought out as many books of the source material as he could to reduce the amount on the market. The sheer dedication that went into creating this horrifying masterpiece is amazing. It is truly a feat only Hitchcock could pull off.

“Psycho” is a cinematically relevant and astoundingly terrifying film.