Psycho follows some thriller conventions such as fast pacing scenes like Marian's murder, having a disadvantaged hero in Sam versus the villain Norman Bates, and a villain that causes problems for the hero. However, it also challenges conventions by switching heroes and blending elements of thriller and mystery genres. Hitchcock uses suspense through music and Norman's unresolved fate at the end. He also employs the McGuffin device of the stolen money to drive the plot forward despite its lack of relevance to the overall story.
2. DOES PSYCHO FOLLOW THRILLER
CONVENTIONS ?
Psycho follows thriller conventions in some ways by
including :
- Fast pacing scenes like when Marian was killed by an
unknown person which we now know was Norman bates
- A resourceful hero that is at a disadvantage to the villain
which would be Sam crane in the case of psycho
- A villain that causes inconveniences for the hero which
was Norman bates
3. DOES PSYCHO FOLLOW THRILLER
CONVENTIONS ?
Thriller devices
Psycho uses suspense throughout the movie like when the
detective was about to be killed. Hitchcock used music to create
suspense like increasing or decreasing the tempo or the volume
of the string quartet
Hitchcock uses Normans unresolved fate as the cliffhanger in
psycho. At the end you see Norman Bates talking to himself and
then smiling at the cameras which leaves a feeling of uncertainty
and the feeling he has not been defeated.
4. DOES PSYCHO FOLLOW THRILLER
CONVENTIONS ?
McGuffin
A McGuffin is a devices that movies the plot along
but has little to no relevance to the story.
Hitchcock uses the Money as the McGuffin in
Psycho. The money in psycho leads Marion to
Norman’s hotel which is the moves the story into
the main plot of the movie.
5. DOES PSYCHO FOLLOW
THRILLER CONVENTIONS
?
Ways Hitchcock Doesn’t
Really
In some ways Hitchcock doesn't completely
follow thriller conventions some examples of
Hitchcock's rebelliance against thriller
conventions are:
Hitchcock swaps heroes in psycho which while
still lays in thriller conventions in doesn’t follow
It using traditionnel methods .
Hitchcock also drifts between thriller and
mystery by using some features of a thriller
and some of a mystery
6. LAURA
MULVEY
The Male gaze
Laura Mulvey is a feminist film
critic.
Her theory of the male gaze
implies women are portrayed
in movies and literature as
“objects of male pleasure”
Laura Mulvey claimed the
term “The male gaze “in 1975