Psycho AS media analysis

1. Alfred Hitchcock

2.  Psycho is about an office worker Marion
Crane who is fed up with her life. She is
unable to marry her lover Sam as he has to
give his money away in alimony. One day her
employer trusts her to take $40,00 to the
bank, but instead takes it to start a new life.
She leaves town and heads towards
California. On her long drive she pulls into a
motel owned by a young man who is
dominated by his mother.

3.  Directed by Alfred Hitchcock
 Released in September 1960 (USA)
 Budget : $806,947 (estimated)
 1961 Oscar nominations:
Best Actress in a Supporting Role – Janet Leigh
Best Director – Alfred Hitchcock
 1961 Golden Globe:
Best supporting actress – Janet Leigh
 1961 Edgar Allen Poe Awards Best motion picture

4. Anthony Perkins –
Norman Bates
Vera Miles –
Lila Crane
Janet Leigh –
Marion Crane
John Gavin –
Sam Loomis

5.  Roger Ebert gave it 4 stars and stated "It wasn't a
message that stirred the audiences, nor was it a
great performance...they were aroused by pure
film.”
 It has a IMDB rating of 8.6 stars and users have
‘the best Hitchcock movie? It's definitely one of
his best’
 NY times said it was ‘low-budget […] minimum
complication […] slow paced […] flat
denouement’ – so overall in their opinion it was
not great, however this is one of the very few
negative reviews.

7.  Firstly it contains a lot of crime such as Marion
stealing the money and murder
 Hitchcock created mystery throughout such as the
audience not knowing who the murderer was
 Creates variety as there is a female protagonist
 It has a ‘nightmarish’ feel to it
 Contains confused identities and manipulations to
make us identify with characters – this makes it a
psychological thriller
 Extremely complex and even left critics confused