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  • Essay / Alfred Hitchcock or the Master of Suspense

    Filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock was nicknamed the “master of suspense” because he used a kind of psychological tension in his films, creating a distinct visual experience. For example, the film Psycho, directed by him, was considered one of the most terrifying films of its time. Created in 1960, it was a classic and a great horror film because it violated the norms of all films. Alfred Hitchcock favored employing a form of psychological suspense in his films, constructing a well-defined experience for the viewer. Proof that Alfred Hitchcock had a great influence in establishing the characterization and meaning of the characters. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay There are many recurring motifs in the psycho film, birds are the physical manifestation of these ideas. The film tells the story of Marion Crane (Janett Leigh), the main character, who disappears after stealing $5,000 from her employer. Further evidence is that there are also many references to birds in conversations between characters, such as when Norman tells Marion that she "eats like a bird". Norman also has a collection of birds in his living room, the main one being an owl and a hawk. The references continue to symbolize the life and appearance of predators and prey, the predators are represented by danger, the killers and the prey represent the innocent, the little ones. The bird metaphor is represented by the characters' different personality types and dangerous associations with upcoming events. It is likely that Alfred Hitchcock used motifs to bring out representation in Psycho. Alfred Hitchcock even uses the motif of mirrors, mirrors were frequently seen throughout the film, and for example, when the bathroom mirror reflects Marion's assets. Perhaps the most obvious use of the mirror was when Marion's sister sees her reflection in another mirror and is shocked to believe that someone is behind her. Further evidence is that when Marion enters the offices of the Bates Motel, the camera was captured in her reflection before she even appeared in the frame. We see Norman and Marion together in the mirror for a split second. This must mean that two characters had a guilty and immoral side, or that the immoral half of Marion and Normans were somehow mixed up. In this case, the point is that Alfred Hitchcock actually uses meaning and dominant to demonstrate characterization. Another motif that Alfred Hitchcock uses as symbolism are the eyes when Norman watches Marion undress through the peephole in the wall, after removing a painting from the wall. There's an intense close-up of her eyes, including us in her inappropriate secrecy. In this sequence, Norman's eyes see the same thing as we as the audience. In the scene where Marion was brutally killed, she is shown near her lifeless eyes, noting the image of Mrs. Bates' "eye socket", both women had a massive fall after getting too close to Norman, threatening the dangerous part of her. It is as if he had brutally ended their lives to escape the eyes of the judge, also described as “windows to the soul”. This means that we can understand the characters' emotions and sometimes their thoughts by looking into their eyes. The staircase is another motif used by Alfred Hitchcock, the upstairs represents his mother's Norman manifestation and the downstairs represents him as innocent and normal. Hitchcock also uses the McGuffin technique, when Marion Crane stole $40,000 from the real estate agent's office..