Looking past the mere figure of the murderer, try to identify a monster in this film that isn't immediately obvious. What themes motivate the film? How does the film deal with these themes? How might the film be addressing the "monstrous" outside the simple, murderous cycle of the central killer? In other words, if the killer isn't the only monster in this film, what else are you meant to fear?
Looking past the clear monster in the film Psycho, I believe the non-obvious monster is Norman's disease. Based upon what we find out in the end, Norman has developed split personalities and is living as himself and his mother. Throughout the whole movie we get this theme of darkness and the thought that there is something that we just do not know about. It keeps us thinking who or what is the Psycho until the end. Being in black and white, as well as it always being dark and rainy, this makes the film much more intense. These elements add to the overall creepiness of the film. I feel that besides the monster, you are meant to fear the fact that the killer is nice but at the same time monstrous. The music is another element that adds to the intensity of the fear. Norman is so twisted that he cannot feel guilt for any of the murders because he thinks he is his mom, and therefore innocent. In the end she will not slap the fly off Norman just to prove she is not a murderer.
ReplyDeleteI like how you mentioned our fear watching the movie. As watching it I did try to make estimates on who the psycho might be, and until the last few scenes I couldn't have guessed it was Norman. He was nice throughout the film and looked as if he was cleaning up his "mother's" messes. I do think as an audience we are supposed to fear his split personalities between serial killer and an average nice guy. This leads us into worries about others with split personalities. Can we trust anyone with the thought of them having a serial killer alter ego?
DeleteI also agree with both of you of the fear when watching the movie. Every scene that we see the psycho, i tried figuring out who it could be and where Norman was at this time. I also found it quite interesting that he keeps the fly on his hand in the end to prove hes not a murderer, when in fact he has killed numerous people and even went about weighting down a casket so they would think his mom was still in the casket when they buried her.
DeleteI think that the disease is not so much split personality as Norman has an obsession with dead things and becoming them. I think that the black and white does make it more intense; I agree that the music does add intensity to the movie. In class we talked about how the music is a give away in movies because it builds up and it gives us a clue that something will happen. However in this movie, the build up is longer than more recent movies which keeps us on edge for longer.
DeleteThe monster in this film could be Norman’s disease. He has a multi personality disease that allows him to portray his mom as if she were still there. Although he does preform the murders and commits the crimes, looking past his actions, the disease could be to blame. Some themes that motivate this film are darkness and mystery. There is darkness of lighting and music throughout the majority of the film that keeps the mystery going. The mystery of not knowing the killer until the end is how the film addresses the monster. Instead of coming right out and allowing the audience to know Norman is a killer with this multi personality disorder is an interesting way to keep the audience engrossed. It allows the audience to fear those who are similar to Norman. Assuming that all people with multi personality disorders are serial killers.
ReplyDeleteThe elements that you mentioned are all very true in the matter of their darkness. Another element that I thought about was the repeated mentioning of the birds. The motel is decorated with them and her last name is Crane. It is funny to think of the fact that Norman has an obsession with stuffing birds and preserving them. This is parallel to how he keeps his mother around and preserves her body as well as her personality. The multiple personalities are definitely another monster that is not as obvious as the killer. The two personalities make it much more twisted and keep the audience on their feet on who or what the monster actually is.
DeleteAlthough the disease is to blame for his actions, I believe his mother and the way she treated him resulted in the disease he has. I believe your themes are very valid and connect with the movie very well. Not knowing who the true killer until the end of the movie definitely adds to the mystery theme of the movie. This just emphasizes the fear of people like Norman and the inability to recognize them.
DeleteAs I was watching Psycho, the clear monster was Norman. However the other monster that I noticed was Marion. The theme throughout this whole movie we see very obvious is the theme of surprise. We never see the murderer in full until the very end of the movie. Throughout each and every murder, the face of this person is quite dark and hidden.Also the fact that it is lacking color causes it much harder to recognize the face. Another aspect we are meant to fear is when the numerous people looking for Marion go to the hotel, we are expected to fear them being killed. Another We are also meant to fear Marion becoming caught for stealing the $40,000 and being punished for such a crime.
ReplyDeleteMarion is definitely a monster in the movie Psycho. She steals the $40,000 that her boss trusted her to deposit in the bank and skips town with it. Then she uses some of the money to purchase a new car for herself. Later, Marion is forced to get a hotel room because of the terrible, rainy weather. Marion's obsession with the cash leads her to become a different person, a "monster." She begins doing things that she never would have done before and it all leads to her impending death. If Marion never would have skipped town with the $40,000 she never would have been killed by Norman.
DeleteMarion is a monster in the film. She chooses to steal from her trusting boss, which leads to not only her demise, but others who were innocent. She deserves no sympathy for her death becasue it was all her own fault.
DeleteI agree that a theme could surprise the film always has a twist. the fear of seeing her being caught for her crime is also shown in the film i agree.
DeleteI think that the monster in this film is Norman's obsession with his mother. He has no other friends besides his mom and he has to keep her even after she has died. I think it is obvious that Norman has an obsession with the dead when we see the back room in his office that is full of stuffed dead animals. The film is trying to show that people who seem "normal" and show no obvious attributes of a monster may have a secret life we don't know about. For example, Norman has all of the stuffed animals in that back room. This is something normal for may hunters and so it isn't apparent right away. But by the end of the movie, it is clear that this is a manifestation that has been uncovered. I think the film is meant scare us of what seems normal and to provide questions of things that seem "normal." Not all killers and monsters are as obvious as the vampires and zombies we have seen. The movie provides a fear of everyone and makes us question who is a monster.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say Norman Bates was obsessed with his mother. He had a multiple personality disorder and he couldn't stop his mother from taking over his mind. Norman's mother is the real monster because she was the one who killed Marion and Abrogast. Norman couldn't stop his mother from doing these acts. The movie tells us that we should always fear the unknown because anything is possible.
DeleteA monster, whose identity is not readily noticed, would be greed or desire. Marion Phoenix’s desire to make a change in her life results in her stealing $40,000 from her employer. She was asked to deposit the money at the local bank, however; she had alternative plans. Marion leaves town and eventually stops at the Bates Motel after a long drive. Her greediness brings about her fateful death. If she had only deposited the money, she never would have been it that horrific situation.
ReplyDeleteLater, Marion’s sister and lover hire a private investigator to determine what has happened to her. The investigator is led to the Bates Motel where he questions the owner, Norman Bates. The investigator notices a woman, in the house window, and requests a interview with her from Bates. Bates declines and orders the investigator to leave his motel. Not completely satisfied, the investigator returns to the motel on a second occasion. He enters the house, without permission, which regretfully leads to his death. The investigators desire to speak to a woman and his actions of entering the home, uninvited, result in his stabbing death.
Finally, Marion’s sister and lover’s desire to know what has happened to their private investigator brings them to the Bates Motel. Here, they pretend to be travelers and request a room for the evening. While Bates is attending other matters, the two investigate the room where Marion was killed. They find little evidence and decide the best idea would be to question the woman from the window. The lover distracts Bates while Marion’s sister enters the home. Her desire to question this woman almost leads to her demise. However, Marion’s lover is able to intervene, just in time.
All three of these instances demonstrate the possible consequences of greed or desire. If Marion had only followed orders and not let desires for change control her life, she would still be alive. Her actions indirectly led to the death of the private investigator and almost to the death of her sister. Again, this film gives the audience a reason to fear the feelings of greed or desire.
Greed and desire of the victims and characters surrounding Norman Bates is exactly what I believe Alfred Hitchcock was trying to portray as the monster. The split personality of Norman Bates causes him to commit terrible murders but does not represent the monster that ties together all of the victims. The investigator Sam and Lila all try and press into other people's business without their consent. These desires represent the monster that leads them to their demise.
DeleteI think the true monster in this film is Norman's mother. The reason why I think Norman's mother is the monster in the film is because she is the one who brings out the monster in Norman Bates and Norman Bates tries to protect his mother. His mother is the one who killed Abrogast and Marion. Norman's mother takes over Norman's mind and he can't do nothing about it. One theme that motivates the film is privacy and how easily it can be violated. When Marion steals the forty thousand dollars, it looked like someone was watching her at all times. Examples in the film where Marion is being followed or being spied on is when the patrol officer is following her while she is driving and when Norman Bates is looking through a peep hole and spying on Marion. Another theme is the split personalites that Marion and Norman Bates both have. We are meant to fear the unknown because anything can happen when you least expect it to happen.
ReplyDeletePrivacy is a theme that is violated throughout the film. With Norman his personal thoughts are interfered and violated with double personality. In comparison Normal also is the violator when he is peeking through the peep hole to spy on Marion. The line is crossed throughout the film where privacy is no longer a barrier.
DeleteI agree that Norman's mother is probably to blame for the outcome of her deranged son. Seeing as Norman's mother raised him, she can be given some respect however it can be reasoned that she did not do the best parenting job. The parent must take responsibility for teaching their child social behaviors. Your take on privacy is also interesting. I believe that it is central to the movie and you very much see this theme in the shower scene as invading Marion's privacy becomes fatal.
DeleteAlthough Norman is the obvious monster within the film lies a hidden one. The true monster beneath the surface is seclusion. Norman was secluded his whole life with him and his mother being the only two living beings around him. He became controlled by obsession once he murdered his mom and her lover. Obsession drove him to murder in order to hid reality from himself. If there was ever danger or desire that risked the opportunity for reality to come to the surface his second personality would come out and prevent it. Norman is unlike many other serial killers because he is not all bad. The monster is built within a man, consuming him with negativity trying to avoid the truth. What is meant to be feared within the film is the grey line that exists between monstrosity and normality. The killer is not clear and the blame cannot be put on one person. The killer is within another human being therefore the most dangerous, it is the ultimate disguise, hiding within another body.
ReplyDeleteI like that you brought in another factor about his life, not just his personality. His seclusion from the rest of the world does seem to branch off and help create this monstrous person that we be revealed. I do believe that killing his mother helped break into this killing spree that he did end up going into, and having his "mother" do the crime made it live able for him. He had his mother help mask his desire for other woman for the fact that they might go to another man once Norman were to die and not be with his wife. He had the mom stop anything from happening that could possibly ruin his life in his mind.
DeleteI like how you mentioned the monster in the film was seclusion. You thought outside of the box and came up with a monster that does not have to deal with his personality. Norman’s seclusion made him commit the crimes, and create the "monster" we know about.
DeleteDuring the beginning of the movie I thought that it was the woman who was the killer and that was going to be the psycho. Once she got to the motel and I met the guy I knew that it was Norman. When I watched the “mother” kill her I knew it wasn’t really the mother. It was Norman trying to relive his mother that he missed. When you find out in the end that he had split personality disorder it brought it all together. Norman is not the monster really but more his brain and lack of having a mother figure in his life. His brain is what lead to him having a spilt personality and “killing” all the people. Normans mother did not kill the people nor did Norman; it was his brain leading him to believe that it was his mother. This film addresses many themes, one of which playing with our fears. This movie shows that if we lose someone close to us, such as a mother, that we could end up killing people and not really know that it was us. Also having this movie in black and white brought it two a different level, when only the light is being shown on someone’s face and there is no color to it, slightly terrifying if I might say. When they have the light in place of the mothers face when the sister is walking in to find her it keeps us guessing whether the mother is truly alive or if she is dead and her body is only there. This movie addresses “monstrous” outside the simple by having it be this small town guy that owns a motel shop who lives with his mother, who evidently turns out dead. We don’t think that the person handing us the key to our room is going to come in and kill us while we are taking a shower, but now that thought is put into our minds and we aren’t sure whom we can trust. We aren’t just meant not to fear a killer but also death and how it can come when we least aspect it. None of us know when we are likely to die, but when we step into a shower the last thought is “Oh someone is going to walk in here and stab me.” we don’t think like that, at least I hope we don’t. This movie makes us put our lives into another perspective that we have never looked at or thought that we would have to look at.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate how you went through the gamete of possible monsters in the film psycho. I don't necessarily agree that it was the lack of having a mother figure that caused hum to kill however. I believe it was Norman's jealousy over his mother's new lover that caused him to kill her, then his "mother's" jealousy over the ladies who stayed at the Bates Motel, that drove Norman to kill them through his alternative personality.
DeleteThe non-obvious monster in the film Psycho is obsession. From the moment Marion was given $40,000 in cash and asked to deposit it in the bank for her employer she became obsessed with stealing the money. She claimed to not be feeling well and asked to take the rest of the day off. She went home and immediately began packing and hit the road with the cash. During her trip she decides to trade her car in for a new one and insists on paying for the car without test driving it. The car dealer continuously attempts to have her think it over before buying the car but Marion insists on purchasing the car as fast as possible. She is obsessed with getting a different car. If Marion had never stolen the money and be forced to stop at the hotel she would not have been led to her impending death.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, Norman was obsessed with his mother. The two of them did everything together. When she met a man Norman's obsession with her led to extreme jealousy. Norman ended up killing both his mom and her boyfriend. The fact that Norman killed the two of them led him to go crazy and develop slip personalities. If Norman had not been obsessed with his mother he would never have become a serial killer in disguise.
The issue of obsession is definitely a monster in the film. Obsession drives the actors to make selfish decisions that lead to their individual destruction. Another theme that helps viewers explore the mindset of the actors is the issue of selfishness. Norman became selfish when his mother became involved in a romantic relationship. His selfish desires lead to to his decision of killing his mother and her boyfriend. This action sparked Norman's early start as a killer and resulted in the death of two innocent people.
DeleteMarion's obsession over the $40,000 is a great example of a monster that is not immediately recognized. The fact that she had become so obsessed with the money is technically what drove her to being murdered. She was selfish, and since she left town to keep the money to herself she ended up in the situation that got her killed. Norman's obsession with his mother was also a great example of the monster. Is jealousy of his mother's new boyfriend drove him to kill both of them.
DeleteLooking through this film and not directly at it, I think Norman’s mother is the monster. I say this because she caused Norman to be in the mental state he is in when she stopped paying attention to him. I think a theme that motivates this film is one of the corrupt people in society. This whole movie is centralized off of a woman who stole a large amount of money and was planning off on running away with it all. Another corrupt individual in this movie is Norman because of the killing he does, also his brain is corrupt in the sense of his multi-personality disorder. Seclusion from the rest of society is portrayed as one of the building blocks to Norman’s condition. Clearly shown as something he fears, seclusion, drives him to dig his buried mother out of the grave.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed your view on the movie and found it very interesting that you think that Normans mother is the monster. After reading your comment I am going to re-watch the movie and look more carefully at the scenes that involve her.
Deletei like your take on the fact that Norman's mother is the monster. she is the one ultimently causing all of the murders. she didn't pay attention to him and caused him to get this multi personality disorder. i want to rewatch the film to look at your take again so i can pay attention to it more.
DeleteI also noticed that Norman’s mother was the true monster. The way that parents treat their children, can affect the children for the rest of their lives. The fact that Norman’s mother paid no attention to him is what caused Norman to have the multiple personality disorder. So I would also agree that the true monster here was not Norman, it was Mrs. Bates
DeleteAfter watching Psycho the monster that I noticed that was not immediately obvious was Norman’s desire to have complete control over a situation. This is shown when Arbogast arrives at Norman’s home to do some questioning about Marion’s disappearance. When Arbogast asks to talk to Norman’s mother he quickly declines and then he abruptly asks Arbogast to leave. Later, Norman dressed up as his mother kills Arbogast after he tumbles down a flight of steps. Also, the theme of greed motivates the film. Greed is what puts Marion into her demise. If she did not steal the money and run away, Marion would still be alive. As viewers we are meant to fear that anyone could be a criminal. This is displayed how Marion turns into a thief and steals $40,000. Furthermore, Norman appears to be an average guy but in reality he is a stone cold killer. We are meant to fears this because it is supposed to keep us as viewers on edge.
ReplyDeleteNorman's desire for control can be clearly seen in multiple scenes throughout the film, Psycho. When Marion first arrived at the Bates Motel, Norman was determined to eat dinner with her. She wanted to eat in her room, however; his desire for control led to their eating in the pallor of his office. Later, Norman's desire for control can be seen when Marion's lover and sister visit the motel. Norman is determined to do things his way and does not want anyone to speak to his mother. Eventually, the viewer learns of Norman's obsession to control when the corpse of the mother is made visible. Norman's desire to control contributed to his eventual imprisonment.
DeleteNorman's desire to control everything is his life ultimately leads to his downfall. His "mothers" inability to let him be attracted to any of the girls who come to the hotel leads to his imprisonment. Also Norman's inability to let his mother be with someone other than himself leads to the films plot, as he kills his mother and her lover and assumes a split personality to remove himself from the guilt.
DeleteIn the movie Psycho, the monster that is hidden throughout the film is Norman’s illness which causes him to have a split personality. His split personality allows him to be himself and his mother. People may claim that Norman himself is the monster, but when you look past his negative actions, his illness could be the fault for the crimes. The end of the film assesses who the monster is, but throughout the film, it makes you wonder who the real monster is by the lighting being dark and the music that is playing throughout the film. Having the film be in black and white along with the darkness of the film, makes it even more suspenseful and eerie. The music makes the audience have more fear and keeps the mystery going. We are meant to fear the unknown because anything can happen at anytime, especially when you least expect it.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Psycho, Norman is considered the main monster because of his split personality which leads him to trying to kill his wife and little boy. But his illness didn't come to term till they moved into the hotel. I believe that the hotel could be considered a monster. The hotel seems to have a way of bringing out Norman's biggest fears. His fear of not providing for his family was the main reason he took the grounds keeper job in the first place and while there his is unable to write his book and possible the lack of love for his wife. The film was shot in an eerie way with the lighting and the music emphasizing the really dramatic parts of the movie. Being shot in black in white adds to the creepiness of the setting of the film in a empty hotel in the middle of no where. This all together makes for a great scary movie and its understandable why this film is a turning point in this genre.
ReplyDeletethe hotel as a monster is a very unique way of looking at this film but I think to some extent it works. The only thing I disagree with as regards to the hotel as a monster is the fact that Norman is always within the hotel or at the house which is located next to the hotel, but he is not always acting in monstrous ways. When Marion first arrives he is very pleasant, whether this is an act or not he is still in control.
DeleteI believe that the less obvious monster in the film would be Norman, specifically his multi-personality disease. Norman multi-personality disease causes him to portray himself as his mother at times. Throughout the movie we are given the impression that Norman is just a man who adores his mother so much that he is willing to put himself at risk by covering up her murders. However, at the end of the film we find out that Norman has actually murdered his mother and her boyfriend, and he sometimes portrays himself as her while he kills others. Even though the movie is black and white, we still get the feeling that the atmosphere around the hotel is rainy and eerie. These elements are giving the effect that something terrible is going to happen, or there is something that the audience does not know. I think we are supposed to fear the fact that we may not know who exactly is a monster. They may come off like a kind, innocent person, but in reality they could be a “monster”.
ReplyDeleteIn the classic Alfred Hitchcock film Psycho, Norman Bates runs his family’s motel, but any attractive single women who come to the hotel never make it out alive. The same is true for Marion Crane, who is murdered by a shadowy female while taking a shower one night at the motel. It is believed that this woman is Norman’s invalid mother who feels she must kill any woman her son is sexual attracted to. However, Mrs. Bates has been dead for over ten years. It turns out that the figure is actually Norman, who experiences multiple personality disorder. He dresses up in his mother’s clothing and takes on her personality, unable to control his/her urge to kill.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious monster in the film is the mother portion of Norman’s personality. The less obvious monster, in my opinion, is the hotel itself and the grim-looking house on the hill overlooking it. Norman grew up in this house, and it was the location where he murdered his mother and her lover. Serving as both the place of his fondest yet his most terrifying memories, Norman has a strong attachment to his childhood home and the relationship he had with his mother. He even preserved the body of his mother to keep her in the house rather than bury her in the cemetery where she belongs. The home as the monster of the film represents how severe attachment to one’s past and childhood can be the source of one’s destruction.
After watching the film psycho the apparent murderer in the film is Norman. Norman however is not necessarily the monster in the movie. The real monster in the film is jealousy. It was initially Norman’s jealousy of his mother’s new found love that lead him to kill her. It was then the jealousy of Norman’s alter ego “mother” that caused him to murder the women staying in the Bates Motel. This theme of jealousy is what motivates the film and drives Norman into insanity and eventually murder. The film uses its themes to teach the audience that it is not necessarily the physical killer that we should fear, but what actually drives the killer to commit his heinous acts.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that instead of focusing on the multiple personality disorder itself, the focus is placed on the jealousy he suffers as a result of it. Even the "Mother" half of his psyche is jealous since she desires to kill any woman that her son is attracted to. The monster is a part of human psychology, rather than a human or other creature that people often fear.
DeleteThe monster throughout the film could be Norman’s disease. His multi personal disease allows him to portray his mother as if she were still alive. Even though he commits murder you could say that his disease could be to blame. There is a dark and mysterious feel going on through out the movie with the way the movie is lighted and most of the music throughout is creepy. Shooting in black and white makes the film a little more intense. The music through out the movie is creepy and add to the fear of the serial killer. The audience is kept interested because Hitchcock doesn’t allow you to see who the killer is until the very last part in he movie. The audience fears those similar to Norman because of the things that he did despite his disorder. This disorder could cause all people to thing that people with multi personal are serial killers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you when you say that Normans disease is the monster. Since he does have a multi personality disorder, it would be unfair to call him the monster because he doesn't even know what he is doing, because when he does kill people he is mother, not Norman. I like how you mention the shooting of the film in black and white and how that adds to the mood. In the end though maybe you meant that the audience fears those similar to norman, for that he looks and acts normal until he takes on the perosnality of mother. I don't think it is fair saying that people would fear people with multi personality disorders(MPD) thinking they are serial killers because not every MPD is the same.
DeleteWhile watching the film Psycho and taking into hand the class discussions of people as monsters, I believe it is safe to say that people acting in monstrous ways is the main theme of the movie. The first person you could describe as a monster would be Marion, though I would personally not consider her to be monster. Her action of taking the forty thousand dollars from her boss is unethical and could be considered monstrous, but do we really consider Marion to be a monster. I would say no. The second monster who we don't know to be Norman until the end is someone who we would truthfully consider monstrous. When Norman is first introduced in the film he seems normal but slightly aggressive towards the subject of his mother being criticized. We see this first when Marion is eating and suggest that Norman put her in a "mad house". We later come to find that Norman's monster is in fact dead. You can easily argue the
ReplyDeleteclaim that Psycho is meant to make us fear motels, lonely individuals or individuals with mental disorders but if you look deeper into the complexity and entirety of the film I perceived it to be something different. I believe the film is made with the goal of making its audience fear individuals true motives not just the fact that Norman comes across as normal but the fact that all along he knows what he plans on doing.
The obvious monster of the film is clearly Norman as he commits many murders throughout the film. The less obvious, but more practical, monster is the split personality that Norman suffers from. It's this disease that causes Norman's "mother" to commit the murders. In this view some of the blame can be taken off of Norman as he really is just a mentally unsound person. Another "monster" of the film could be the setting of the movie, the hotel itself and Norman's house. These are eerie locations and the source of Norman's troubles. These locations and the traumatizing events that occurred there set in motion the films plot.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious monster in the film is Norman. The less obvious monster is Marion. I'm mainly referring to her obsession with the $40,000. This obsession consumes her in a way. It drives her to the point of stealing the money. This sets off a chain of events that leads her to the hotel where she meets Norman, who ends up murdering her. You could argue that Norman is the monster because he did the killing but if you think about it, it was Marion's obsession with the money. That was the real monster. If she had done what she was supposed to do with it, she would have never gone to the hotel and she would have never been murdered by Norman. In a way, Marion got what was coming to her. In this sense, the film is a cautionary tale. It teaches us about morals and how doing what we know is wrong can be a very bad thing.
ReplyDeleteLooking past Norman as being the obvious monster, I think that his second personality that is his mother could be the monster in this movie. The reason Norman is as twisted as he is, is because of his split personalities. Another reason that his personality of being his mother serves to be the monster is that with no mother to actually tell him what is right or wrong he does not feel guilty about his killings. I believe that this movie tries to make us fear what could be hiding among us. Much like other examples we have seen, Norman is able to interact with his prey and appear normal but is just waiting until he can kill again.
ReplyDeleteThe monster in the film Psycho appears to be Norman or the personality in him that kills people, but the real monster of the film is Marion. She is the one who causes all of the people looking for her to head to the hotel where the psychopath that is Norman lives. Norman is the monster waiting for the people who are lured to him by Marion, who stole $40,000 from her boss and then goes to the hotel where she is killed. She is the monster who lures the others into a very risky situation solely because her own greed. She may not intend for people to get hurt, but as far as the movie is concerned it is her fault.
ReplyDeleteThe monster on the surface of the plot to the movie is Norman. The underlying monster is Marion because she causes the other people in the movie that are murdered to come when they are trying to find her. A theme in the movie is justice because Marion is killed after she steals the money. Also, Norman is caught and jailed for the murders that he committed. This movie makes you fear people that you do not know, you do not know they are like Norman and will snap and kill you.
ReplyDeleteIn Alfred Hitchcock’s movie psycho, a strange and mysterious man named Norman Bates runs his family’s run-down and creepy motel. No single or attractive woman had ever left the hotel alive, and this was the case for Marion Crane. Throughout the whole movie, the monster is believed to be Norman’s crazy mother that no one can ever meet. As the movie goes on the happenings get stranger and stranger and there is a suspicion on what is really going on with Norman’s mother. You later find out that Norman Bates mother has been dead for over ten years and Norman has multiple personality disorder.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching Alfred Hitchcock’s film psycho, I came to the conclusion that they real monster is one of Norman’s multiple personalities. I think another monster in the movie would be Norman’s mother. The reason that Norman is such a nut case is because his mother did that to him. Norman was raised in that creepy old house with not so nice living conditions. Even though Mrs. Bates died ten years ago, the way she treated Norman, turned him into the monster he was.
The killer from the movie "Psycho" does not signify the monster the audience is supposed to fear. The true monster is represented by the ulterior motives and greed of the victims. Marion tries to escape to California after stealing 40,000 dollars from her employer. She stops at Norman Bates hotel and is killed hopelessly in the shower of her room. The personal investigator hired by Marion's sister goes to the motel and talks to Norman. From the conversation between them the investigator thinks Norman is hiding Marion in his house. He decides to sneak into Norman's house and try and get information out of his supposed mother that lives with him but is killed on the stairwell. Marion's lover and her sister decide to stay at the motel after receiving no word from the investigator. They believe Norman stole the money from Marion and will use it to build a new motel. Sam and Lila are more interested in where the missing money is rather than their missing sister. Norman Bates would never have committed these murders if the greed of his victims had not consumed them and pressed them to snoop around Norman's house to find answers that were never really there.
ReplyDeleteObviously most viewers in the theaters or at home would receive the notion that the monster would be Norman. However, the true monster lies within Marion. Marion is obsessive over the forty thousand dollars. This is what drives her into becoming a monster. Most viewers may think that Norman, and his psychotic mind, is the one that killed everyone in the movie. Not to get confused, he does physically kill them, obviously. However, it is Marion who is the ultimate reason for all of their deaths.It was her greed and the fact that she had to steel the money.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious monster is Norman. Norman has a split personality in which the two personas — Norman and his Mother. He acts, talks and dresses as his mother would and kills anyone he feels attracted to. All about his abnormal behavior can tell that he is the obvious monster.
ReplyDeleteOne theme in this film could be the multiple role play. Take Norman for example, obviously, he has two identities—his mother and himself. If we take Marion as an example, She is a humble secretary and a disrespected girlfriend. Another theme might be the fear created by our repressed anxiety. For example, Sam and Lila hire a private detective to trace Marion because they are worried that the something unlucky happened. And soon after, When they are dismissed by the police, the two decide to search the motel themselves. In addition, the reason why Marion flees in her car after stealing money is also because of the fears of anxiety.
In the movie Psycho there is the obvious monster of Norman. However Hitchcock likely intended other things to draw fear as well. The idea of unfamiliarity and vulnerability is what I viewed as the monster. Particularly, the hotel representing unfamiliarity and the shower scene representing vulnerability. These two go hand in hand, as unfamiliarity often causes vulnerability. This fearful idea is universal I feel and appears in many other films after Psycho.
ReplyDeleteThe most obvious monster throughout the movie was Norman but looking further into things one could say the actual monster of the film was not a person but rather a vice. That vice being temptation. Marion started it off by giving in to her "temptation" to steal the money and be wealthy. Then it could also relate to the sexual temptation Norman felt toward Marion which led to her death. A theme in the film was the dependence several of the characters had with their own items. Marion was dependent on the money she stole. Norman was relying on the support of his "mother" and vise verse. The movie gives a new version of a monster. One that had never been thought of. The fact that the monster is oblivious to the fact that they are actually the monster. The alter ego has a side effect to where one personality has no recollection of what they do when in the character of the other. This is the first time that an idea such as this was introduces, the notion that we could be a monster without knowing. The film begins to make people fear themselves when typically thats the only person you can truly trust. Not anymore..
ReplyDeleteTo me a monster in the film that is not immediately obvious is Marion. She was affected by greed, and couldn't simply put the money that her boss trusted her with in the bank. Instead she tries to skip town and leave with the money, never to be seen again. But while she is driving the weather gets too bad, and she needs to stop, and that happens to be at Norman Bates's hotel. She is then later on killed while she is in the shower. Then an investigator is hired by Marions sister, and is also killed when he goes to the hotel to look for her. Then Marions sister decides to go look for her when the investigator never called her. Marion is the true monster because she caused the death of an innocent man, and stole money from someone who trusted her. A theme of this movie to me could be obsession. Marion was obsessed with the money, which lead to her stealing it and the death of herself and the investigator. Norman was obsessed with his mother which then caused him to have a split personality when she died, causing him to kill people while he was so called "mother". We are also meant to fear greed. This is because in modern times, money seems like it is almost everything, and some people would go to extreme lengths to get money such as stealing. Also we are meant to fear the neighbor next door type of thing. That when we are walking down the street the person right next to us could be a killer and we don't even know it.
ReplyDeleteIn the movie Psycho, it seems clear who the monster is here. we can see that Norman is the monster. We can see this because of the split personalities he seems to have. It is made clear that he seems to show personalities of his mom and himself. With this it makes him do crazy things, like kill. This is because he feels it necessary to be a replica of his mother, including how she dresses and acts. But, surprisingly he is not the monster. The real culprit is Marion. She is very greedy, and seems to be very materialistic. Also it has been made clear that even though she did not kill anyone, she is the reason of the murder. This is because of her impulse wit material items and money that I have previously stated. Because of her greed she turned to stealing to get what she wanted which lead to the end of her life. This is a new view of what we believe monsters are.
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