The
movie fanatics are well aware that “ Psycho” is thought to be one of the
best psychological Thriller movie &
the oldest example of slasher film ( the film is a subgenre of horror film in which the killer is using a bladed tool for
killing).
The movie was based on a novel of the same name authored by “ Robert Bloch “ in the year 1959.
Hitchcock’s long time
assistant Peggy Robertson intimated him about the novel after getting a positive review of it.
With utter surprise, Hitchcock immediately acquired
rights to the novel & the movie were released in 1960.
Finance & making
Due
to improper response in financing the movie at the initial stage, Hitchcock finds himself to produce the film personally.
Thus he decided to make the film hastily
in black & white. The shooting of the film took only 3 to 4 months &
the budget was restricted below 1million USD.
It was said that the selection of Black & white
was also due to his liking towards another thriller film in Black & White, Les
Diabolique directed by Clouzet which was released in
Adaptation of screenplay
Initially
the screenplay was taken care by one of the writers associated with “Alfred Hitchcock Presents television series”
but it didn’t appeal to Hitchcock.
Hence he appointed a new and almost an inexperienced writer Joseph
Stefano whose in-depth understanding of the characters induced due impact & weightage to the movie.
Earlier Stefano had worked for
the film Black Orchid which was released in 1959. Although the screenplay
was faithful to the novel.
After the release
of the movie, Bloch was praised to be the
special mystery writers of America due to his unique approach towards the psychological thriller.
However, the silent movie The Lodger ( 1926) supposed
to be the first psychological thriller also made by Hitchcock.
Background Music
Hitchcock didn’t prefer to have the
music during the shower scene as well as on the motel scenes. However, he later
agreed that background music created a dark & intense tension for which the
music director Mr. Bernard Hermann was highly praised by him.
Mr. Hermann had a
very close association with him and had worked in 7 movies. He worked as a
sound consultant for the movie “The
Birds” where the sounds of the birds were produced electronically.
In the shower scene, the effect was induced by the means of violin keeping the
microphones closer to it to create harsher sound.
The sound of the knife entering the human the flesh was performed by plunging the
knife in casaba melon which was unique
at that time.
This basic mechanism was also followed in different movies later on.
The similarity between Norman Bates &
Ed Gain.
Though Norman Bates was a fictional character, however, it was very loosely based on a
murderer Ed Gain who used to stay around 60 Km away from the
author’s place.
Ed Gain was not a serial killer and was convicted for
two murders, unlike Norman Bates.
The gain was basically a body snatcher and used
to exhume bodies from the local graveyards. In some cases, if the body is new and of a woman of middle-aged, he thought it to be resembling his mother, brought
the body to his home & tanned their skin to make his paraphernalia.
In his school days, he was shy and had strange mannerisms but was good in
studies. He was barred by his mother to make friends which may have affected his
social development.
He was deeply attached to his mother. Death of his
mother shattered his life balance, as he didn’t have any true friend left on which he can rely upon. This may have channeled him to lead an imbalance
life like Norman Bates.
Sudipto Roy
Courtesy
Google images
Wikimedia Foundation.
Comments