Psycho: Why Does Norman Bates Have a Chilling Effect on Audiences?
The movie Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was a landmark movie in the history of film. Made during a time when The Production Code was still at large and society had still not seen or heard such disturbing actions on the big screen. Audiences were and are still drawn in with the thrilling story of what happens inside Bates Motel, and the mystery behind, specifically revolving around Norman Bates and his mother. Audiences of Psycho from the 1960s all the way to today are captivated and disturbed by the character Norman Bates due to his likability, unpredictability, and his violent tendencies because of his mental illness. Due to Norman Bates having a mental illness the …show more content…
Then to top off the audience being wary of her character she unexpectedly murders Marion Crane. The audience then and now are surprised at the sudden famous shower scene where Crane is murdered violently. Due to the Production Code being in full effect still, audiences of mid 20th Century had never seen a brutal seen like that before in such detail. Stephen Robb wrote for BBC News, “Psycho tested the strict censorship boundaries of the day as well as audiences ' mettle” (Robb). While for audiences today it might not have the same effect with the violence, due to today’s society being numbed to images of violence from media and other films. The sudden and unexpected murders from the “mother” in Psycho are one of the aspects that intrigue audiences. Then finding out that it was in fact Norman Bates is a shock to audiences then and now.
The movie Psycho pushed the boundaries for it’s time. It drew audiences in a shocked them with who Norman Bates actually was, an unreliable and violent mentally ill person, originally thinking he was nice. Hitchcock changed the way movies were made and had a great influence on what audiences wanted to see. The character Norman Bates with his likeness, unreliability, and violent tendencies was able to help accomplish
The movie Psycho, directed by Alfred Hitchcock, was a landmark movie in the history of film. Made during a time when The Production Code was still at large and society had still not seen or heard such disturbing actions on the big screen. Audiences were and are still drawn in with the thrilling story of what happens inside Bates Motel, and the mystery behind, specifically revolving around Norman Bates and his mother. Audiences of Psycho from the 1960s all the way to today are captivated and disturbed by the character Norman Bates due to his likability, unpredictability, and his violent tendencies because of his mental illness. Due to Norman Bates having a mental illness the …show more content…
Then to top off the audience being wary of her character she unexpectedly murders Marion Crane. The audience then and now are surprised at the sudden famous shower scene where Crane is murdered violently. Due to the Production Code being in full effect still, audiences of mid 20th Century had never seen a brutal seen like that before in such detail. Stephen Robb wrote for BBC News, “Psycho tested the strict censorship boundaries of the day as well as audiences ' mettle” (Robb). While for audiences today it might not have the same effect with the violence, due to today’s society being numbed to images of violence from media and other films. The sudden and unexpected murders from the “mother” in Psycho are one of the aspects that intrigue audiences. Then finding out that it was in fact Norman Bates is a shock to audiences then and now.
The movie Psycho pushed the boundaries for it’s time. It drew audiences in a shocked them with who Norman Bates actually was, an unreliable and violent mentally ill person, originally thinking he was nice. Hitchcock changed the way movies were made and had a great influence on what audiences wanted to see. The character Norman Bates with his likeness, unreliability, and violent tendencies was able to help accomplish