Bernard Herrmann

Callum Watt 000873235-3 Soundtrack Analysis - Psycho In the clip that we are provided (known as “The Murder) we are given a very famous and influential scene from one of Alfred Hitchcock's most critically acclaimed films. Bernard Herrmann, the composer for the movie did a sensational soundtrack with a low budget, and even went against Hitchcock’s wishes of the score to be jazz based. With the low budget instead of using an entire orchestra Herrmann only used strings to create an arguably more tense and dark feel to the movie, Fred Steiner, in an analysis of the score to Psycho, points out that “string instruments gave Herrmann access to a wider range in tone, dynamics, and instrumental special effects than any other single instrumental group…

Taxi Driver is a 1976 movie directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Julia and Michael Phillips, music by Bernard Hermann. With a great plot and engage music Travis Bickle the main character of story, a , is a lonely and a depressed 26-year-old living in New York City. He is a taxi driver with his chronic insomnia, driving passengers every night around the city. Travis feel in love with Betsy, a campaign volunteer for Senator and presidential candidate Charles Palantine. Travis succeeds in…

Hollywood trends but transform the entire film industry. Hitchcock’s 1960 film, “Psycho,” is considered the leading film from the New American Era, that pioneered many elements for the horror and psychological thriller genres. The film’s sharp visual effects, suspenseful tunes and fascinating plot were all factors that contributed to the films massive and forever growing success. Being a very skilled artist, Alfred Hitchcock began his career by drawing sets. It wasn’t until 1942, after he…

certain parts of the setting. For example, in the scene where the main character “Scottie” climbs a chair and thinks he has nothing to fear about heights. The setting is his house makes the audience think that the character wouldn’t have fears in his own home, but we see that even in his own home his fear of heights is always going to be there. This changes the mood from a happy mood to a depressing one. Music can help with the tone of the movie as well. In Vertigo, Hitchcock did a collaboration…

This was my first time watching Vertigo and my god, what a masterpiece. It is, of course, as good as anyone says it is. This film is packed with fantastic suspense techniques, a whole lot of mystery and a great amount of unhealthy obsession. There is no doubt about it, Alfred Hitchcock executed this film to nearly perfection BUT this film would not be the masterpiece it is without another incredible genius, Bernard Herrmann. His compositions throughout the entire movie literally made the movie…

John Carpenter’s “Big Trouble in Little China,” is a great movie. Overseen by a successful director, performed by excellent actors, containing dynamic characters, and a full story line, it was and is a well-made film that unites Chinese legends to the modern world. “Big Trouble in Little China,” is an action, adventure, comedy that was directed by John Carpenter, who also directed films such as Halloween, Christine, the Fog and several more from 1962 to 2017. From 1962 to 1969, He directed…

In the classical Hollywood area and beyond there is a clear and obvious depiction of the male gaze in film and it has become particularly synonymous with the work of Alfred Hitchcock, most notably in his 1958 film Vertigo. In many of Hitchcock’s films the male gaze is not only evident but is what contributes largely to the storyline. It is used to highlight the importance of the men and objectify woman to only be seen as an object of male desire. This is successfully done in Vertigo through…

A Few Good Men The film A Few Good Men by Rob Reiner is the best example of the judicial drama, a very popular genre in American cinema. It is a dynamic, uninterrupted even for a second, detective intrigue with a great actor's play: one of the best performances of Tom Cruise, Demi Moore, Kevin Bacon and Jack Nicholson. The movie, edited in 1992, contains some ethical and moral issues related to the judicial system and immoral army orders, which turn into a crime against humanity. On the one…

In Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Brontë’s choice to associate Jane Eyre or Edward Rochester with birds represents their dependency on one another. In the beginning of their relationship, Jane is dependent on Rochester for financial and social reasons. As their relationship develops, she becomes more dependent on his love than his money. In both of these cases, Rochester describes Jane as a bird. But when Jane asserts her independence, she realizes she cannot identify as a bird anymore because…

Often referred as the master of suspense by many critics, Alfred Hitchcock is known for his suspense and psychological thriller in his movies. The movie crafted by Hitchcock “The man who knew too much.” is an absolute masterpiece containing Mystery, suspense and drama. There are two versions of the movie one released in 1934 and the other released in 1956 and both the remakes were directed by Hitchcock himself. Even though the original movie was remade after 22 years, both original and the…