Psycho 1960: An In-Depth Analysis of Alfred Hitchcock's Classic Film

This report analyzes Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 film, Psycho. It begins with a summary of the film's plot, introducing Marion Crane, Norman Bates, and the events at the Bates Motel. The report then identifies the thesis statement, highlighting the unexpected nature of Marion's murder. A detailed overview of the film's narrative is provided, including the theft of money, Marion's journey to the motel, the subsequent murder, and the investigation by Lila and Sam. The report explores the film's critical understanding, discussing the development of the script, the conflicts, and the symbols used throughout the movie. The analysis also touches on the film's themes of good versus evil and the unexpected twists. The conclusion reiterates the film's impact and the enduring legacy of the classic thriller.

Running Head: Psycho 1960
psycho 1960

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Introduction
The aim of this study is to watch the film Psycho 1960 and what do you learn from it and make a
summary of it. Psycho is a horror film that has been written by Joseph Stefano in the year 1960
(Beja, 1979).
Thesis statement
The thesis statement in this article tells about Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is the sheer of the
unexpectedness of the murder of Marion Crane in the hands of Norman Bates.
Summary of Article
The story begins wherein we are introduced with a real estate secretary, Marion Crane who is
discussing with her boyfriend Sam Loomis that they cannot afford to get married. The reason
which she gave is Sam's debts. After lunch, she wrote to work where her boss asked her to
deposit 40,000 dollars cash payments which a client drop off for a property in the bank. Seeing
the money, she begins to pack her bag deciding to steal the money so that Sam debts would be
clear and they will afford to get married.
During her journey, she encountered a rain storm and decided to stop at the Bates Motel for a
night. The proprietor, Norman Bates, invites her for a dinner which she accepts. Later she hears
an argument between Norman and his mother regarding bringing women in their house. Norman
tells her about his hobby of taxidermy and that his mother is mentally ill. Returning to her home
Marion decides to go back to Phoenix and return to stolen money. When she prepares to take a
bath Norman spies on her.

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During her bathing, a shadowy female figure suddenly comes and killed her with a chef's Knife.
Norman becomes the eye-witness of that murder, cleans the crime seems, put her corps into the
trunk of her car and sink it near the motel. A week later her sister Lila confronts Sam about
Marion's whereabouts. Arbogast, a private investigator, approaches them and declares that
Marion's has steel Rs 40,000 dollars. Eventually, he came across Bates Motel where he heard
that Marion had met Norman's mother. He tried to speak to her, but Norman refuses. This arose
his suspicions. He goes to Bates home where Mrs. Bates suddenly appears and murders him. On
the other hand, Lila and Sam were informed that Mrs. Bates has been dead for ten years as she
killed herself and her lover. (Simpson, P. L. 2000).
After hearing this Lila and Sam make their way to the motel. There Norman took his unwilling
mother to the fruit cellar to hide her. After reaching the motel Lila and Sam met Norman where
Sam, Marion’s boyfriend, distract Norman by indulging him in a conversation while Lila sneaks
up to the house. When Norman realized something suspicious regarding what they want he
rushes to his house. Seeing that Norman is approaching her, Lila tries to hide by going
downstairs, the way which leads to cellar, place where her Norman's unwilling mother was
hidden. She finds Mrs. Bates sitting there, but when she turned around her, she discovers that it
was a mummified corps. (Hitchcock, A, 1960)
Norman with a chief’s knife and wearing her mother’s cloth attacked Lila, but eventually, Sam
subdues him. So from here, we found that there was no person like Norman's mother, but
Norman was acting like a lady wearing her mother's cloth and a wig. If he was the one who was
playing the role of his mother, then we come across the question with whom he was conversing
when Marion stays at the Bates motel. As we proceed in the story, we came across the fact that at

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the local courthouse a psychiatrist provides the information that Norman had murdered Mrs.
Bates and her lover ten years ago because of jealousy.
As he was unable to bear the guilt of killing his mother, he digs out her corps and treats it as if
she was alive. He created his mother in his mind dressing in her clothes and talking to himself in
her voice. Whenever he feels attracted towards any women, his mother like figure kills that
women. This was being done due to his feature of jealousy and possessiveness. So there was
only one person, not two but two mentalities. Because of this, he had killed two young girls
before Marion and Arbogast, the Private Investigator. He says that the mother like mentality had
taken a permanent control over his mind. Wherein Mrs. Bates' voice is heard to be protesting that
she has not killed anybody and that the murders were being done by Norman himself as she
cannot even harm a fly.
Critical understanding of the Article
After going through the story, we find that the script develops quickly. The central figure of the
story i.e. Marion Crane is in love with Sam, her badly in-debt lover. The script set up the
conflicts and symbols which run all over in the movie. Marian's staying at Bates Motel provides
us picture’s genius. The murder sequence, first Marion’s and Arbogast has been analyzed
endlessly but disturbing for what it means. We came to know that she decided to return the
money by going back to her home when she was planning that she face the consequences. A
question arises in our mind whether she deserves to be killed or not. Our lives had no divine
purpose. It is driven by our needs ending at the arbitrary movement. Later on, Lila's finding
mother in the fruit cellar and sudden appearance of psychiatrist explaining Norman and his

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Mother like personality is the sickest joke. Instead, we go to Norman himself where we come to
know the trust regarding him and his mother like figure.
But still regardless of all these points, Psycho tells us that a possibility that good people will not
win and bad people will win our hearts exist.
Conclusion
After reading the above article, we conclude that the story Psycho 1960 tells that good person
doesn't win and bad people win our heart. The murder sequence, where first Marion's and
Arbogast has been analyzed endlessly it disturbing for what they mean. There is an unexpected
murder of Marion Crane by the hands of Norman Bates which Alfred Hitchcock’s tell in the
movie.

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References
Beja, M. (1979). Film & Literature, an introduction. New York: Longman.
Simpson, P. L. (2000). Psychopaths: Tracking the serial killer through contemporary American
film and fiction. SIU Press.
"Psycho (1960)". British Film Institute. Retrieved December 30, 2014.
Nixon, Rob. "The Critics' Corner: PSYCHO." Turner Classic Movies. Retrieved December 30,
2014.
Hitchcock, A., Leigh, J., Perkins, A., Bloch, R., Shamley Productions., & Paramount Pictures
Corporation. (1960). Psycho. Shamley Productions.