City of God: Cinematic Portrayal of Violence

City of God (2002) is a film directed by Fernando Meirelles and Kátia Lund. This coming of age story follows "Two boys growing up in a violent neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro take different paths: one becomes a photographer, the other a drug dealer" (IMDb). Although the film is much, much more than just that synopsis  that is what it comes down to at its most basic plot point.

The portrayal of violence is shown through the narrator, Rocket. Rocket witnesses this violence first at a personal level, but still far away from the action. Rocket, who grows up to be a photographer finds himself getting stuck in unwanted situations from his childhood days. In a way, he represents what the audience sees because he is the character who controls what we, as the audience, can see and know to be true. Rocket is like a link from the life in the favelas and the rest of the world because as stated by Rocket: "For the powerful our problems didn't matter. We were too far removed." Even the people who work in the newspaper with Rocket and write stories about the favelas don't enter because it is too deadly for them.

"The favela is also a site of gendered violence. The City

of God is represented as almost exclusively male, and

women's bodies simply provide another site for the men to

carry out violence against one another."

In the movie, the primary directory (Fernando Meirelles) uses women is a very limited way. Wom
en in the movie are a symbol of escape and freedom from the destructive live in the favelas. The lack of a major role for women shows the lack of escape from this life of violence. The two strongest female characters in the movie are Angelica and Bernice. They both encourage their males partners to escape for a life far away from the poverty and violence. Because of this, they both lose their man and therefore they are indirectly victims of the violence. These both incidents at two different time periods show that violence will always remain the same; as long violence exists, escape is not an option.

"Throughout the film, infact, the boys are told (most often by their victims) to stop

committing crimes and study. The story of Knockout Ned at

first appears to be a moral tale on the power of education,

but the tale unfolds very differently."

Furthermore, not even education is enough for an escape. There are many "Runts" running around in the city. They are incredibly young to involved in the violence in the caliber that they are. Many of the young, like those the age of the "Runts" are told to get an education and get out of the favelas. In this scene from the movie, the Runts are surrounded by L'il Ze and his men. The directed opts for the lack of music in this powerful scene to show the realistic effects of violence on children and their involvement in this lifestyle. However, escaping from that lifestyle is not so simple. Knockout Ned is a heroic figure to Rocket for being "too cool." He got an education and even served in the military, yet he ends up becoming a major gang leader. There is a glimpse of hope when the entire city begins looking up to him as someone who has the potential to stop the violence. However, he is corrupted by the power he gains by working with Carrot. He goes from not killing the innocent to shooting anyone who defiles his orders. Although there is still good inside him, he has gone too far into the world of chaos and disorder that there is no more return to his old honest life.

"Rocket uses the camera to obliterate his rival, Tiago,

composing his pictures and directing his subjects so as to

throw Tiago into shadow...His

amateur photography becomes the proof of status that

allows Rocket safe passage and a measure of respect;

while the other characters are perpetually armed with

conventional weaponry, Rocket is protected by his camera."

Although it is hard to escape from the life of violence, it is fairly easy for it to become the normal because after a while "you got used to living in Vietnam." Although everyone does not have something protecting them other than a gun, Rocket does; he has is camera. In a way, the camera is Rocket's gun. In that, it gives him respect from the biggest gangsters and a way to escape their wrath when the time came. When Rocket is about to take a photograph of everyone in the group in the middle of the street, a gunshot is fired at the exact time the shutter clicks to take the picture. His subject is shot from the gunfire coming form behind Rocket. This scene serves as a way to show that Rocket's camera is protecting him. Being associated with a camera gives Rocket a voyeuristic privilege. He gets to spy on others from a safe distance. This is reflected though the film's cinematography.  César Charlone, the film's cinematographer, goes opts to go for a hand-held look which reflect's the narrator's occupation as a photographer. Also, giving the film such a hand-held look makes it feel more personal and realistic rather than cinematic. The use of real locations in crowded buildings with sweaty men and minimal lighting adds to the sense of realism that Meirelles was trying to convey.

"The City of God is plagued by economic as well as

physical violence. Attempts by the poor to earn a living are

obstructed by the system, as when Rocket is forced to

abandon his fish, his family's livelihood, on the side of the

road."

In the City of God, violence and poverty go hand-in-hand just like in real life. From early on in the film, it feels that both crime and poverty are inescapable. "In the early segments of the film, shown as a direct response to poverty. In the first sequence, set in the 1960s, the 'Tender Trio' hold up a gas truck." Although this is an act of violence against the driver, it is also an act of heroism for the side of the city. They don't simply steal gas and money; they provide a small glimpse at escape from the poverty. The trio feels the need to do this because they are doing this to provide "money to the smaller boys and to their families." Although this is taken lightly to set up a comedic tone, it serves a greater purpose because it shows that all violence is not more violence. This is contradictory to Rocket's statement: "War was an excuse for everything." Even under L'il Ze's reign, the city is under protection and there is peace. This just goes to show that violence will not always instantly result in more violence; it is just inevitable in the future.

"The film in fact suggests that violence

defies not only representation, but also explanation.

Motives are suggested - evilness, vengeance, territorialism,

animal instinct, initiation, and self-definition - but none

seem adequate to explain the omnipresence of violence in

the favela."

As seen later on violence does erupt and it is to the max. Where once the 'Tender Trio' had once help up a gas truck to try to save the city, L'il Ze holds up a similar truck for his own escape. Prior to that, both sides (Knockout Ned's and L'il Ze's) are recruiting anyone willing to fight. This is shown through a montage which uses quick cuts with multiple close-up and medium close-up of young boys. They all sort of repeat a similar "unbelievable" reason to get a gun and fight. This is followed by quick gun shots and firefights and more young boys again. The quick moving shots in this montage not just shows the passing of time without any change, but also the intensity of the fights. These same quick shots are present throughout the movie involving any action. Combined with the hand-help camerawork, they become powerful tools in preserving realism in the film and its violence.  

Source:
http://cinephile.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/carlsten-cityofgod.pdf

Short Film: Genre Research

For this upcoming short film project, I would like the genre of my short film to be a Drama. My last short film was a noir and I want this new film to feel nostalgic. I recently saw October Sky its whole nostalgic 1950s/1960s tone was incredibly welcoming. Clearly I was not born in that time period, but I still felt a connection with the characters and the world they were living in. It is also a film about self discovery through real friends. At its heart, it is coming of age story where the main character is trying to gain the respect of his father, but at the same time wants to follow his own dreams in the science field.

Since the short film will be a coming of age story, one of the conventions that it will have to follow is that the chain character has to be a teenager approaching adulthood. This age would also need to bring forth a challenge that he had never had to face in his childhood life before. Although love is a popular theme in this sub-genre, I don't want to go on the course of pregnancy or love triangles. Instead, I'd like to focus on friendship or even self-discovery at the expense of

the displeasure of others. In order to do any of that, I would have to follow another convention of showing the home-life of the main character. A film that I have that did a great job at this is Super 8. Within the first few minutes, the audience learns the main character's struggles at home which includes an overbearing father figure. That father figure in itself is another genre convention. Another convention I'd could follow is adventure. There needs to be some sort of adventure the main character goes on with his friends like in the movie Stand By Me. 

Like Stand By Me, the acting would have to feel natural because the relationship between the main character and his friends needs to be believable. The character doesn't have to be a full on jock or a nerd. He could be a normal person in a normal world. Yes that doesn't sound compelling, but I do not want the film to be full of cliches. 

I imagine the cinematography to also feel natural. I believe that lengthy camera movements when the character deliver lines would probably be the rest. However, at our level it is difficult to find actors with the ability to deliver long lines in one take. Considering cinematography, the movie would take place in a small town so the shots would need to feel as if the characters are cramped in world they cannot escape. The lighting would have to be minimal or unnoticeable. I'd like the cinematography to be like Jeff Cronenweth's work on The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. I appreciate it when cinematographers don't to show off too much with their different lighting styles. Cronenweth does exactly this; every shot in The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo feels natural. There is no dynamic lighting and everything feels gloomy. I want the short film to also have this sense of gloom. Even Eduardo Serra from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows has accomplished this same feeling of gloom, destruction, and loss. Serra manages to make the magical world of Harry Potter look and feel normal. 

Sound design wise, I want the film to be mostly silent. I do want it to have a score, but it cannot be overbearing. I'd rather have the film have more organic sound that rather bad music just like No Country for Old Men. That is movie is a lot more quiet than it seems. This quietness helps create a sense of isolationism, which is what I would like to also include in my film. 

Logline: After hearing from his teacher that he will never account to anything, an orphan boy goes on an adventure with his friends to take down his teacher.  

Oral Presentation Assessment- Psycho

This is my practice run at the IB oral commentary. For this commentary, I picked my extract in the film Psycho from the point where Norman Bates invites Marion Crane to dinner with him. If this were to go into IB, I think I would get somewhere in the 16-20 range. Although it isn't horrible, it isn't great either. Firstly, I spoke to softly and I was too far away from the mic; therefore, it seem as if I'm whispering for the entire 15 minutes. Secondly, I kept stumbling and saying "uhh" so many times that it makes it seem as if I have no idea what I'm talking about. Content wise, I feel there was a decent amount of background information on the film. I spent part of the introduction to talk about Ed Gein and his influence on the film. I talked about the director and how his previous work applied to this film in general. I also discussed the the genre and as to why Psycho was so revolutionary at the time by comparing it to older films and a film that came after, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. At the end, there was an explanation on why I chose this exact extract. I spent quite a time talking about the actors and how their performances enhanced the scene. Although the film's interpretation was not at the level I had hoped for, it is still detailed and works well enough. One of the mistakes that I made is that I go too much into the summary. If I had talked loud and fast enough, then maybe it would not have seen this way. Although this was not a good experience, I believe I have learned what I need to do to better prepare myself next year.

If I were to do it again, I would actually change the extract I picked. Although at the time I thought it was a good choice, it really did not provide the content that would have made my oral presentation better. The extract in itself was a fairly weak representation of the film now that I think about it. It isn't a bad representation, but it just isn't as well as many of the other scenes in the film.

After finishing I thought I had gone over the time limit, but I discovered a whole minute of  me just mumbling to myself. I think I may have hit pause instead of stop. Anyways, I was afraid I had gone over by too much, but I guess I made it on time for the HL requirements. 

Film Language and Representation Post

If a viewer was watching this scene only from the movie, it would seem that Marion is the protagonist due to the fact that the camera never leaves her to show what is happening to Norman. However, it would also seem that she lacks morals. Marion struggles to find a place to hide the money. The audience from this scene doesn't know that the money is stolen, but her struggle to find a place to hide the money suggests that either it was stolen or someone is after the money (both of them are true). Eventually, she wraps it all up in a newspaper and just leaves it on top of the desk near her bed. This suggests that this might be her first time trying to do anything of this nature. If she is a thief, she is a lousy one at that. Before wrapping up the money, she almost forgets about it and leaves to go unpack her clothes. Still, the fact that she remembers to come back and take care of the money first reminds us that it is of extreme importance. The second character in the scene, Norman, just seems like a supporting actor and nothing more in the beginning of the scene. However, as we go through the scene, it can be seen that he has some issues of his own. The most significant one being the one that concerns her mother. Norman's invitation for dinner shows his interest in Marion. He continuously stutters as he talks after coming back from his house. This could mean he feels ashamed of the way he is, a mama's boy. He doesn't want to upset his mother and this is seen through his change of his invitation for dinner from his house to his office. Although the mother is not seen, she seems to have a prominent presence just through her voice-over.

The acting by both Janet Leigh (Marion Crane) and Anthony Perkins (Norman Bates) is subtle. One actor does not distract the audience from the other. They both seem to have problems going on that they are hiding, therefore the audience is interested in what each character has to say. Janet Leigh delivers a performance where she says her lines perfectly without seeming suspicious of any doings. This perfection of line delivery is the character's desire to be perfect. She doesn't come off as a weak woman. She becomes a powerful character because of her firmness, posture, and the illusion that she has the skills to actually get away with the crime. "The chief skill of the Hitchcock heroine is to lie, inflict and then suffer untold torments without ruffling her hem" (Guardian).  Although Marion's demise is slowly approaching, this scene does well to show her ability keep her lie going. In no way does the audience think that she is the troubled one from the two. Anthony Perkins, on the other hand, stutters as he talks and it seems like he wants to show his mannerism.

In the beginning, although the two characters are physically standing very close to one another, that is not what is shown through the camera. Every time either Marion or Norman have a dialogue, the camera is awkwardly placed to only show the character talking. The entire frame is empty, leaving the character talking placed on one side while the other character is nowhere to be seen. The metaphorical separation symbolizes the Marion's desire to have no part in this man's life. Norman is the one who is inviting and Marion, who doesn't want to seem suspicious, reluctantly accepts his invitation for dinner. These two are shown on screen at the same time very rarely. When they are in the same shot together, there is also always an object symbolizing the mother's presence and her desire to keep Norman apart from this woman. For example, when Norman returns from his house, he and Marion are in the same shot together. However, there is the food tray with a giant kettle that Norman is carrying in front of him. He even takes time to look at it when he is unsure whether or not he should have dinner with Marion in her room. The tray is in a way, the looming shadow Norman's mother has on him. The camera remains static for the most part in this shot, except when Marion moves back to welcome Norman to her room. As she moves back, so does the camera and therefore it highlights the importance of her need to remain in her room. He want to stay in her room because she wants to keep an eye on the money, nothing else. She clearly has no interest in Norman, but Norman is oblivious to this because she presents herself as someone welcoming. Almost all the shots are medium-close ups. By doing this, Hitchcock doesn't let the audience get too attached to Marion or Norman. He gives them a good amount of screen time where one does not get more attention from the camera than the other. Any camera movement is simply a dolly or a tracking shot, which just helps the audience stay with a character. Other than that, they serve no important purpose.

The editing in this extract is realistic. Hitchcock doesn't want the audience to notice the work of his editor or his own. Instead, he opts to have his characters' struggle be the main focus. There are no quick cuts or any creative shots. Hitchcock lets the dialogue play itself out. There is, however, a series of shot-reverse shots. I feel this does not serve any purpose other than to keep the audience engaged in one dialogue/character. The shot duration is the most important factor in the pacing and the audience's engagement in the characters. As I said, Hitchcock decided to go for a realistic approach; therefore, he let the actions play themselves out. In this, the importance of great acting is crucial and the performances of Perkins and Leigh were just that. By not having the camera cut form character to character too much, Hitchcock lets the viewer decide who the most important is, especially in the scenes where both of them are on screen.

In this extract, lighting does not effect any scene except for one. When Norman returns from his home and is talking to Marion, his eyes are not visible under the light, especially when he looks down. This creates an image which makes the audience see Norman as someone distant. Because the audience cannot see his eyes, the audience can't cannot emotionally get attached to him just yet.

The music can barely be heard. When it is, it emphasis the importance of that scene. For example, there is a repeating violin orchestra music when Marion is hiding the money. Apart from that shot, the extract is fairly silent. This puts more importance on the money. Even though the money is just a McGuffin, Hitchcock is setting it up as the most important object int he film. The music does not add any more of an emotional tone to the overall film. The only emotional portion is when Marion can hear what Norman's mother is saying. Although we know Marion has done a horrible thing, we as the audience, feel the need to sympathize with her.  We actually want her to get away with a crime she has clearly done. It is not one of those cliche moments where the protagonist is proven to be a saint. In this case, the protagonist has villainous characteristics.

The sense of location in this extract does not seem to affect the characters of the story in a huge manner.    The only scene where the location actually matters is when Marion Crane and looking outside her room at the Bates' house while the mother's voice is heard. This imagery of the giant house from a low angle shot and the loud voice of the mother reflect how small Marion feels. The house, compared to Marion's position is like an overbearing figure that looms behind you. Although that may not exactly be the case for Marion, it is the case for Norman Bates. Compared to the house, he looks tiny and the low-angle helps illustrate that. The house represents his mother that is inside his own mind. She dictates how Bates reacts and behaves in the outside world.

All together, the scene does well to setup the next crucial scene that shifts the audience's attention from Marion to Norman Bates. Without this setup, the next scene would not be as powerful as it really is. In this extract, we stick with Marion who is the most relatable to the audience so far. She introduces us to the character of Norman Bates. Through her first experience, we as the audience go through the introduction with Norman Bates as well. We are introduced to the themes of isolationism (illustrated from the house and the motel's location) and innocence.


Sources:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2010/oct/21/alfred-hitchcock-women-psycho-the-birds-bidisha

Psycho: Narrative and the Film Extract

Hitchcock's Psycho was actually based on a novel by Robert Bloch. Hitchcock and his screenwriter, Joseph Stefano, took some artistic liberties and the story in a way they saw fit. For example, Stefano felt that the character of Norman Bates was too much of an outcast; therefore, he wrote Bates as someone "normal," making him far more relatable . That being said, the story is told in a non-linear way due to its complex storyline. With the introductory shots, the audience is introduced to the character of Marion Crane. She seems to be in a critical stage in her relationship where she wants to settle down, but her debts and her boyfriend's debts are standing in the way. At this point, the audience in convinced that the story revolves around this female character. The fact that she is killed 30 minutes into the film completely changes everything the audience could have predicted about the end of the story. From the beginning, it seems to have a linear 3 act-structure, but when the characters hit certain plot points, the story becomes even more confusing because the audience is not used to seeing such plot twists. Every plot point, especially the death of Marion Crane, is an attempt by Hitchcock and Stefano play around with what the normal audience would have expected from their movies at the time.

One principal that the film uses other than narrative sequence as a structure is the presence of the knife. Every time the knife is present in the scene, some new information is always shared with the audience or some new twist is introduced. The first time the knife is know, the audience experiences the death of the Marion Crane, a character who the audience thought was the main character of the story. The second the knife is shown, Arbogast ends up dead as well. Because as the time the audience was not used to seeing the "bad guy" as the main character, Norman Bates was not considered the new main character; instead of Bates, the Audience's first response is the consider Arbogast as the main character. With his death, the audience realizes that the figure that killed him was a woman so Norman cannot be the killed. By this time, Norman is the character who has appeared the most on screen so the audience begins to sympathize with him. Finally, the knife appears for the last time when Lila Crane is about to be murdered. Although Lila does not die by the knife, the audience officially learns the Norman Bates really is the killer. As seen through these examples, the knife is the one key principal that serves to move the plot forward.

The nature of our engagement with the story is that we, as the audience, think that we know more about what is going on than the characters do. I say "think" because it is not completely true. There are instances where Hitchcock has us believed that Norman is a disturbed but a nice young man. In the end, we see Norman to the extreme of being a psychopath. When Norman is wrapping Marion's body after the shower scene, we can see his concern for his mother. All the facts leading up to the death of Marion -- the argument between Norman and his mother, Norman's inability to go against his mothers' words, and Norman's desire to protect his mother -- make the audience believe that Norman can do anything for his mother. When he first sees Marion's dead body, there is a sense of shock on his face which indicates that he may not be behind the murder. The hints quickly add up to make the audience believe that the mother is most likely the killer, which is later "seen" that she is with the death of Arbogast. The whole time the audience believes that they know something that the other character need to know, but in the end they find out that they don't. This is the one nature of the story that keeps bringing in the audience.

 As I said before, Stefano changed the character of Norman Bates to someone the audience could relate to and accept as the protagonist. This character had to be casted perfectly for that to happen. Anthony Perkins made a great Norman Bates for that reason. His posture and personality, along with his acting seemed normal. Because of this, the audience had the opportunity to relate to this average Joe. He seemed to have some issues with his mother, but that's what makes his character so normal. This trouble he has symbolizes every man's struggle to find himself in the world. Perkins plays Bates in such a way that the audience can do nothing but feel for the guy.


Sources:
http://www.galyakay.com/filmnarrative.html

http://www.filmeducation.org/pdf/film/Psycho.pdf

Socio-Cultural Influences in Psycho

"David Thomson, author of The Moment of Psycho: How Alfred Hitchcock Taught America to Love Murder, has said [the shower scene] still ranks 'legitimately among the most violent scenes ever shot for an American film'" (BBC News Magazine). This film was a reflection of the era of the late 1950s. The film's dark tone, mystery, non-linear narrative, and its theme playing around with the concept of multiple identity appealed to the mass audiences. One of the film's primary theme included that challenges of the "American way of life" (Hitchcock's America). During this era, America was getting closer and closer to war with Russia. This was the beginning of the prime years of the Col War. In the film, Hitchcock expresses this issue through the character of Marion Crane. Crane is a character who appears to have good morals, but inside she surrenders to the voice that tells her to take the $40,000 and start her live over. She gives up reputation to get the chance to live the American dream. Although, that does come with consequences. Her death, in a way, symbolizes the shock in society. It's Hitchcock's statement that no matter how sane society may same, when the opportunity arises, a second persona comes alive that makes quick irrational decisions that can haunt your world. When Marion is running away with the money, the voices in her head are her second persona that creates events that have not occurred yet. The echo of those voices signify that they keep coming back no matter how much Marion tries to ignore them.

Psycho takes place in Phoenix Arizona and someplace near California or Nevada is where the Bates Motel should be. I feel that the geographical area itself did not have any significance to the story or any underlying message. However, the isolated location of the Bates Motel and Marion Crane's drive on the isolated freeway illustrates the loneliness she feels. She is trying to fulfilled that emptiness with the money and the thoughts of being with her boyfriend, yet she realizes that that can never be.

One question that the film addresses is that do we all have the potential to become mentally unstable and turn into a psycho? Obviously the inspiration of this question was Ed Gein. This American murderer and body snatcher eventually led to the creation of the character of Norman Bates. Bates, who is introduced as a kind, simple young man actually turns out to be a disturbed murderer. Even though the audience suspects him for killing Marion Crane, he still remains a sympathetic character. For example, Bates cleans up any sign of Marion's murder in the shower, puts her in trunk of her car, and goes to sink it in the swamp. While the car is sinking, there is a small halt in its movement. It feel, just for a moment, that it is not going to sink and we see that through Bates' reaction. This moment is a clear indication that we want that car to sink. The audience begins to feel sympathetic towards Bates and want to see him get away with this. Although this is a manipulation by Hitchcock, it is an indication that there is an evil side to everyone. The fact that Norman looks so normal is another commentary on how crazy doesn't have a face. It can be inside any and all of us.


Psycho is considered a "classic" in the evolution of genre. The reason it is a classic is because it borrowed primitive techniques from past films, but it managed to tell a story like no one had seen come together before. The reason people look back at the film today not only for study of its structure, but also for enjoyment clearly states that Psycho is indeed a "classic."


Although the themes of Psycho applies to almost every human being on the planet, it is specific to the American culture. This is mainly because it takes place in America. Psycho can be predicted to have the estimated audience of both males and females above the age of 13. It was believed that showing that the film has a female lead would attract more female viewers and for the most part it did work. Although the audience number grew, it grew mainly due to the fascination with the story and the character more than the talk about the stars who played those roles.


Sources:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8593508.stm

http://chs.schoolloop.com/file/1093918504865/7649502902666512995.pdf

Historical and Institutional Influences - Hitchcock and "Psycho"

Ever since the success of first feature-length "talkie" (The Jazz Singer), Hollywood became obsessed with making more and more films with sound. Although the directors and cinematographers were opposed to the idea, the studio heads were more interested in making money by providing a new experience that the audience was fascinated by. Although Hitchcock was walking these "talkies" since 1929, he too was not for the idea. Film was only a visual medium, but with the introduction of sound films began to get boring because of the little effort needed to be put into a "talkie." "Most films, once they could rely on the microphone, became what he called 'pictures of people talking.' Hitchcock stalwartly resisted this development. Throughout his career, he preferred to convey information wordlessly..." (461). In his films he relied on using the camera to tell the story rather than the actors who he did not exactly have a good relationship. Hitchcock treated actors as his puppets unlike other directors who depended on their actors to give a good performance and possibly even improv. Hitchcock was one of the first kind of directors who wanted full control of their productions. For this reason as well, he decided to produce Psycho on his own and with his own money. This sort of investment in his new creation gave him all of the authority he could ask for. He became the master artist. "After all, the film screen, like the canvas of a painting, is flat. But just as a slow walk around a piece of sculpture will reveal its volume, the movement of the camera, or of actors, makes us aware of space" (464). Just like any art mediums, he got the final call to make the creative decisions for the better of the film. For example, he decided to shoot completely in Black and White not only for the cost, but also to get away from the new censorship being placed on movie. He could make the movie as gory as he pleased while still being cost-effective and still having Paramount Pictures distribute the film.

With the release of Psycho, the world saw the rise and popularization of the slasher genre. Hitchcock was a visionary. "So fruitful was he that a single film could spawn an entire genre, as Psycho helped create the
modern horror film" (458). Although the killer's kill-count is not too great, the way it is presented is what makes Psycho a slasher. First of all, the plot revolves around the audience questioning who actually committed the crime. At some times the audience feels like the killer is evident, but then Hitchcock throws a curve ball and therefore making the audience ponder even more. Secondly, from the shower scene we see that the killer's murder weapon is a large knife, which would not only kill the victim but assure that the victim feels the pain. Also, some characters (Norman Bates) seem to have some sort of psychological issues. Not only that, but the ending of the film is a twist. These were some of the early formulas to create a film that can be considered a slasher film. Hitchcock also set the bar for slashers with his visual story telling. He became the master of suspense because he knew how to build tension with merely the music and what is not shown to the audience. Today, where movies would use the cliched "jump scare" Hitchcock would let the tension build up and keep the audience on their toes, never giving them a moment to relax because he wanted the audience to get inside the characters' heads. Today and even a decade after the film's release, Psycho  serves as a great example of visual masterpieces for film students and the average audience as well.


Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slasher_film
hitchcock_canonical_hitchcock.pdf