In the Parlor scene from Hitchcock’s Psycho, where Marion and Norman are talking during her first and last night at the hotel, the mise-en-scene expresses the true nature and, to a certain extent, the intentions of both characters. The illumination in this scene adds to the movies suspense and significance, the props foreshadow what’s to come, as well as what is said by Norman. This scene is where the viewers are introduced to Norman Bates and his strange life, and allowing them realize that there’s something not right about him.…
Hitchcock is taking us through different everyday lives, leaves us to imagine horrific events.. Then back to everyday lives. WE ARE THEN left with fear…
In conclusion, Alfred Hitchcock is the master of suspense and remember suspense does not always have to be horror, in fact as we now know one of Hitchcock’s greatest secrets was incorporating humor into his works. He, of course he also has a specialty in mounting tension, and his success as a director shows in many of his movies including but not limited to north by northwest, vertigo, and…
Alfred Hitchcock’s Rear Window is a mystery and thriller that leaves audiences in a constant state of suspense. Rear Window opens by showing photographs of high risk environments hanging on a wall of an apartment. This leads one to believe that whoever owns the apartment lives a high risk and adventurous life. However, once the broken camera is shown, it is understood that the main character, L.B Jefferies, is a photographer before it is stated through dialogue in the film.…
‘At first Cole is afraid and hesitant to reveal his ‘sixth sense’. Why does Cole eventually feel able to tell others of his secret?’…
I expected to be extremely petrified with fear and wishing I hadn’t stayed. I genuinely thought Psycho was a terrific film. It wasn’t filled with gore and jump scares similar to current movies in the horror genre are. I was still sinking into my seat every time the music filled me with suspense, yet I was never hiding from the absolute horror that I had anticipated. I’m sure the few violent scenes would’ve been considered gory when Psycho came out, although nowadays, the effects are almost laughable. These outdated effects helped me survive the movie without cringing yet never did they take away from the film. After viewing this famous cinematic piece for myself, I understand why this film has become extremely iconic and is commonly referenced in pop culture today. This film was absolutely phenomenal and I will probably even watch it again. Haunted High wasn’t close to any cultural event I have ever done. I have been to other Global Ed sponsored movies, however Haunted High was different. This cultural event truly put me out of my comfort zone and forced me to try something new. I am extremely glad that I did and I would highly recommend that others attend Haunted High and watch Psycho, especially if you’re not quite into the horror genre. Psycho has showed me that just cause the video production is labeled as horror, doesn’t imply that I’ll hate it. Watching Psycho may have even allowed me to open my mind and I might even consider watching a different horror…
Kesey’s renowned novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, is a tale of self actualization under manipulation and deceit of institutions and repression. Though the novel may be original in it’s setting and characters, the origin of the plot is one as old as time. Many parallels can be drawn from Kesey’s piece to others such as Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men, Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, the Christian Bible, and, perhaps most notably, Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye. The themes and central topics of both Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye and Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest bear an uncanny resemblance, however, different conclusions may be ultimately drawn. Both Kesey and Salinger address the topics of undiscovered and repressed sexuality, self-realization, clothing as symbols, insanity, unreliable narration, and the role of women; however, Kesey leads to a pushback against leadership and repression, while Salinger focuses on the loss of innocence and superficiality of society.…
The first time a saw the movie I really didn’t see the voyeurism of the film, mostly because it was in my high school humanities class and was told to figure out the story behind the thriller. The teacher told us to find out the mystery of Mr. Thorwald. But after refreshing myself of the movie a noticed that Hitchcock was a very smart, nosy man, just like the rest of society. I pictured Hitchcock in the wheelchair watching all those people out of his window, and then myself and came to realize that anyone would watch if it were open to you. This led me to recognize that the movie, behind the crime investigation, was all about voyeurism and how people love to see without being seen. I watched it with my brother, who is a film major at UCF, and he too thought the same thing. We discussed the movie afterwards and he came to appreciate the movie for being shot in one area.…
Anil’s Ghost, Rear Window and 2 ORTS: crime fiction genre, texts, contexts, values and techniques…
Never has the fine art of cinematography been so perfectly executed than by Orson Welles in his perennial film, Citizen Kane. Whether a fan of the story or not, every true admirer of movies can appreciate the cinematic techniques utilized by Welles to capture the life of his enigmatic main character. Many aspects of the movie have been analyzed thoroughly, but what I would like to examine is an idea that is often overlooked. As the movie fades in, an eerie chain link fence and a sign reading NO TRESPASSING greet us. Although seemingly unimportant when watching, these two words hold just as much value to the content of the film as does Charles Kane himself. For, if we realize, the characters are attempting to trespass into Kane's life. In fact, the mansion can be seen as a metaphor for Kane, while the fence is the demeanor he puts up to block others from his true thoughts. The importance of this idea is reiterated in the final scene; our last shot is of the sign and a view from outside Kane's manor. The story has come full circle.…
“All cruelty springs from weakness” (Lucius Annaeus Seneca). So is true for Stephen King’s character Jack Torrence in The Shining. Jack’s character is weak and flawed and because of this he is unsuccessful at being strong. On the other hand, Danny, Jack’s son, is very innocent but very strong in character, which helps him to defeat the evil that lives in the Overlook hotel. Although there natures are very different, they both have many of the same traits, such as empathy, courage, and maturity. But where Danny uses those traits to help him in his journey, Jack’s weaknesses make his traits flawed, irrelevant, and lead to his downfall and death. Jack and Danny show that what we do with our weaknesses defines our character.…
Shirley Jacksons The Haunting of Hill House tells the story of Dr. Montague, a professor studying the supernatural. After inviting Eleanor, Theodora, and Luke to stay at Hill House and participate in his study, weird occurrences begin to happen. Loud noises are heard at night, sections of the house are deathly cold, and strange writing is found on one of the walls. The house appears to come alive, slowly devouring those that inhabit it until it eventually claims one of their lives in a climatic ending.…
While not as talked about as the Italian mafia, the Irish Mob is just as violent and proficient in their ways. Taking place in South Boston, the departed depicts a fictitious, but only just, account of the struggle between the Massachusetts State Police and the Irish Mob. Leonardo Dicaprio’s character Billy Costigan is a new member of the MSP and is chosen to become an undercover officer because of his background. Costigan’s father was from South Boston, and Costigan spent time there as a child. He infiltrates the Irish Mob, headed by Jack Nicholson’s character Frank Costello. Frank is the violent head of the Irish Mob that seems to never really be convicted of his crimes. We later come to find out that is in part because of his status as an FBI informant. Costello has an informant in the MSP by way of Matt Damon’s character Colin Sullivan. Sullivan grew up in Costello’s neighborhood and Costello was almost a father figure to him. With his loyalty to Costello, Sullivan was convinced to join the MSP and feed information to Costello. As the movie progresses, both Sullivan and Costigan find out about each other as “rats”, but not necessarily each other’s identities until towards the end. Sullivan upon finding out who Costigan is, erases his file after the death of Captain Queenan at the hands of the Irish Mob and the dismissal of Sargent Dignam. In the end Barrigan, another one if Costello’s men on the inside, shoots Costigan and Sullivan’s partner, Trooper Brown. Sullivan then shoots Barrigan and is later shot in his apartment by Dignam. The camera pans up and shows a rat crawling across the balcony in view of the capital building in Boston.…
“To restore morality, we must first recognize the source from which all morality springs,” (Roy Moore). To Alfred Hitchcock, the restoration of morality is everything. Morality comes from biological sources such as survival instincts, as well as society and human interaction. Morality plays the starring role in everyone’s life and is an important detail in Hitchcock’s films. Film reviewer Jamey Hughton claims that Anthony Minghella’s The Talented Mr. Ripley would leave director Alfred Hitchcock in awe after viewing the film. Hughton states this because he believes Minghella seems to have replicated Hitchcock’s breathtaking work in this film. Although the two movies are incredibly well filmed thrillers, I would have to disagree with Hughton’s…
Murder on the Orient Express is more than just a murder mystery. It is a novel that utilizes a great deal of existing social issues of the era in which it was written and formed a commentary on those issues while giving the reader an intriguing yet approachable narrative. Through this approach, Agatha Christie has given the reader an opportunity to see the world through the eyes of the seasoned private investigator Hercule Poirot. In this world, nothing is at it seems and apparent coincidence belies a hidden truth, a world in which the geographical connections created by passenger railways allowed people of different nationalities and classes to rub elbows. Stereotypes of class and nationalities are both dominant social themes that persist throughout the novel. Social themes of crime, as well as good versus evil of the era also play an important role in the narrative.…