Psycho (1960)
Mise en Scene
After the title sequence, Hitchcock cuts to an establishing shot of a city. The scene is set in the day and is meant to imply the calm before the storm. This builds tension within the audience as they are on the edge of their seat, waiting for something to happen, which the music at the beginning implied.
Technical Codes
The opening title sequence uses quick editing, with the credits whizzing on and off screen, with a fast paced, screeching strings soundtrack, composed by Bernard Hermann. This builds tension as the music is intense and ambiguous.
The camera uses a series of shots to focus from the vastness of the city scape to the apartment window, which seems dark and empty. This creates suspense as the audience is made to wonder what is in the apartment.
Narratives/Plot
The title sequence implies chaotic horror, which is then juxtaposed with the calm landscape of a city. The music has now changed to dreamy, but it still has an underlying threat to it. The nature of the plot is unclear from the opening sequence but it is clear we are focusing on someone from a city.
Characters/Locations
The city implies that the character is hard working and is not happy, as her life is dependant on work.
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