Question About 1960's "Pyscho"
 

SPOILERS OBVIOUSLY





I have a Q, so please help me with this.

During the movie when a few people have been killed at the motel, who does the audience suspect did it? I can't recall. Do we think the Norman himself did it (but obviously not dressed up as his mother)?

Do we think he lied about his mother's condition and she is killing these people?

Do we think it's something else? I can't remember the film that well, but I'm trying to remember why the mother being dead and him pretending to be his mom was such a big shock at the end--aside from it's something that hit us from left field. Big shocks usually come because the audience is thinking or assuming one thing, and the ending presents another. So what was the audience thinking regarding who was the murderer behind the Bates Motel killings?

Also, does anyone else remember the condition Norman gave Janet Leigh for why his mother can't walk around on her own? Did he say she was parapalegic? Thanks.

The audience is led to believe it's the mother.

All of Norman's suspicious behavior is viewed by the audience as Norman protecting his mother.

The audience not only suspects that mother is the killer, but has heard and seen Norman's revulsion when he discovers what mother has done *he becomes physically ill), and of course during the shower scene (and the stairway stabbing) the audience actually gets a glimpse of mother.

Just so this shows up in future seaches: Psycho

Another thing that helped the 'shock value' is also one of my favorite aspects of the film.

At the start of the film, the audience is set up to care for the female character...as she commits a crime and tries to cover it. When she is killed, we have no character to direct our emotions towards. That is, until Norman now covers up a crime. A crime we think was committed by someone else. Just in case we don't realize we care about Norman now...Hitchcock shows us by not letting the car sink easily. As it stops a few seconds, the audience cringes along with Norman. We care...

When it is revealed that our "hero" is the killer, we are forced to deal with it. (And a guy in a dress, which was more shocking in the 50's I suppose, and to wonder "so..where's the mother?"..and..well..just confused and shocked.)

It will now also show up on searches for seaches. :thumbsup:

i defer to BassDude who explained very well some of the many elements that make Psycho such a brilliant film, particularly in it's use of tension and psychological manipulation of the viewer.