Prima Hansaward

Mr.Hurst
Media 2
16/11/12

Comparative Studies Between Psycho and Vertigo

The Auteur theory is a way of looking at a film as the directors artistic vision and or
expression. The term Auteur theory was developed by Francois Truffaut in an essay called A
Certain Tendency in French Cinema in 1945. According to IndieFilm Hustle.com, a filmmaker
who was the definition of the idea of the auteur is Alfred Hitchcock. In several of Hitchcocks
films, there tends to always contain similar styles aspects of filming. The two of Alfred
Hitchcocks film that express this is Psycho and Vertigo.
Psycho is a 1960s film based on the novel Psycho by Robert Bloch which was published
in the year before. Psycho is a psychological horror film about a girl named Marion Crane played
by Janet Leigh, on the run from stealing money from her boss to be with her boyfriend. She later
stops at a motel where she meets a man, Norman Bates played by Anthony Perkins, who owns
the place with his mother and ends up killing Marion. The film ends with discovering that
Norman has psychological problems because of his difficult relationship with his mother and
also his mysterious interest in taxidermy.
Vertigo is a 1958s film based on the Dentre les morts or From Among the Dead by
Boileau Narcejac which was published in 1954. Vertigo is a film noir and psychological thriller
about a obsession, manipulation, and fear love story between a retired detective named Scottie,
who suffers from acrophobia played by James Stewart and Madeleine Galvin or Judy who is
being followed by Scottie because of her strange behavior. The film ends with Madeleine
murdered by her husband and a double who had been disguised as her falls in love with Scottie
and later on dies after Scotties obsession with Madeleine.
In both Psycho and Vertigo, Hitchcock uses striking and sharp climax music during the
opening scene and during the film multiple times to which causes suspense and chills to the
audience. The music that he uses also fits the thriller feelling to the audience. He collaborated
with the same composer, Bernard Herman, who created the sound for Psycho and Vertigo.As for
the plots, Hitchcock focuses on the psychological effect towards the audience. Psycho, being that
Norman Bates having his (dead) mother side in him and for Vertigo, Scottie, deals with the idea
between dreams (or imagination) and reality. This is because after he finds Judy, he starts to
make Judy look and become more like Madeleine as he is still obsessed with her even after her
death. Hitchcock uses Norman and Scottie to both represent characters with loss of identity
and also characters that portray guilt of death and murder. In Psycho and Vertigo, Alfred
Hitchcock uses similar characters as well. For example, the female lead roles in the films are
blondes or have blonde hair. In both films, the blondes, Marion and Madeleine or Judy, are used
as an attraction of the film and also have the personality of taking risks. In Psycho, Marion steals
the money from her boss and runs away, in Vertigo, the fake Madeleine or Judy, becomes a
double of Madeleine then later she agrees to be changed into Madeleine again for Scottie.
Hitchcocks portrays them as weak and will do anything for who they love. The men in the film,
Norman and Scottie, first they both seem to be loving and caring towards the ladies but then later
on in the film they become more scary and intimidating. Hitchcock also uses the same types of
camera shots in his films. A similarity camera shot that can easily be located is the dolly shot.
The dolly shot or the Vertigo effect, is a camera technique that was first used by Alfred
Hitchcock in Vertigo. The dolly shot is an in and out movement to make a subject closer or
further away to express a dramatic scene. In Psycho, Hitchcock uses this show during the scene
where Arbogast, the detective climbs up the stairs and in Vertigo when Scottie looks down when
climbing up the stairs as well. Lastly, in Hitchcocks films, he tends to use lots of shots or scenes
with no dialogue. This is to show the audience to point of view of the character and what the
character is seeing. These types of scenes make it more suspense and uplifts the curiosity of the
audience.
Similarities between Psycho and Vertigo show that, Alfred Hitchcocks work is truly one
of a kind. He fits into the auteur theory as he expresses his artistic view of to the audience
through his movies. That is why he famously known for his unique and brilliant scenes and
shots. Also, he and his work is very influential to other directors until today.