Monday, 24 November 2014

'PSYCHO' (1960) Opening Title Sequence Analysis


This is the Opening Title Sequence from ‘PSYCHO’. It introduces the word ‘PSYCHO’, then it suddenly breaks and distorts just like you can see in this still image, the middle section then begins to alternate from side to side creating movement. This connotes disorientation due to the fact that the word starts of whole then breaks over and over. This is further backed up by some parallel music created with harsh and unsettling violins. To me, I think this connotes to the psychological background to certain characters, them being Norman and Marion. It also connotes to the split personality and schizophrenia and links to the real life serial killer Ed Gein, who was arrested in 1957. It is in the dead centre of the frame indicating its importance with using the rule of thirds. This then turns into a montage of different lines coming in from different angles and transitions introducing the rest of the credits.



The visual clues in the title montage is already keeping you on your toes, not knowing what is going to happen next, which very much replicates Hitchcock’s “Master of Suspense” auteur style a theory made by the critic Andrew Sarris in his essay “Notes on the Auteur Theory in 1962”. Saul Bass's credits are very unsettling and almost creates optical illusions in front of you again linking very closely with the mind of Norman.

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