Del on Psycho

Heebie-jeebies! You can expect to jump out of your skin multiple times if you watch Psycho. It follows the story of Marion Crane, who steals $40,000 from her boss in order to settle down with her lover who is going through an expensive divorce. While she is on the run she stops to rest at the Bates motel. The proprietor, Norman Bates, seems nice enough but his 'mother' comes in and kills Marion in one of the most famous and widely used scenes in the genre, the shower scene. Several people come to investigate, which leads to another murder and a look into the mind of Norman Bates, a scary place.

Alfred Hitchcock's psychotic thriller was the first of its kind ever to hit the big screen. It portrays the events surrounding the murder of Marion Crane at the Bates motel. But Psycho is more than the story of a disturbed motel manager, Norman Bates, or even of Marion Crane, but is meant to be a case study in the psyche each person in society. The opening scene shows a city, arbitrarily dated and placed, which pans in to focus on a random building, then a random window in that building. This gives the audience the feel that the story could take place in a day in the life of any in the audience. Hitchcock's genius is that he writes broad enough portrayals in the main characters that almost everyone can relate to at least one person affected in the story. Along with good use of lighting and shadow as well as Anthony Perkins' superb acting as Norman Bates, Psycho is hailed as Alfred Hitchcock's greatest work.

Here is the beat sheet that breaks down the story.

THE BLAKE SNYDER BEAT SHEET

PROJECT TITLE: Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO

1. Opening Image (1): Panning from the city into the building, then the window where Marion and Sam are. Showing that the story could be based on anyone.

2. Theme Stated (5): It could happen to anyone. This could be anyone’s story.

3. Set-Up (1-10):Events leading up to when Marion runs away and when she is at the Bates motel.

4. Catalyst (12): Marion steals the $40,000.

5. Debate (12-25): As Marion is driving she hears the voices in her head of people finding out what she has done.

6. Break into Two (25): Marion gets off the road and winds up at the Bates motel.

7. B Story (30): The story of Norman Bates and his ‘mother’.

8. Fun and Games (30-55): ‘Mother’ kills Marion and Norman hides her car in the swamp.

9. Midpoint (55): The PI, Sam, and Lila go to find Marion.

10. Bad Guys Close In (55-75): The PI goes to talk to Norman and doesn’t find anything.

All Is Lost (75): PI comes back after leaving and is killed by ‘mother’.

12. Dark Night of the Soul (75-85): Norman Bates is watching the PI’s car sink into the swamp.

13. Break into Three (85): Sam and Lila go to the Bates motel to get some answers, and Lila goes to the house to talk to mother.

14. Finale (85-110): Sam stops Norman (as ‘mother’) from killing Lila.

15. Final Image (110): ‘Mother’ is saying to herself that she won’t kill the fly buzzing around her. Trying to show how she “wouldn’t hurt a fly”. She’s just like anyone else.