Media Studies Psycho

In his masterpiece "Psycho", director Alfred Hitchcock propels his narrative through closely following and manipulating the different aspects of the film matrix. These include the basic uses of conflict resolution, the manoeuvring of time and space and the utilisation of the narratives codes and conventions. Hitchcock uses a succession of non-autonomous scenes to describe how the apparent protagonist, Marian Crane (played by Janet Leigh), decides to steal $40,000, flee her home in Phoenix and undertake a long automobile trip to California. To the audience, it appears as though Marian Crane's theft and flight are the principal elements of the film's plot. Hitchcock, however, surprises the audience by using archival time both to lead us to believe that Marian Crane is his protagonist and then abruptly changes the direction of his film.

Psycho begins with the camera drifting lazily from left to right across the skyline of Phoenix, Arizona. Hitchcock used similar shots in the beginning...