Vertigo & Psycho: A Comparison

Vertigo & Psycho: A Comparison

Hitchcock as an Auteur

Similarities between the films:

Birds - Both films use birds as an animal to give connotations of terror -> The stuffed birds in Psycho create a chilling atmosphere & makes Norman Bates more disturbing to the audience and the villain of Vertigo, Gavin, has the surname Elster which means Magpie in German. Hitchcock also uses birds as a symbol of fear in many of his other films, in particular in The Birds.

Blonde Women - Htichcock uses blonde women in his films as 'a symbol of the heroine' and presents them as perfect, aloof ice goddesses that have a hidden inner fire. This is presented in Vertigo through Madeleine & Judy and in Psycho through Marion & Lila.

Cameo - Hitchcock makes a cameo appearance in both films - a signature part of Hitchcock's work and a key theme of Hitchcock as an auteur.

Cars - Hitchcock uses cars in both films to create tensions -> the scenes of Scottie and Marion driving create tension for the audience as the close-ups of their faces convey the fear they are facing in their situations.

Charming/Likeable Criminal - Hitchcock presents Norman Bates & Judy as emotionally vulnerable and sympathetic characters who are a product of the situation that they are stuck in.

Death - Both films revolve around the theme of death (Marion/Madeleine) and how this affects the characters involved in these situations.

Hotels - The scenes that occur in the hotels are significant to the plot: Marion's death in Psycho and Scottie finding out the truth about Judy in Vertigo.

MacGuffin - A device used to drive plots & create suspense but the identity of this plot is unimportant to the plot by the climactic point of the film. Hitchcock uses this device in both 'Psycho' and 'Vertigo'; in Psycho the £40,000 is the MacGuffin as there is no significance to it to the plot as Bates didn't murder Crane for the moeny and in Vertigo, Carlotta Valdes is the MacGuffin as Scottie spends most of the film trying to find out about her as she has 'possessed' Madeleine but she never appears in the film and her character is unimportant to the plot.

Mistaken Identity/wrong man or women - Vertigo: the mistaken identity of Judy/Madeleine is the main plot of the film. Psycho: Norma Bates isn't still alive and is a split personality of Norman's.

Music - Music is used in both films to enhance tension and create suspense -> the shower scene in Psycho & the death of the real Madeleine in Vertigo.

Paranoia - Norman & Scottie are both driven crazy by their life experiences and struggle to keep on top of the situations they face.

Staircases - Staircases are used in Hitchcock films to signify death. Vertigo - the staircase in the Church leads to the deaths of both Madeleine and Judy. Psycho - the staircase of the Bates Mansion leads to the death of Detective Arbogast. Hitchcock also uses staircases to create tension - for example in Psycho when Lila goes to the fruit cellar.

The Ordinary Person - Hitchcock films centre around ordinary people who encounter extreme & extraordinary circumstances. Hitchcock uses this concept in Psycho - Marion Crane is an unremarkable secretary who becomes involved in extreme circumstances after taking the £40k/staying at Botes Motel - and Vertigo - a policeman becomes embroiled in an elaborate and extreme case. Hitchcock uses this as this focus on the ordinary person enables the audience to relate to the film and the characters.

Transference of Guilt - Hitchcock often sets up a villain/antagonist that holds a dark secret & makes it clear through the script & filming that the hero/protagonist also shares this secret or guilt. This is shown in Vertigo as Scottie accepts the story of Madeleine's life from Gavin which indirectly leads to her death and in Psycho where Marion commits the crime of stealing and is then murdered.

A difference: Vertigo is shot in colour to emphasise key scenes and the change in Madeleine/Judy + the significance of the necklace whereas Psycho is in black & white as he thought that the bloody murder in colour would be too much for audiences to cope with.