P1 Tyler case - swaby
The two
films I will be analysing below are Psycho and Avatar. Both films of different
genres with different content, conventions and styles.
Psycho
Psycho is a
1960 psychological horror-thriller suspense film directed by the infamous
Alfred Hitchcock. The film centres around a young woman called Marion who finds
herself at a secluded hotel after embezzling money from her manager at the
bank. The hotel seems to be run by a dark and mysterious man by the name of
Norman Bates who seems to be under the control of his mother who lives up at
the house. Eventually settling in Marion decides to take a shower in one of
Horror and Cinemas most iconic moments. Marion goes missing and her partner and
sister come looking at the Bates Motel.
Since its release Psycho has been praised as a work of cinematic art and titled one of the greatest films of all time and the greatest horror film of all time. Upon its release it announced a new level of toleration of violence, sexuality and deviant behaviour in films to come. The film was controversial for its convention breaking such as having the film begin with a man and woman in their underwear and a close up shot of an open toilet; these may not seem controversial now however they were the heat of discussion upon its release.
Horror films in the 1950’s and 60’s included little if no blood whatsoever and would only include a minimum of deaths, Upon Psychos arrival audiences were shocked that its major star and seemingly main character was killed off and in such a brutal manner which has led to Psycho also being titled the first Slasher film. Not only did psycho break barriers for the horror genre but also Movies in general. Upon its unexpected success at the box office despite critical backlash at its violence and content other directors began to incorporate more shocking themes into their films such as lust and greed but not to the extent and incredible execution of Psycho.
The majority of horror films at the time featured inhuman monsters and zombies as the villains who the audience would have no relatability to. In Psycho however the villain is a young man who the audience could relate to until they find out in a shocking twist that he is in fact the killer posed as his dead mother who he keeps in the cellar. This again broke the barriers of the horror genre as the audience were essentially faced with themselves as the villain, an everyday everyman. After all what is more horrific than the evil man can commit himself.
Although the film is not similar to any modern day Horror film it does familiarise itself with modern Thrillers especially those that use Suspense as key. Psycho uses Suspense in every aspect to manipulate and lure the audience into a dark corner leaving them vulnerable and anxious only to throw at them the most unexpected of conclusions such as when Marion’s sister first enters the wine cellar to hide we expect maybe the killer to jump out and find her but instead she finds Ms Bates dead body, the first of the twists. She then slowly turns around and we are faced with Norman dressed as his mother revealing to us in the final plot twist that he is the killer. This is all done with suspense through the use of tracking shots and close ups to show the sheer shock and disgust on the characters face before we ourselves are faced with what’s ahead of us.
The film features many themes and symbolism. Themes such as Corruptibility, Death, lust and Confused identity. These themes are revealed through the use of symbolism and repeated motifs such as taxidermy, eyes, hands and mirrors. In example When Norman looks through the hole in his wall to gaze at Marion entering the shower, the shot of his peeping eye could symbolise the theme of lust as rather than presenting himself to Marion in full with his entire body he is remaining hidden in his lust through the use of his eye. This could also be linked to the male gaze as the audience are shown shots of Marrion which feature prolonged shots of her curvy body in her bra and of course the shower scene which subtly presents Marion’s naked silhouette through the shower curtains. The inclusion of taxidermy in the first quarter of the film also immediately presents the presence of death and implicates the films dark themes.
Report on Avatar
Since its release Psycho has been praised as a work of cinematic art and titled one of the greatest films of all time and the greatest horror film of all time. Upon its release it announced a new level of toleration of violence, sexuality and deviant behaviour in films to come. The film was controversial for its convention breaking such as having the film begin with a man and woman in their underwear and a close up shot of an open toilet; these may not seem controversial now however they were the heat of discussion upon its release.
Horror films in the 1950’s and 60’s included little if no blood whatsoever and would only include a minimum of deaths, Upon Psychos arrival audiences were shocked that its major star and seemingly main character was killed off and in such a brutal manner which has led to Psycho also being titled the first Slasher film. Not only did psycho break barriers for the horror genre but also Movies in general. Upon its unexpected success at the box office despite critical backlash at its violence and content other directors began to incorporate more shocking themes into their films such as lust and greed but not to the extent and incredible execution of Psycho.
The majority of horror films at the time featured inhuman monsters and zombies as the villains who the audience would have no relatability to. In Psycho however the villain is a young man who the audience could relate to until they find out in a shocking twist that he is in fact the killer posed as his dead mother who he keeps in the cellar. This again broke the barriers of the horror genre as the audience were essentially faced with themselves as the villain, an everyday everyman. After all what is more horrific than the evil man can commit himself.
Although the film is not similar to any modern day Horror film it does familiarise itself with modern Thrillers especially those that use Suspense as key. Psycho uses Suspense in every aspect to manipulate and lure the audience into a dark corner leaving them vulnerable and anxious only to throw at them the most unexpected of conclusions such as when Marion’s sister first enters the wine cellar to hide we expect maybe the killer to jump out and find her but instead she finds Ms Bates dead body, the first of the twists. She then slowly turns around and we are faced with Norman dressed as his mother revealing to us in the final plot twist that he is the killer. This is all done with suspense through the use of tracking shots and close ups to show the sheer shock and disgust on the characters face before we ourselves are faced with what’s ahead of us.
The film features many themes and symbolism. Themes such as Corruptibility, Death, lust and Confused identity. These themes are revealed through the use of symbolism and repeated motifs such as taxidermy, eyes, hands and mirrors. In example When Norman looks through the hole in his wall to gaze at Marion entering the shower, the shot of his peeping eye could symbolise the theme of lust as rather than presenting himself to Marion in full with his entire body he is remaining hidden in his lust through the use of his eye. This could also be linked to the male gaze as the audience are shown shots of Marrion which feature prolonged shots of her curvy body in her bra and of course the shower scene which subtly presents Marion’s naked silhouette through the shower curtains. The inclusion of taxidermy in the first quarter of the film also immediately presents the presence of death and implicates the films dark themes.
Report on Avatar
Avatar
Avatar is a science fiction – action film directed by James Cameron. The film is set in the mid-22nd century as humans are colonizing Pandora, a habitable moon in the star system. A war however begins on Pandora and the humans posing as avatars must decide whether to fight for or against Pandora.
The Science fiction genre usually sets its films in an alternative future or world (In this case Pandora). Technological advances often have large inclusion in the story as they can often reflect social or environmental changes in the films story (The use of an avatar). The film includes all of these conventions as well as the high amount of CGI which is known for its use in the sci fi genre. The narrative of Avatar surrounds the idea of the human race using technology which in time destroys them; the heavy reliance of CGI in the film is ironic to its narrative which focuses on naturalism however it is used to compliment the visuals of the film and therefore heightens the effects left on the viewer.
Avatar is a science fiction – action film directed by James Cameron. The film is set in the mid-22nd century as humans are colonizing Pandora, a habitable moon in the star system. A war however begins on Pandora and the humans posing as avatars must decide whether to fight for or against Pandora.
The Science fiction genre usually sets its films in an alternative future or world (In this case Pandora). Technological advances often have large inclusion in the story as they can often reflect social or environmental changes in the films story (The use of an avatar). The film includes all of these conventions as well as the high amount of CGI which is known for its use in the sci fi genre. The narrative of Avatar surrounds the idea of the human race using technology which in time destroys them; the heavy reliance of CGI in the film is ironic to its narrative which focuses on naturalism however it is used to compliment the visuals of the film and therefore heightens the effects left on the viewer.
The film is unconventional to its genre through its use of character however. In many films of this genre the extra-terrestrial characters are presented as the villains and their personalities often resemble that of a dark nature however in Avatar the extra-terrestrials are portrayed to be very similar rather than alien to us. Their emotion and intelligence in character allows the audience to feel some relatibility and relation to them which is key for when in the conclusion these Extra-terrestrials begin to die or face loss or love. Without this connection to the audience the film would not work.
In conclusion both films use conventions of their genre to fit the audience’s unintentional want for more of the same however both break the conventions of their genre to add to the genre rather than mimic it which enchant audiences into seeing more rather than more
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