Psycho

Because Hitch loves music and sound to create suspense, he hired the perfect man for the job. Bernard Herrmann is solely responsible for the screeching, high-pitched music some may compare to nails on chalkboard. Light jazz was what Hitch wanted for Psycho. It does sound unlikely, but this is what he wanted. The dark horror film was to feature some nice smooth jazz, just to keep the tension flowing. Personally I think it would have had negative impact on the film but Herrmann saw the perfect opportunity for the screeching sounds of a low budget, black and white film. The first scene I wanted to analyze is the second murder scene. (Detective Arbogast) This scene features a slightly changed reprise of the original murder music. In this scene Norman is finally caught and his motherly fetish was revealed there is a brief but intense cue that captures the madness of the moment. Then the music continues with the classic “RE RE RE RE” and “mother finishes him off at the bottom of the stairs.

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