In this section of the Colossus Movie Guide for Psycho, we look at important motifs that help us understand the film.
Important motifs in Psycho
Birds
Birds are quite a common motif in Hitchcock movies (you can find some images in the Key Shots section). Whenever you see birds in a Hitchcock movie—for instance, in the movie…The Birds—something ominous is usually about to happen. And it’s no different in Psycho, as Norman and Marion discuss Norman’s taxidermied birds the night he kills her. Norman knows all about stuffing birds, but very little about live birds. This becomes a perverse foreshadowing of Norman, who struggles to exist with living people in the world. He is most attached to someone who is dead: his own mother. And much like his birds, Norman is stuck in one place—the Bates Motel—unable to fly away, to live his own life and meet new people, to escape the hell he’s created for himself. The birds are constantly framed preying over Norman, mimicking the stranglehold his own mother has over him.
There are also funny asides to birds, such as Marion’s last name (Crane) and Norman’s general bird-like behavior. Hitchcock always populated his films with these crumbs, believing they enlivened his characters and reinforced the themes. In his famous interview with François Truffaut, Hitchcock said of Psycho, “Owls belong to the night world; they are watchers, and this appeals to [Norman’s] masochism. He knows the birds and he knows that they’re watching him all the time. He can see his own guilt reflected in their knowing eyes.”
Mirrors
Mirrors are used to force characters to confront themselves, to reckon with what they’ve done or what they believe. Hitchcock constantly frames Marion and her reflection in the same shot, yet Marion constantly refuses to look at herself in the mirror. Hitchcock is referencing both the normal side of Marion and the mad side that breaks out and steals $40,000 (read more about madness in our Themes and Meaning section).
This foreshadows what we’ll learn later about Norman, who exists as two people. Marion refuses to confront the madness of what she’s done. And Norman forces her to perform some introspection. Hitchcock takes it to the extreme at the end of the movie when Norman smiles into the camera—a smile that almost exactly mimics Marion’s mad smile at the beginning when she drives away with the money.
Eyes
Eyes are constantly an indicator of Hitchcock’s theme of voyeurism. This motif is indicative that we, as the audience, are seeing things we aren’t supposed to see. This idea was especially compelling back in 1960, when societal judgement was rampant. The small-town side characters of Psycho are constantly bewildered by the insane actions of Marion, the mysterious past of Norman. Any sort of oddity drives them wild. Yet we are content in quietly spying on Marion’s tryst, being part of Norman’s peep hole experience, bad-mouthing Marion for her crime. We are both rooting for and rooting against the immoralities of the characters.
There are many instances of eyes that reflect this theme. In the beginning, it’s as simple as Marion’s boss spotting her leaving town. Then it’s Marion looking in her rearview mirror, scared somebody is following her. And before long, it’s the highway patrolman’s heavily tinted, highly suspicious sunglasses that send her into a fit of paranoia. Then there’s Norman’s peep hole, Marion’s dead eyes as she lies in the shower, and the black holes that reside in Norman’s dead mother’s skull—all indicative of the look of evil, how insanity can be born from past trauma.
“Eyes” in Psycho become an all-knowing, all-encompassing figure that pervades day-to-day life, constantly watching and judging and punishing anybody for their sins. Whether it’s society, it’s the law, it’s the face of evil—nothing can hide the truth.
Water
Water mostly concerns Marion’s journey—and almost all of the imagery signals something sinister. The first instance of water is when she’s driving away with Tom Cassidy’s money. Water pours onto her car as the windshield wipers screech back and forth. She imagines what people will say about her, slowly shifting her expression from intimidated and scared to confident and malevolent. The second time we see water is when Marion takes a shower. She’s decided to return the money, and is taking a shower as a way of cleansing herself from sin—only for Norman to sneak in and kill her. And finally, Marion, her car, and the $40,000 sink into a swamp pond. Despite her good intentions, she is being punished for her crime.
Water is often used as a metaphor for baptism in stories. You could see Hitchcock taking this approach in Psycho, as Marion is grappling with who she is and where she’s going. In the beginning, she’s trying to drive away with Tom Cassidy’s money, hopeful she can start a new life. She’s frustrated by her situation with Sam and looking to get ahead—to start anew. The same goes for the shower sequence, as Marion wants to be “reborn,” to wash herself of guilt and return to her former life. But the final instance of water almost spits in the idea of rebirth. Chaos and evil can disrupt anybody’s plans for renewal.
The retrieval of Marion’s car at the end of the movie becomes a dark remembrance of Marion’s journey. You could almost view this final scene as a reminder to the audience that while Marion may be gone, the memory of her and her mental struggles lives on.
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