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Book: Terror Tracks

Chapter: An Audiovisual Foreshadowing in Psycho

DOI: 10.1558/equinox.19122

Blurb:

This chapter proposes a way of reading the film Psycho and analysing the structure of both the aural and visual components of the main title that


supports Hermann's claim that 'The climax of Psycho is given to you by the music right at the moment the film begins.”' The chapter's argument to support this comes in two parts: the first uncovers a structural similarity between Herrmann’s music and Bass’s titles, and the second relates aspects of these structures to a psychoanalytic interpretation of Norman Bates’s character.

Chapter Contributors

  • Scott Murphy (smurphy@equinoxpub.com - scott) 'University of Kansas'