In 1935, the world's first color film "Vanity Fair" (also known as "Floating Like a Dream") was released in the United States, marking that color, as an element and means, has truly entered the screen world;
Twenty-five years later, in 1960, a fat American director had a whim: make a low-budget black-and-white thriller and see if it would still sell.
This is the reversal of history.
However, this fat man, as an old driver in the director world, successfully turned back the car into history:
The cost was US$800,000, and the final box office was 15 million; the film was honored as "the originator of modern thrillers".
The fat man is called Hitchcock; the movie is called Psycho.
Marilyn, who stole $40,000 in public funds, wants to flee to her boyfriend's city. Halfway through, she checked into a motel, only to be killed in the bathroom by a schizophrenic madman. Her boyfriend and sister then join the investigation, which eventually uncovers the truth behind the madman's serial killings.
In today's box office of hundreds of millions and billions of dollars, the 15 million box office of "Psycho" seems insignificant.
However, from the perspective of nearly 20 times the return on investment, it has already made investors a lot of money.
What is the magic of this "Psycho" 57 years ago? Not only won the box office, but also won the hearts of the people?
is subversion.
Turning the clock of history back to 1960, in the film environment at that time, "Psycho" achieved at least two subversions:
Subvert the viewing expectations + subvert the audience's understanding of horror.
The first is the subversion of viewing expectations: all the dangers you thought were about to happen turned out to be safe and sound; just when you let down your guard, the fatal knife suddenly stabbed.
Walking out of the office, Marilyn, who was holding $40,000 in public funds, did not go to the bank, but went home.
When she was packing, the camera was aimed at the huge sum of money lying by the bed four times.
The most important things should usually be packed first, why did Marilyn pack the money last?
She was hesitating, she was shaking.
It wasn't until she put the money in her handbag that the absconding with the money officially began.
The audience, under the influence of the camera and music, also substituted themselves into the escape plot, worrying about what happened to Marilyn.
On the way to escape, it was a close call several times.
Driving at the traffic light intersection, the boss happened to pass by and found Marilyn; when she was taking a nap in the car, she was woken up by the local police knocking on the window to check her identity; at the second-hand car dealership, she almost showed her feet again; and the scene on the highway Heavy rain, I feel like it will bring disaster at any time...
But nothing happened.
The boss just hesitated and walked away; the police checked the driver's license and chased after the used car shop, but did not arrest Marilyn; the sudden heavy rain did not cause the car accident, but took her to a secluded motel.
While talking to Norman, the innkeeper, Marilyn suddenly decides to return the public money to its original owner.
Back in the room, Marilyn changed and showered.
The door is closed, the curtains are closed, the lights are bright, and the hot water is comfortable.
Axiba! Tomorrow is the end of this damn escape, and it feels good to be a free man.
Are you relaxed?
Well, here comes the danger.
The mother of the hotel owner didn't know why, she suddenly broke into the bathroom, holding a sharp knife, she stabbed desperately, killing Marilyn in three or two strokes.
(full rhyme, perfect~)
In this way, at the 48th minute of the movie, the female lead took the lunch.
Unpredictable, unprecedented.
The murder in the bathroom also subverted the audience's understanding of horror and terror.
What was a horror thriller like in 1960?
Flesh and bloody, eerie.
Xi Pang said: "I don't play these routines!"
As mentioned earlier, in order to challenge himself, Xi Pang deliberately made "Psycho" into a black and white movie.
This is roughly equivalent to abolishing a martial art.
Color is emotional, especially in the art of film.
Cool tones feel calm and peaceful; warm tones represent violence, irritation, aggression, and more.
In the movie "Life is Beautiful", the director created different symbolic meanings through color changes:
In the first half of the film, the colors of the picture are warm and bright, but after the protagonist enters the concentration camp, the colors begin to whiten and fade, and almost all colors are removed.
Without the magic weapon of color, how could Xi Fatt create a terrifying atmosphere?
Creative editing, piercing soundtrack, clever lighting and shading.
The "Bathroom Killing" scene is only 48 seconds long and consists of 78 quick cuts. In fact, Fatty Xi took 7 days to shoot, and the camera shifted as many as 60 times.
Although there is no bloody picture of a knife piercing the human body, its terrifying effect has reached an incomparable realm.
This scene casts a shadow on the audience's heart that is too big to calculate.
According to reports, after watching the scene, Janet Lee, who played Marilyn, dared not take a shower anymore and switched to a soaking bath.
So here comes the question, dear reader, would you dare to enjoy such a subversive black and white thriller alone at night?
Reference materials: Baidu Encyclopedia, "Psycho" entry under Mtime; "Knowing Movies" 12th edition.
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