Psycho Connotations

            The film “Psycho” uses connotations to affect the reaction of the audience. Here are some of the connotations used.

            The first one is the opened eyes of the character. The opened eye, which was right after the struggle/fight, strongly suggests death. Especially the opened eyes, strongly connotes the life of the character leaving her body.

            The second is the blood. Blood normally connotes violence or death. Furthermore the colour red is associated with anger. Anger normally leads to violence or even death. Therefore, this connotation shows violence, death, or in the extreme case death.

           The third connotation is the naked woman. This nakedness shows openness and vulnerability. Most people use clothes to cover their body, almost like a protection. Therefore when these are removed, people normally feel defenceless.  Furthermore, the fact that the character that’s naked is a woman reinforces this vulnerability and defenceless state.

            These connotations help the director increase the tension in the film. Like the vulnerability strongly suggests that the character is open and vulnerable to attack. This helps in horror and thriller films. By using connotations like these, directors can increase tension and can also scare and surprise the audience more.