Psycho: Musical Screech

If there is one thing to take away from Hitchcock's Psycho, it is the importance of there score. More specifically the importance of the 'screeching' score right before Norman Bates(Anthony Perkins) goes for a kill. This score was written by Bernard Herman, and played only three times throughout the entire film. The first time was used in the shower seen for the murder of Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), and it was the first time we hear the screech of the violins. For the movie viewer it an unexpected sound really loud really obnoxtious really high pitched. The sound is quite suspenseful making the scene far more scary then it was with out it. The second time the 'screech' was used was during the murder of Milton Arbogast (Martin Balsam) the private detective. When the music starts the viewer instantly knows another murder is about to take place, since it only rarely comes and it is the same exact sound as the last murder. When the sound of the 'screech' comes on the movie watcher as a feeling of "oh no" of surely something bad is about to happen, as it does... The last time the music plays is right after  Lila Crane(Vera Miles) Marion's sister screams after discovering the mothers corpse in the basement. Her scream and hitting of the light switch sets off the 'screech' for the 3rd and final time. The viewer instantly expects another murder is about to take place since the 'screech' is back, and one nearly happens. Norman Bates comes running down the stairs dressed as his mother holding a long knife ready to kill. Luckily Sam Loomis (John gavin) saves the day by wrestling Norman to the ground at the last possible minute saving the life of what was to be another one of Normans victimes. This film teaches the importance of sound in a movie. Without the 'screech' the movie would not nearly have been as terrifying as it was. The suspense that is built up inside us is all built upon the sound put in our brains. Without it the chill we get down our spine would not exist.