Episode 111: But What if He WAS His Mother, Rather Than Just Obsessed? Psycho (1960)
About this episode
Alex explores the overt mother obsession themes in Hitchcock's Psycho (1960).
Join Alex in a solo episode as he explores the more overt mother obsession themes in Hitchcock's Psycho (1960). The film released two years after Hitchcock's Vertigo, which had subtler mother obsession themes. In this film, which stars Janet Leigh as Marion Crane and Anthony Perkins as Norman Bates, Hitchcock specifically smacks the audience over the head with the overt Oedipal complex and Freudian themes. Hailed as a masterpiece in its own right, Psycho is considered to be Hitchcock's first horror movie, with a insane lasting cultural impact, the least of which the shrieking violins. The discussion is split into two broad parts: the first explores the Freudian themes in a historical context, as a sort of companion follow-up to the previous episode on Vertigo, and the second part latches onto the psychiatrist's monologue at the end the film as a closer interpretation to what a modern clinical psychologist might assess and analyze within the context of the film's plot. Have a listen to this episode, but be sure Mother doesn't catch you! If you like this content, you might like my new Audible audiobook/course, A Psychologist Goes to the Movies, available now! It features six films…
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