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Alfred Hitchcock the master of suspense movies known for his 1960 iterationPsycho, not only earned the Academy Award for Best Director but also broke rules and taboos with his movie. Releasing one of the most scandalous movies of his time despite staunch American censorship, Hitchcock turnedPsychointo a revolutionary film.
The psychological subtext, twisted ending, and the revolutionary plot ofPsycho(1960) weren’t all that turned the movie into a timeless classic. Apparently, Alfred Hitchcock’s decision to blatantly break the accepted norm of cinema was what turned his movie into a masterpiece, despite being considered scandalous.
Also read:“I had no choice but to figure out”: Steven Spielberg Took Help from Legendary Director to Save His $476M Movie Who Later Humiliated Him for a Disgusting Reason
PsychoBroke The Accepted Norm Of American Censorship
Cinema is often known for bringing change in society by breaking taboos. And certainly, the responsibility lies in the hands of the filmmakers and actors. Evidently, Hollywood has witnessed several such groundbreaking movies and filmmakers, ever since it’s inception. However, no one could do what Alfred Hitchcock did with his 1960 iteration,Psycho.
When Hitchcock’s movie was released, Hollywood was going through tumultuous times, as murders and illicit crimes were making headlines in Tinseltown. Thus, the Motion Picture Production Code was bound to come up with a set of censorship guidelines for movies released between 1934 to 1968, to subside the situation and not aggravate it.
Further, followed by religious condemnation of entertainment and growing political pressure, the American Censorship Committee was forced to demand “decency” in films. That’s whereAlfred Hitchcock‘sPsychobroke the accepted norm, for his movie not only portrayed profanity and violence but also showcased n*dity. During the infamous murder scene in the bathroom with Janet Leigh as Marion Crane, the film featured sledgehammer violence and a naked woman thus shattering censorship taboo.
Also read:“40 years to understand why he’d used the S word”: Alfred Hitchcock Sent A Writer Down A Rabbit Hole For 4 Decades Using Just One Word
Alfred Hitchcock Blatantly Denied Censorship ForPsycho
Passing on through generations, Alfred Hitchcock’sPsychoremained one of the most groundbreaking movies of all time. Becoming an example for changing the landscape of modern-day cinema, Hitchcock’sPsychowas hailed for blatantly breaking the norms and taboos. Certainly, when one thinks of the movie, one finds it impossible to overlook the bathroom scene where Janet Leigh is stabbed by a mysterious figure.
While the scene became a prominent part of the movie, it wasn’t quite difficult for Alfred Hitchcock to fool the studio’s PCA liaison, Luigi Luraschi, to pass it for screening. According to the transcript shared byThe Hitchcock Zone,for the 1997 documentary,The Making of Psycho,Hitchcock’s assistant Peggy Robertson revealed how the director fooled Luraschi with his cheeky mind games.
“So we start running it and Luigi laughs at Hitch’s appearance in the film…Then comes the shower sequence. We’re all sort of looking on placidly. Luigi: ‘Stop! Stop! My God!’ So Hitch said, ‘Yes, Luigi, what is it?’ Luigi: ‘I saw her brast.’ ‘No, you didn’t, Luigi. It’s just in your dirty mind. You didn’t see a brast at all. Yes, we’ll run it again’.”
“So we ran it again. ‘Well, Luigi, did you see a brast?’ ‘No, but we’re going to be in a lot of trouble with it.’ We talked him out… Oh, we didn’t. Um, we made him realize that he was wrong, that he hadn’t seen a brast,”
Although it was easy for Hitchcock to fool Luigi Luraschi, other censors were simply being difficult to manage. Thus, after immense pushback and endless debates, censors proposed reshoots. However, in the end, none of the objecting parties showed up during the reshoots and thus, the director decided to keep his scenes intact. Thus, breaking the Code of conduct,Psychobecame a revolutionary rebel.
WatchPsychoon Amazon Video.
Read more:“I had no choice”: Steven Spielberg Had to Take Controversial Director Alfred Hitchcock’s Tactic for His $476M Movie That Nearly Killed its Actors
Source:The Hitchcock Zone
Krittika Mukherjee
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3219
Krittika Mukherjee is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, majorly focusing on films, TV shows, and celebrity news with over 3,000 articles published. With an educational background in Journalism, and a keen interest in filmmaking, Krittika blends factual precision with creative flair, when crafting her editorials, or dissecting fan theories.Her coverage often includes news and analyses of critically acclaimed films, celebrity news, and franchises like the Wizarding World, LOTR, DC, and MCU—particularly Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts, Superheroes, and fan theories. As a Wizarding World aficionado, Krittika has spent countless hours exploring hidden backstories, unadapted book moments, spells, and trivias surrounding J.K. Rowling’s lore.An imaginative writer with a way with words, Krittika has worked as an entertainment journalist for the past two years and a web content writer for a year. She brought her experience and expertise to FandomWire to pursue her desire for sipping coffee while dissecting films and tracking celebrity drama.
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