Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho” presents a linear tale of a man who is suffering from mental illness, which drives him to commit murder. The film, which was released in 1960, is simple in structure with the story being told without the need of flashbacks or out of sequence scenes. The dialogue is clear and is used as a tool to drive the story along, including as foreshadowing. The film relies on the dialogue, camera angles, lighting and music to add layers of suspense.
On the other hand, Quentin Tarantino’s “Pulp Fiction” has a complex story that involves a circular and out of sequence structure. The dialogue is a spattering of one-liners and sometimes unnecessary added detail such as what a quarter pounder with cheese is called in France. Tarantino tells multiple character stories that are still connected in some way. The film does have more blood, sexual themes and strong language than Hitchcock’s “Psycho.”
In terms of effectiveness, “Psycho” draws pulls in the audience with suspense and unexpected twists. By killing off who is believed to be the main character not even half-way into the film, Hitchcock raises the stakes for how the narrative will move forward. However, Tarantino relies on more comedic characters to maintain the audience’s attention. Based on personal opinion, “Psycho” captivated my interest a lot more simply because it didn’t need to go to extremes to convey a deeply psychological tale.
On a side note, this was the first time I watched “Psycho” from start to finish and it led me down a rabbit hole of researching the three other films in the franchise. I have not watched these films, but I’ve read their summaries and how Norman Bates’ life ended up after “Psycho.” It’s an interesting tale of mental illness and redemption.
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