Journal Article

Schizophrenic Twins: A Comparative Study of Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960) and Van Sant’s 1998 Remake

Canet, Fernando

2018

Overview

The main purpose of this article is to analyze the dialogue established between the old and the new text in terms of the tension between these repetitions and differences. Especially important in this dialogue are the differences between the two texts, since an analysis of these variations can become an instructive tool for exploring how the original was constructed and how the rewritten text updates it. To this end, an analysis of an extreme case of repetition is proposed: Gus Van Sant’s 1998 remake of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960). Although Van Sant’s Psycho has been considered a shot-by-shot copy of the original, when the remake is examined closely, it becomes apparent that this characterization is not as accurate as a more cursory analysis might suggest. The goal of this article is to identify the differences between the two films, to posit reasons for them, and to speculate on their implications, with a view to forming a better understanding of the remake and, consequently, of the original. This study will focus particularly on a close textual analysis of the famous shower scene,4 in view of the fact that Psycho’s status as a milestone in film history is due to a significant extent to this highly influential scene.

• Publisher: University of Illinois Press,University Film and Video Association
• Subject: Allusion / Authorship / Boards of trustees / Censorship / Cinema and Film Studies / Comparative analysis / Comparative studies / Criticism and interpretation / Curtains / Film criticism / Film history / Film studies / Historical text analysis / Hitchcock, Alfred / Hitchcock, Alfred (1899-1980) / Horror films / Intertextuality / Killing / Motion Pictures / Movie directors / Movie remakes / Movies / Mysteries / Postmodernism / Remakes & sequels / Screenplays / Spectatorship / Studies / Text analysis / Twins / Van Sant, Gus / Works