Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho and its Influence on the Film Industry .
The 1960's marked a big change in American cinema. With the collapse of the Hollywood Studio System came a weakening of censorship laws. Sex and violence moved from the shadows to the forefront of mainstream cinema. Although it quickly became clear that a market existed for such films, the earliest attempts to venture into the world of modern cinema were met with resistance. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, made in 1960, was one of the first of many to show sexuality and violence in a graphic approach. Although the youth market was ready for such a change, the older audience resisted the modern trends. For this reason, Psycho was initially received by many with anger and critical rejection, before moving on to be named "Hitchcock's greatest film-. .
Psycho, produced by Universal Studios and released through Paramount contained a frank illustration of sex and violence unlike any mainstream film that had preceded it, the film included the first love scene in American popular cinema ever to feature a pair of lovers lying half-naked on a bed. Not only did Psycho portray two brutal murders, but the first occurred in the intimacy of the shower. As a result, Hitchcock had to fight to make the film as close to his vision as possible and find ways to work around censorship laws. When the censors demanded he re-edit the shower scene on account of a fleeting glimpse of Janet Leigh's breast, Hitchcock simply sent back the original cut on the (correct) assumption that they either would not re-screen it or would fail to see the barely noticeable nudity the second time around. As well, Hitchcock reportedly shot the film in black and white only because he knew the censors would never approve the very bloody shower scene in colour. .
Hitchcock explained the reason for filming a woman wearing only her under garments in the opening sequence of Psycho: "Audiences are changing.
