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For this portion of the site, I want to focus on the ideas of fantasy and desire in Hitchcock's films. The idea of fantasy is that it is between our subconcscious and our conscious, that it is where desires that we don't necessarily know we have come floating to the surface. Fantasy in conjunction with film allows us to identify with every character when and how we want, not just those that are most like us as Mulvey implies (male viewer identifies with male character). Hitchcock often plays with point of view and identification in his films, as well as fantasy and desire.

In Vertigo, we are allowed to identify with a number of characters. When Scottie and Judy are kissing at the moment that Scottie realizes she is Madeline, we have a powerful visual statement. Hitchcock whirls the camera around the two, while the background changes to a previous moment in the film when Scottie and Madeline shared a kiss.

In this moment, we are either realizing that Scottie finally knows or making the connection ourselves. Regardless, we have a visual representation of what Scottie is thinking, not just what he is literally seeing.

Later, towards the end of Vertigo, Scottie brings up Judy into the tower to frighten her since he has discovered her real identity. As an audience, we are unsure of what Scottie's next actions may be, for he is obviously angered. Judy seems to be equally unsure and frightened, and Scottie visually appears menacing. He goes back and forth between the shadows, with his face the only part of him that has light on it.

Judy's fear becomes our fear, and we understand her position.

Psycho also plays with some ideas of fantasy and desire, within the film and outside of the film as well. In the film, we have Norman Bates who clearly desires Marion Crane, and views her through the peephole. In this moment, we are allowed to see Marion undressing and potentially experience the desire and the pleasure in viewing that Norman would be feeling.

Another moment of fantasy is in the infamous shower scene. Here, the shots are short and choppy, flashing back and forth between the killer's and Marion's perspective. We see flashes of knife every so often.

Because of this back and forth series of shots, the audience is at once able to feel the fear of Marion of being killed, but also the rush of being the killer. This identification with the killer works well within the theory of the abject, which at its basic level states that people go to the movies to experience something they would never normally experience so that they can also separate themselves from that experience. This is what Hitchcock allows for in this scene.

Hitchcock portrays different characters differently throughout his films, allowing the viewer to identify with characters differently. He also uses ideas of fantasy as a theme within his films, while allowing the viewer to have fantasies as well.

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