Sound and Loudness

I have chosen the shower scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho as an example of sound and loudness being used to "overpower the soul, to suspend its action, and to fill it with terror."
I have copied Kristina by having a youtube clip of the scene I am describing.



In the scene we see the protagonist, Marion, enter the shower. The only sound we hear is of the water quietly hitting her body until her murderer pulls back the shower curtain. All of a sudden Bernard Herrmann's blaring strings are heard as Marion is repeatedly stabbed. This sound surprises the viewer and "awakes a great and aweful sensation in the mind". We are left scared by the music, as well as shocked that the character we have been following has been killed halfway through the film. It is not pleasant music to listen to, and coupled with the shocking images has a powerful and terrifying effect on the viewer.

Another reason why I chose this particular scene is because Hitchcock initially wanted there to be no sound. It was only on Herrmann's insistence that it was included. It is hard to imagine the scene being anywhere near as powerful on the viewer if his score had not been employed.