Micro Analysis- Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, USA, 1960) Shower

surname to Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and ends when Marion lays dead on the

floor. There’s a mid-shot of Norman as he checks the log book, he’s got a smile on his

face, this makes me wonder what he’s thinking, I’m sure that was the intention

Hitchcock had, he wants the audience to try and figure Norman out. A tracking

mid-close up of Norman allows us to enter his office with him, but behind us, he closes

the door, this makes me think that what he’s about to do, is a secret, and no one must

know. Norman listens through the walls, as he does this, the stuffed birds on the wall

cast shadow over his already dark face. Hitchcock used an over the shoulder shot to

show Norman removing a picture (of a lady wrapped in sheets being dragged away by

a man) from the wall , it’s almost like we (the audience) are standing behind him,

waiting for our turn to look through the hole. As we do we see that Marion occupies

the mid vertical third, she’s wearing a black bra, this is a big contrast to the white bra

she was wearing at the beginning of the film. To me, the black bra symbolises guilt, she

her death, she’s lost her strength and she’s giving up. A mid close up of Marion shows

see behind Marions back, Marion only occupies the bottom right of the screen, the rest

usually linked to repressed sexual desires, and this film carries on that tradition. The

only get to see her feet, this was Hitchcocks way of provoking the audience. He

picture allows light to shine on his face, and as quick as that, we feel like its over. We

Some topics in this essay:
Perkins Marion, Marions Marion, Janet Leigh, close marions, , plug hole, shower curtain, marion lays dead, bottom screen rest, mid close marion, close marions hand, camera takes, black bra, hitchcock feel, screen rest, shoulder shot, makes wonder, bottom screen,