The scene in psycho I will be focusing on for this analysis is the time between the sister and boyfriend of Marion Crane's visit to the bates motel (the second time) leading up to the moments right before the discovery of Mrs. Bates.
a video of this segment could not be found.
During the segment we cover the characters of Norman along with the sister and boyfriend of Marion. We see many interesting changes throughout the segment. The biggest character change we see is that of Norman. We truly see the different sides of Norman as the scene progresses. In the beginning of the segment, Norman is calm and relaxed, but as we continue on we begin to see and feel the uneasiness inside of him. He eventually loses it and in a rush hits the boyfriend in the head with what appears to be a vase. An interesting observation i made was that Norman doesnt kill the boyfriend. This shows that he is still himself and is not fully controlled by the murderous intent of his mother. It sends the message that there are still traces of good and innocence in Norman.
Throughout the segment we see variation in camera work. A lot of the shots are head on but others are differentiated to make a specific point. For example, when Norman and the boyfriend talk the shot is held on both of them. It is held quite long during the dialogue and takes a realist perspective. This adds a feeling of discomfort and helps the audience feel the same as Norman, or at least to an extent. The shots in the house are held longer as well which allows the viewer to fully take in the surroundings of the setting. A wide angle lens is used for most of the scenes in order to give a full feeling and allow audience to explore the background. All of the scenes are cleanly cut and play in sequential order. We see two different stories of the same picture intertwined and observe how they merge together. This gives the scene a dramatic and urgent sense.
Lighting is used to convey the emotions and atmosphere of the setting. For example, The bates house is dimly lit and very dark, almost as if to give the feeling and emotion death itself. The lack of accents in the lighting gives it an overall dead feel. We see Normans room brightly light however. This contrasts from the house and communicates mood through lighting and a change in brightness. Color is not used in this film so shades and shadows are very key and important,
The score of the scene is urgent and spooky. The tone of the piece adds to the dark ambiance of the scene itself. It compliments the picture and adds a fitting mood to the landscape and events at play. We see a lot of differentiation and samples form the main theme and the change in tone and pitch bring depth to the setting and scene itself. The music helps convey the mood of the segment and the film as a whole.
Set design is what sells the scene. This whole segment has a strong focus on what is visible to the audience yet not conveyed verbally. For example, we see all the decor of Mrs. Bates room. It is all very regal and old conveying a feeling of darkness and age. Additionally, and probably the most important, is that of Norman's room. We see in the set Norman as a character, depersonified and represented through a room. It's innocent and pure. You can see stuffed animals and blakents and in the record player, Beethoven's "Eroica" or "Hero" in Italian. All this background sybolism helps further explain Norman and his character as a whole. To tie symbolism into this, the house can represent Norman. His room represents him deep down and who he really is, but the rest of the house represents Mrs. Bates and her control over Norman and his conscious mind.
One other scene that takes advantage of the technical elements of production and design is the scene in which Marion is spooked by her reflection, cleverly placed in the background. This added a thrillistic nature to the investigation of the house and can symbolize the idea that one can be their own monster or villain. This scene could be viewed as a subtle way to blame ones own actions on themselves.
Throughout the segment we are thrown and presented with emotions of urgency, fear, and suspense. The director accomplished this by manipulating the aspects discussed previously in the post and by distorting physical reality, in turn creating a blank canvas for a fake one.
a video of this segment could not be found.
During the segment we cover the characters of Norman along with the sister and boyfriend of Marion. We see many interesting changes throughout the segment. The biggest character change we see is that of Norman. We truly see the different sides of Norman as the scene progresses. In the beginning of the segment, Norman is calm and relaxed, but as we continue on we begin to see and feel the uneasiness inside of him. He eventually loses it and in a rush hits the boyfriend in the head with what appears to be a vase. An interesting observation i made was that Norman doesnt kill the boyfriend. This shows that he is still himself and is not fully controlled by the murderous intent of his mother. It sends the message that there are still traces of good and innocence in Norman.
Throughout the segment we see variation in camera work. A lot of the shots are head on but others are differentiated to make a specific point. For example, when Norman and the boyfriend talk the shot is held on both of them. It is held quite long during the dialogue and takes a realist perspective. This adds a feeling of discomfort and helps the audience feel the same as Norman, or at least to an extent. The shots in the house are held longer as well which allows the viewer to fully take in the surroundings of the setting. A wide angle lens is used for most of the scenes in order to give a full feeling and allow audience to explore the background. All of the scenes are cleanly cut and play in sequential order. We see two different stories of the same picture intertwined and observe how they merge together. This gives the scene a dramatic and urgent sense.
Lighting is used to convey the emotions and atmosphere of the setting. For example, The bates house is dimly lit and very dark, almost as if to give the feeling and emotion death itself. The lack of accents in the lighting gives it an overall dead feel. We see Normans room brightly light however. This contrasts from the house and communicates mood through lighting and a change in brightness. Color is not used in this film so shades and shadows are very key and important,
The score of the scene is urgent and spooky. The tone of the piece adds to the dark ambiance of the scene itself. It compliments the picture and adds a fitting mood to the landscape and events at play. We see a lot of differentiation and samples form the main theme and the change in tone and pitch bring depth to the setting and scene itself. The music helps convey the mood of the segment and the film as a whole.
Set design is what sells the scene. This whole segment has a strong focus on what is visible to the audience yet not conveyed verbally. For example, we see all the decor of Mrs. Bates room. It is all very regal and old conveying a feeling of darkness and age. Additionally, and probably the most important, is that of Norman's room. We see in the set Norman as a character, depersonified and represented through a room. It's innocent and pure. You can see stuffed animals and blakents and in the record player, Beethoven's "Eroica" or "Hero" in Italian. All this background sybolism helps further explain Norman and his character as a whole. To tie symbolism into this, the house can represent Norman. His room represents him deep down and who he really is, but the rest of the house represents Mrs. Bates and her control over Norman and his conscious mind.
One other scene that takes advantage of the technical elements of production and design is the scene in which Marion is spooked by her reflection, cleverly placed in the background. This added a thrillistic nature to the investigation of the house and can symbolize the idea that one can be their own monster or villain. This scene could be viewed as a subtle way to blame ones own actions on themselves.
Throughout the segment we are thrown and presented with emotions of urgency, fear, and suspense. The director accomplished this by manipulating the aspects discussed previously in the post and by distorting physical reality, in turn creating a blank canvas for a fake one.
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