Analysis of Psycho shower scene, exploring how film techniques are used to create effects

 

 

In the scene a mixture of close up and extreme close up camera shots, fast paced editing, non-diegetic sound and clever use of mise-en-scene combine to create a sense of tension that turns into panic.

 

The shot where the victim turns her back to the shower curtain is the first time we see that she is in danger. It begins as a close up shot of one person but the camera pulls back and through the opaque shower curtain we get our first glimpse of the killer coming through the door. The shot is now effectively a two shot. This creates tension for the viewer as we use of the shower curtain means we are unable to identify the killer. The shot makes us realise how vulnerable the woman is as she has her back to killer. Also the diegetic sound of the shower means she cannot hear the killer enter the room. The shower curtain is a key prop throughout the scene but in this shot it is used to show just how vulnerable the victim is.

 

Soon after this is a close up shot of the killer wielding a knife. This shot shows that the killer appears to be a woman. Even though the camera is looking directly at her face the audience is still unable to identify her. This is due to the clever positioning of the camera. The camera is placed on the other side of the jet of water to the woman which therefore means we cannot see her face in detail. This adds an air of mystery for the audience as there must be a reason the directors don’t want to reveal the woman’s identity. The dark lighting in the shot and the effective use of shadow also help to shield the killer’s identity.

 

Several shots later on in the scene we have a close up of the victim’s legs standing in blood diluted water. Due to the bland nature of a hotel bathroom there are not many colours in the scene all of the colours are also bland colours such as the white bathroom and the victim’s skin. Then during the attack we see a sea of red blood in the bath. The film makers use the bland colours beforehand to emphasise the brutality of the attack when we see the blood. This particular shot is similar to many of the other shots in scene as the audience get a sense of the brutal nature of the attack without actually seeing the victim’s injuries. This shows that with the right camera shots they are able to shock the viewer without actually showing anything particularly shocking.

 

During the attack scene there are a variety of diegetic and non-diegetic sounds. The non-diegetic music is the biggest factor in creating a sense panic during the attack. Whilst the killer is stabbing away the music is a high pitch screech of violins that are almost echoing the victim’s screams giving a real sense of panic and struggle. After the killer has fled the scene we then hear very low pitch music that give the sense that it is over and the woman has died. Throughout the scene we can always hear the shower running this adds a sense of realism to the scene. Other key sounds in the scene include the screams from the victim, the knife piercing the skin and the rattle of the shower curtain when the killer pulls it back.

 

At the very end of the scene we see two extreme clos up shots. The first of which is on the plug hole of the bath as the water swirls around it. The draining of the water signifies the draining away of the woman’s life. The bloody colour of the water again tells viewers how severe the wounds are. The innocent colour of white has been replaced with red, the colour of anger. There is then a graphic match where there is a transition between the plug hole and the victim’s eye. The shot then zooms out revealing the stricken corpse of the victim. This shot signifies the end of the scene and also the end of a life.

 

The only type of camera shots in the scene are extreme close ups, close ups and point of view shots. The mixture of these shots helps create the effect of panic and struggle but they also help create the effect of claustrophobia. They give the viewer a sense that the bathroom is really small. Also there is no window shown in the room which shows there is no escape for the victim.

 

In the shower scene from psycho many techniques are used very effectively t create an atmosphere of panic and struggle.