Psycho Shower Scene. (ESSAY)

Psycho Shower Scene.

During the film ‘Psycho’ there are many physical aspects of which would associate it being a thriller genre. The scene mainly focused on is the shower scene in which the victim gets repeatedly stabbed by an unknown character. Throughout this scene you get a clear view of the setting, props, lighting, sound and camera angles. All of these contribute to the mise en scene.

Firstly, the setting is set to be seen in a hotel room in the location we believe is Los Angeles. The hotel itself is set in the middle of nowhere which is surprising as normally a setting like that is way livelier and more movement. This would give the audience a sign something unexpected might happen. The hotel room is pretty simple with a door leading to the bathroom. The main light source comes from there as it becomes clearer than the other room. This shows the contrast with the room and shows something bad may occur. You start to feel uneasy in how she enters the bathroom without locking the door behind her, this is when the unknown character enters and stabs her to her death. As there is a quiet surrounding the hotel is potentially empty in which the victim is on her own with no one to help her. Even if she could escape the shower there is little chance of escaping the room due to the fact the villain is blocking the only available exit.

The most significant prop used in this scene is the Knife. Connections to the knife normally mean death and it becomes the main object in the stabbing sequence due to the fact the victims being stabbed to death. As you can see from the picture the lighting appears to be coming from the right hand side of the frame and reflecting off the knife making it more visible. It draws the victim’s attention to the knife and the killer is in an offensive stance so the victim knows she’s about to die. During the stabbing sequence there is a thunderstorm going on outside which would connect to the violent atmosphere around the victim being murdered.  Another prop used to good effect is the plughole in the shower. After the victim is stabbed the blood flows down the plughole which acts as a parallel to the victims life as it is coming to an end. A clever transition is used between the plughole and the victims dilating eye. The water going down the plughole shows how her life is being washed away as it is coming to an end.

There are also many effective sounds used in this scene, both non digetic and digetic. For example, the non digetic sounds include the water going down the plughole. It sounds as if it gets blocked so echo’s throughout the duration of going down and begins to fade more and more. This would reflect to her life as her life is fading away as she slowly comes to her death. Another non digetic sound is the stabbing taking place towards the victim, and the noises from the villain as she’s stabbing the women. Also, the music has a large effect on the non digetic side as it builds the tension when she’s coming to her death. The digetic sounds are more significant in the scene. For example, the women’s scream and the water from the shower head. The water takes place throughout the murder and after as it’s a running shower so continuously stays on.

The lighting of the scene is used in to create the mood of the victim. The room is brightly lit as explained previously. If a room is lit, one is vulnerable or she is exposed. In this scene you feel the women is exposed due to the fact of the murderer. As well as the room being lit, light sources reflect off objects (for instance the knife) making her feel more vulnerable about what’s round the corner to attack her.

Throughout the shower scene there are many different camera angles that have been used. They mainly change as it gets more intense which flows with the background music for more effect. The effects speed up as the stabbing sequence is repeated. The setting we see is in 3 perspectives, the victims, the killer and the 3^rd person who is watching everything.

Many close ups are used in this scene to show detail or emotion. It normally has a light source in an easy place so the subject is lit up more.

For example, there is an extreme close up on the knife; the light source comes from the right hand corner showing it to be the main object. To create it being the main subject golden mean has been used.

They also use high angle shots above the subject to show lack of power. It gives the viewer a sense that the victim is feeling venerable. It is in the thirds persons view as it shows the surroundings.

Another shot used is pan shot. It follows the subject and gives a sense of moving with the action. It shows a close up of the victim and a clear outline of the unknown character through the shower curtains. It pans across to the charater coming through the door until it gets right up close to the certain.

There are many different shots taking place throughout the stabbing scene as it becomes more tense and changes quickly with the music. The thunderstorm going on outside builds to the tension in which in keeps skiping to it. It shows the violence that is happening and that no one can stop it, it’s powerless, just like the victim. This shot would be classed as a jump shot in which it’s not relivent to the scene but keeps the tension building.

In conclusion, all the phisical aspects used have made this film a thriller genre. The setting, lighting, sounds and camera actions have all been used in what a thriller genre would exspect. It is a film that gets you on the edge of your seat and has a good plot behind it making it unpredictable. The different techniques used really give a sense of the mise en scene and have been used in the right way to make this a film not to miss out on.