Psycho (1960) second image analysis

In this scene within Psycho (1960), a quick montage of Marion being killed begins after the collision cut of music goes from quiet to loud and awakes the scene. Hitchcock’s montages were heavily influenced by Soviet Montage films in the 1920’s which utilised great editing technique.  This great cinematography and editing style portrays Hitchcock’s mastery of montage through the fast paced, close-up and extreme close up shots of both Marion and Norman and the knife. The knife used in this scene is a phallic symbol connoting Norman’s power over females and his sexual frustration being freed through his psychotic actions. The low angle also connotes Norman’s power and how he is superior to Marion’s character. By the point of view shots that are shown, the audience feel as if they are the killer and automatically feel more disturbed.

The mise-en-scene in this particular shot disguises who the murderer is through the contrasting, shadowed, motivated lighting that is filling the frame. The shower’s water adds an obscured effect to the shot as well as causing a claustrophobic scene where Marion is trapped in the shower with the fear of death. The parallel music in this scene helps to influence the fearful emotions being evoked.

When focusing on the context, being brutally murdered on screen with slight body horror and nudity were two factors from this scene that were shocking for audiences in the early 1960’s, just before the Hays Code began to lose its authority.