How is the tension and terror created in the Psycho shower scene?

Representation of Gender

• The gender representation in this scene makes Marion seen as being clever. This is because Marion has calculated on a paper how much she has spent from how much she had to begin with. She then flushed this paper in the toilet. This adds to the tension, as the viewers know that she is now seen as a criminal.

• Marion is seen as a typical weak and helpless woman as the camera uses the cut technique and zooms in on her mouth and facial expressions while she is screaming. This relates to tension as the audience would feel trapped and her sense of panic and vulnerability.

Mood of Narrative

• In both the starting and ending scenes there is a sense of peace and calmness. This links to horror because the viewers now feel that something is going to happen.

• The ending scene makes the viewers acknowledge that there is no hope for survival, as she doesn’t move. The director shows this by zooming in on her eyes to suggest that her soul has left her body.

Editing and Camera Angles

• The camera uses a tracking shot when focusing on Marion leaving the bedroom and going in to the toilet.

• The camera then follows Marion taking of her robe, as she is getting ready to have a bath. As the robe is falling on the toilet seat, the camera is at a high angle. This represents that the robe itself is hinting to Marion that her soul is going to painfully crumble and eventually fade away.

• This scene manages to fit in with Vladimir Propp’s second possible story event, called Interdiction. This is when the hero receives warning about danger, as in this scene the robe itself is hinting to her and adds to terror.

• I also noticed that the camera uses a cut technique, which was used a lot throughout this scene. The camera also zoomed in on Marion’s legs, feet, shoulders and face but not showing the whole of her body. This adds tension because the director does not want to reveal her body to the camera because this is showing that she is helpless and vulnerable.

• The camera uses fast paced cuts technique. The effect of this is to make the scene seem tense and panic amongst the viewers as the camera is constantly switching between both the villain and victim. The camera was facing Marion at a high angle showing she is weak and facing the villain at a low angle suggesting that he has power over her.

• In addition, the camera uses a dissolving technique. For instance; the camera then zooms in on Marion’s eye using the dissolving effect. As the camera zooms in on her eye there was a water drop on her eye almost as if it was representing a tear suggesting her pain and agony. This highlights that the director wants to send the message across to the viewer’s reinforcing her desperation of her helplessness needs.

Diegetic and Non Diegetic Sound

• I noticed that in this scene there is a lot of sound that is exaggerated. For example; Marion is writing and at present the audience can hear the pen being put back in the pen pot and the ripple of the paper. The effect of this is to add tension and terror by suggesting that something is going to happen as it is so quiet.

• The sounds being heard after Marion was attacked were the sounds of the drapes falling apart, Marion collapsing on the floor and the continuous shower noise. This suggests that at this point all the objects are emphasising that there is no hope for survival. This is almost like the objects are pre warning her from terror.

• There also seems to be dramatic music for when Marion is getting attacked. This suggests that the viewers would feel tension and worry, not only by watching her getting attacked but also by listening to the intense music being played in the background, to make this scene seem horrific.