Physco
Physco(1960) is an American suspense/horror film directed by Alfred Hitchcock. I analysed the shower scene which included various and some very effective shots, which showed many angles and perspectives we could view the scene from adding to the suspense and effect of the scene. It is so effective because it turns an everyday thing into a horrific incident taking away the innocence of something simple. The first shot we see is a mid shot showing the main character (Marion Crane) and establishing the environment that she is in which is the bathroom. It then has a few more shots also calm and not causing any affect, then it shows a shot of the shower head in the center of the screen and this is very effective as is emphasises the fact that is it an everyday thing and adds effect as it is repeated throughout the sequence and it is shown through the victims perspective emphasising the feeling of innocence and that something is going to happen building tension. The water is effective throughout the scene as it slightly cloaks the image of what is going on throughout adding tension and making us look closer to see what is going on. The shower curtain in the shot had a pattern on it that distorts the view through it adding tension when we see a black shadow appearing and getting closer in the background. The shots then start getting faster and the music gets quicker building up the tension as the dark blur gets closer, with the victim clueless about what is going to happen and this is emphasised by the bland every day mise en scene which adds effect to that it is an every day innocent thing to do. The curtain is then quickly pulled back vigorously with the victim screaming and there then is a very effective shot in which the attacker is centred but there is no light on the person so it is hard to see them and the only glimmer of light is on the knife which adds effect to the knife and then shot is also angled looking slightly upwards giving the person more importance. The shots are them flickering very quickly for shot to shot of the victim and the attacker from viewpoint perspectives it then shows an extreme close up of the victim screaming. It then changes shot to a birds-eye view which gives the viewer a better view of the action that is going on. There is then an example of a pathetic fallacy as there is an irrelevant shot of a thunderstorm in a sky which does emphasise the mood and is typical in thrillers. The victim then begins to fall lower and lower down the bath as the attacker leaves and whilst this is happening the music starts to get quieter and slower. There then is a shot of the victims hand against the wall this is very affective due to the contrast of the victims red nail varnish and the blood. There is also a high angle shot of the victims feet, it is effective as the feet are in an awkward stance which emphasises the distress she is in and also it is effective as the contrast between her toenails and the blood is apparent. The bland white mise en scene gives effect to this as because it is so bland the blood stands out a lot better and looks more important. We then see two very effective shots as there is an extreme close up shot of the eye dilating which is effective as it shows she is dieing, and it then changes shot to an extreme close up of the plughole and the blood washing away, this is effective because they are both a similar shape which links them and also because they resemble each other as the eye dilating shows the life going away and the plughole shows the blood washing away. The last shot we see s her lying half out of the bath in an awkward position laying helplessly and this is the point at which we know she is definitely dead.